“That’s hard. Ryse’s and my father left when I was really young. He never looked back either. My mom worked hard to care for us but she’s had a difficult life. She’s worked two jobs since we were young. Ryse’s hockey equipment was super expensive and going to tournaments costs a lot of money.”
Paris nods and drinks back some wine.
“Ryse never mentioned any of that,” Holland notes. “But then again I don’t feel like guys like talking about their lives.”
She’s right. Ryse has always kept our personal business to himself. It’s me who feels the need to share. Talking with others has always made me feel better.
“So none of us have dating prospects,” Paris says, looking between me and Blossom. I hate to lie to my new friends. They are nice and genuine and I’m enjoying their company.
“None. Try being the old lady on campus,” Blossom huffs.
“You’re not that much older than us,” Rebel reassures.
“I’m thirty,” Blossom says, scrunching her nose.
“Ooh, maybe you can meet a hot professor,” I tease, waggling my brows.
“Oh, she’s right,” Holland says. “I like the way you think, Poppy.”
We all break into laughter. Truth is, I can’t believe I made that comment but I do feel warm and fuzzy from the wine.
“Or there is Darren at the bar,” Rebel says, waggling her brows. She takes another gulp of wine.
“That’s not happening,” Blossom retorts, lifting up a hand.
“Why?” Rebel counters.
At this point all of us have flushed faces and Holland has gone around refilling our wine glasses.
“Because he’s my boss,” Blossom says like it’s obvious.
“That sounds like fun,” Paris says. “Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve had sex?”
I’m surprised that these sisters are so open with each other but then I don’t have a sister, only Ryse, and he would flip his lid if I spoke to him about sex.
“Don’t tell me since Tobias left?” Holland counters.
“Yes.” Paris frowns and she throws back more wine.
“Well, I’m an eighteen-year-old virgin,” I say a little too high-pitched and then I realize I made a mistake. I should not have said that because all eyes are on me. Some jaws are dropped.
I blush.
“You’re adorable,” Rebel says. “Did you not have sex in high school? I mean, you’re gorgeous. I’m sure guys must have been beating down your door.”
“I was a big nerd,” I admit, and I don’t know if they can tell I’m blushing because my cheeks are so warm from the wine. “And I had a huge crush on this one guy, but he didn’t know I existed. Besides, Ryse basically warned all the guys on our block not to touch me and they listened.”
Everybody laughs. “I can’t see Ryse as the overprotective brother,” Holland says.
“Me neither,” Paris agrees.
“Is Ryse going to kill me? I didn’t realize you all know him so well,” I say.
“We’ve hung out with the guys from the team quite a bit,” Holland explains. “When Cole and Wolfe have time off, they come home and they always meet up with the guys at a bar. So we’ve gotten to know Ryse. He’s quite the ladies’ man.”
“And he hangs out with Paris and Max a lot,” Rebel says like she’s insinuating something.
“We are just friends,” Paris affirms. “It’s really not like that between us.”
“Well, my bro has always been a ladies’ man. He has such double standards,” I pout. Okay, I can’t believe I just called him my bro and said that. I must be drunk. Someone seal my lips before I get into more trouble.
“I think it’s cute he watches out for you,” Paris says.
“You wouldn’t think it was cute if he was cockblocking you,” I shoot back. “I’m going to be nineteen in February and I just only recently kissed a guy for the first time.”
Oh shit. I shouldn’t have said that. Damn wine.
“Oh, do tell. Our lives are clearly boring,” Blossom says.
“Just some guy I met at a bar a couple weeks ago,” I say, and it’s not a total lie.
“Did you end up seeing him again?” Rebel asks.
“Nah! Some guy I met on College Pro. I didn’t even want to try the app but my roommate was like, ‘You have to meet someone’ so I did it, and it was just okay,” I explain and I hate how the lie gets bigger and bigger.
“College Pro. I should try it,” Paris says.
“No, you shouldn’t,” Rebel counters. “There’s only douchebags on it.”
“She isn’t wrong,” I agree.
“Guys, when it’s the right time you’ll meet someone,” Rebel says to us.
Blossom huffs playfully, “This one got the captain of the Westfall hockey team to fall in love with her.”
“I didn’t get anything. We met by chance and fate clearly had a plan,” Rebel explains. “Same with Holland. Girl was working herself to death with school and had no life.”
“I’m still working myself to death with school.” Holland rolls her eyes.
“Because you want to,” Paris cuts in.
“She has a beautiful baby girl and a gorgeous boyfriend who loves her to death. She’s happy and none of it was planned,” Rebel explains.
“Not all of us are that lucky to find someone,” Blossom says.
I want to agree but suddenly I don’t know. What are Declan and me? I mean, he makes me feel really good and we talk but. . .
“Exactly, my relationship with Tobias was a freaking disaster,” Paris says.
“Because he wasn’t the right one,” Holland says with a frown.
“I don’t know if there’s someone meant for me. Who wants a single mom? College guys definitely don’t. I was at a party just last week and this guy asked me to dance so we started dancing and then he asked me what I do in my free time, so I told him I take care of my seven-year-old and he started laughing, but I kept a straight face. When he realized I was serious he literally said, ‘See you later’ and took off,” Paris explains.
“Guys can be such assholes,” I say, pushing my glasses up my nose.
“So true,” Blossom chimes in.
She pulls up her phone and I’m not sure what she is doing.
But then “Good for You” by Olivia Rodrigo starts playing on her phone and she stands on the couch and starts dancing.
“I hope we aren’t going to wake up CC and Max, but what the hell,” Holland says and then she is up on the couch dancing with her wine glass in her hand and singing the lyrics. Rebel and Paris get up and start dancing along, and then I find myself dancing too. I know the song well since it’s on the radio all the time and we all shout good for you. One hand waves in the air and I’m scared of spilling my glass of wine so I down the rest of it and place it on the coffee table, and then the other girls do the same. We get back up on the couch and shout and wave our hands in the air, and I don’t know when I’ve ever had this much fun. By the end of the song, Blossom links hands with Paris and then a chain happens, and we all link hands together and sing the lyrics. I’m sure some of them are singing about past relationships. I don’t have one to relate to, so I think of my father leaving us and moving on without us and I shout the lyrics with as much fervor as they do.