Avery snapped her fingers in front of me. “Tensley? Where did you go?”
“Sorry,” I mumbled. “I’m still waking up.”
“Are you really okay? This entire conversation, we’ve managed to dance around what happened last night. I know it did a number on you.” A frown line creased her forehead as she examined me.
I suppressed my sarcastic laugh. She had no idea how not okay I really was, and if I could help it, she never would know.
“Yup.” I sipped my coffee. “I think the alcohol complicated the situation. I mean, so what if Layne is here? However, the more I think about it …” I drummed my fingers against the countertop of the island. “It would help if you could check to see if there is a schedule for him. At least I would know whether or not he is a student or just visiting. If he is, the campus is plenty big enough for me to avoid him. I just need to know where he is so I can avoid him.”
“I’ll take care of it on Monday. Consider it done.”
“Thanks. I really appreciate it. But …”
Avery tilted her head, waiting for me to weigh in.
My palms suddenly grew clammy, and I rubbed them on my flannel pajama bottoms. “Avery, I can’t explain everything to you. I promise I will in time, but apparently I need to get a little bit ahead of the situation.”
She folded her hands in her lap, her gaze unwavering.
I inhaled a shaky breath. “I’m Victoria. My birth name was Victoria Alison Benton. When I left Arkansas, I needed to leave that girl behind, the one who had been used and tossed away. In order for me to be true to myself and start a new life, I became Tensley Alison Bennett.”
“Holy shit.”
A pregnant pause filled the air, and it was my turn to wait for a response. The silence was killing me, so I continued. “I’m sorry I withheld that from you, but I never expected to run into anyone from my past here.”
Avery nodded, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. “I’ve always known there’s more to you than you allow me to see, and that’s okay. I think we all have a piece of us we protect at all costs. I’m just trying to wrap my mind around the idea that life could be so devastating, you didn’t even want to keep your name. That shit was so bad, you needed to separate yourself by distance and change your name in order to feel safe. I think my heart just broke, and at the same time, I have even more respect for you. And now all I want to do is protect you from whatever is going on. Ten, you’re not just my best friend, you’re my family, my sister.”
I inwardly heaved a major sigh of relief. “You’re not pissed at me?” Between Benji and Avery, it was Avery I’d been the most concerned about.
“I’m disappointed, but maybe I would have done the exact same thing. And the bottom line? It’s not about what I think right now. It’s about what is going to make you happy. So whatever is haunting you, please know I’m here, day or night, to help in any way I can. It’s what sisters do for each other.”
Relief flooded me as though someone had just opened the dam. I hopped off my barstool and wrapped my arms around her.
“I love you.” I laid my head on her shoulder and counted my blessings.
“Right back atcha.”
“You look hot tonight,” Benji said, beaming at me from the driver’s seat. “Did Avery help dress you?” He snickered at his slight dig.
I smoothed my plum-colored blouse and tucked a stray hair behind my ear. I’d paired the top with boyfriend jeans and black boots. “I realize you think I can’t doll up all on my own, but I’ll have you know”—I directed my hand from my face down my body—“this was all me.” I winked at him and laughed as he pulled into the comedy club parking lot.
“Shit. Do you see any available spaces? I can’t believe it’s this packed.” He leaned forward in his seat, scouring the area for a vacant spot.
“No. I wonder if it’s so busy due to the track meet coming up?”
“Yeah. I have no clue, but this is completely unacceptable.” He blew out a sigh, and his attention cut toward me. “Are you okay walking a little bit? We can see if there’s any availability near the back of the building. People park in the alley all the time.”
“We’ve parked there before. Go for it.” One thing I didn’t mind was walking. When I was younger, I would walk for miles in the middle of the night if I couldn’t sleep. There was something about it I found soothing. Maybe it was the fact that I could get one over on whatever foster parents I was with for the week, or maybe I was most comfortable when the darkness concealed me.
Once Benji parked, he hurried out of the car and around to my side. He looked terrific, but Benji never had a bad day when it came to his looks. His clothing style leaned toward metro, and he adored loud colors. That night, he’d opted for a bright-red button-down tucked into his designer jeans, which were rolled up at his ankles.
“Ma’am,” he said, opening the door and extending his hand to me.
“Ah, you’re so sweet.” I put my fingers in his and stood, grinning. Maybe it was silly, but Benji was the only guy who made me feel special. Valuable.
He locked up, turned, and held out his arm to me. I looped mine through his and we hurried toward the club.
Every time I saw the redbrick building, it reminded me of home. I was astonished by the lack of brick homes in Spokane, but they rarely had a tornado there. I grew up in tornado alley, so not only did people need a solid home, but most houses included a basement.
Benji pulled me through the entrance, then he came to an abrupt halt. “Shit,” he muttered. “Thomas is already performing.”
I bounced on my tiptoes and attempted to peek over him, but there were too many people for me to see the stage clearly. “What? I thought he wasn’t on until later.”
“So did I.” Benji’s eyes darted around the crowded room then grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the farthest wall. There was standing space only.
I gave Benji’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “Thomas has a bright spotlight on him, so he probably can’t see people very well in the audience. Maybe he doesn’t realize you’re late.”
I leaned against the wall, and my thoughts fell on Thomas as he continued to entertain the room. His hair was teased into a long afro, and although I didn’t care much for him, Thomas was handsome. His short-sleeved yellow shirt showcased his well-sculpted arms, but I had no clue why he thought burgundy skinny jeans worked well with such a bright-colored top. But what do I know? I relied on my roomies to dress me most of the time.
The crowd roared with laughter, breaking my thoughts. I peeked at Benji, who was mindlessly fiddling with a hangnail on his thumb. He was stressed, and my heart ached for him. I wasn’t sure why Benji couldn’t walk away from Thomas after the guy had cheated on him, but there was some kind of unhealthy pull in their relationship. I never talked to Benji about it because I was in no way qualified to give dating advice.
The room thundered with loud applause as Thomas bowed to the audience, his eyes landing on us in the back. The announcer jumped on the stage and began to introduce the next comic.
Thomas hopped off the platform and made his way over to us. “You made it,” he said to Benji, practically ignoring my existence. He leaned over and gave Benji a quick peck on the mouth. “Hello, Tensley.”