They both look at me expectantly and I roll my eyes as I take a big sip of my drink before leaning back in my chair. My thoughts drift back to last night and the way Wyatt pressed me up against the counter and demanded every ounce of pleasure from my body. I drop my gaze to the table, my cheeks heating as I shrug.
“I mean… it was all right.”
“All right, my ass,” Eden says with a laugh, smacking her hand on the table again. “That look on your face tells me everything I need to know.”
“Oh, yeah,” Lillian agrees and I glance up at them as she starts fanning her face.
“Stop it,” I growl, the back of my neck feeling like it is on fire. The waitress stops by our table, saving me from further embarrassment and I chug half my drink as Eden and Lillian order their dinner. When she gets to me, I order the lasagna and another sangria before finishing off my first. She takes the glass from me and as soon as she is gone, Eden whips her head in my direction again.
“Okay, so you guys had super hot sex in… wait, where did it happen?”
I cover my face with my hand. “In the kitchen.”
“Oooh, kitchen sex, even better. What happened afterward?”
“We just stared at each other and then he stormed out of my house without a word,” I answer, meeting her gaze with a glare. It may be a good story for her but it hurt like hell for me and I’m not nearly as giddy about it as she is. Her lips part.
“Oh…”
“Yeah. It was a ton of fun.”
She sighs. “Please tell me he called you today, at least.”
“Nope,” I answer, shaking my head. “He showed up as I was leaving for my first session today and demanded that I tell him the truth since he knows I didn’t cheat on him.”
“And what did you say?” Lillian asks and I shrug.
“I don’t know. I was mostly trying to not give into him but I think I said something about the past not being pretty and he should stop poking around.”
Eden nods, leaning forward like she can’t get enough. “Then he said?”
Sighing, I replay the rest of the conversation for her, word for word, and by the end, she is practically bouncing in her seat and clapping her hands.
“Oh, this is excellent.”
I roll my eyes. “Can you please stop acting like a cartoon villain as you plan out my love life?”
“No, I can’t. Honestly, I was hoping you guys would talk and maybe, just maybe, you would work things out but this is even better than I imagined.”
“Hold on,” Lillian says, ever the voice of reason. “Let’s go back to why you can’t just tell him what happened when you left him.”
I sigh, shaking my head as I fiddle with my silverware. “Because it’s dark and ugly…”
“Yeah, but… he’s your husband, Pippy. This isn’t just some man you met and or some guy you’ve been dating.”
“Don’t you see, Edie. That just makes it worse. This would be so much easier if I was trying to tell some guy that I just met or some guy I was dating but it’s not. It’s Wyatt and I don’t know how to tell him…”
She reaches across the table and grabs my hand. “Well, maybe a little more tactfully than you told me.”
“Eden,” I cry out, my eyes widening as she starts giggling and releases my hand. Shaking my head, I remember my drunken rambling as I tried to explain it all to her and start laughing right along with her. “God, you’re no help sometimes.”
“But other times, I’m loads of help. I mean, look at you and Wyatt now.”
I shake my head again. “Don’t say that like things are magically fixed. Even if I told him everything and we tried to work through things, it wouldn’t be easy or simple.”
“True,” Lillian says, studying me. “But from what you’ve told us, he’s willing to do whatever it takes to fix your relationship.”
“Pipes, you could have everything you’ve ever wanted from your life,” Eden says, reaching across the table again and grabbing my hand with an encouraging look on her face. “All you have to do is be a little brave and tell Wyatt the truth.”
“I’m scared.”
Lillian nods, wrapping her arm around my shoulder. “I know but everything will be okay.”
“And if it’s not,” Eden adds, giving my hand a squeeze. “We’ll go kick that idiot’s ass for hurting our girl.”
“I’ll think about it,” I tell them and they both nod in approval. Lillian releases me and I lean back in my chair, fingering the scar along my neck as I think about what I need to tell Wyatt. I’m terrified of his reaction but I’m also terrified of living the rest of my life without him which leaves me in a pretty shitty spot. I’ve never been all that good at pushing myself out of my comfort zones which is why Dr. Brewer says I gravitate toward people like Eden and Wyatt who will force me to do the things that I don’t want to do but it still doesn’t make it easy for me.
“Piper?”
My head jerks up and I blink as James, my ex, stops next to our table and smiles down at me. “Uh… hi.”
“How are you?” he asks and I scowl as my mind struggles to catch up. Nodding, I sit forward and try to paste a pleasant smile on my face but it’s a struggle. James and I broke up because we didn’t want the same things and if I’m being honest with myself, I was never really that into him. I was just into the idea of him, of finding someone and finally starting a family like I’ve always wanted.
“Uh, good. How are you?”
“Really good,” he answers with a nod before his gaze flicks down to my chest. He lingers there for a moment and I resist the urge to cover myself as he meets my eyes again. Seriously? How did I not notice how sleazy he was when we were dating? “You look amazing.”
“Thanks,” I mutter, shooting a confused glance in Eden’s direction. She rolls her eyes and shrugs. I peek over at Lillian who just shakes her head, looking almost embarrassed for James. Someone calls his name from a couple tables over and he glances back at them before turning back to me with a grin.
“Listen, I’ve got to go right now but maybe we can grab lunch sometime. I’ll call you.”
I force a smile to my face but he doesn’t even wait for my nod before he turns and heads over to the leggy blonde waiting for him. Arching a brow, I watch him sit down before turning back to the girls and shaking my head.
“Quick, block him on your phone,” Eden says, jabbing her pointer finger into the table. “Right now. I’m not letting that clown ruin all my hard work.”
I scoff as I dig my phone out of my bag. “Yes,, ma’am. And what the hell do you mean all your hard work?”
“Listen, I did not risk life, limb, and best friend just so this douchebag can come swinging his dick around and mess it all up. I am determined to be photographing your wedding with Wyatt someday.”
Scoffing, I shake my head as I block James on my phone. “We’re already married, Edie. Even if we get back together, there won’t be a wedding.”
“Well, then a vow renewal or whatever,” she says, waving her hand through the air to dismiss my comment. “You mark my words. I will document your happily ever after.”