“Hey!” Ash pulls me into a hug. “I’ve missed you.”
“Yeah, seriously,” Blake adds. “You need to stop traveling with the guys. It feels like we never see you anymore.”
“Right?” Kate squeezes me softly. “We’ve missed you like crazy.”
“I’ve missed you guys too,” I admit. “Come on in.”
Blake and Kate whistle as they take in the apartment while Ash watches me with a grin, knowing how uncomfortable the attention makes me.
Throwing me a bone, she lifts the grocery bag she brought with her into the air and says, “Look what I brought.”
It’s loaded with Ben & Jerry’s, and I take it from her, setting it on the counter as Blake finishes her self-led tour and rummages through my drawers in search of spoons.
“So,” Kate starts, leaning against the center island. “What’s new?”
“Nothing much. Traveling, working, the usual. How ‘bout you guys?”
Kate rubs her baby bump with a wistful sigh. “Everything’s great. Mack and I had a doctor’s appointment this morning and heard Baby’s heartbeat again, which was surreal.”
Sometimes, I forget she’s pregnant. Thanks to the little nugget in her stomach, her entire world was flipped upside down, but Macklin and Kate have taken the whole thing in stride. Now they’re engaged, living together, and doing everything in their power to make sure the baby’s born healthy and strong despite Kate’s epilepsy.
“That’s awesome,” I tell her. “I assume everything is going okay in the pregnancy so far?”
“Yup. Baby’s growing exactly as he should be.”
“He?” I ask.
“Technically, we’re waiting to find out the gender until I deliver, but I have a feeling it’s a boy,” Kate replies.
“Aww, I’m super happy for you, and I’m also super happy he or she is healthy.”
“Me too.” She sighs. Her relief is so palpable it fills the room.
“How ‘bout you?” I ask Blakely. “How is everything? How’s Uncle Fen’s foundation going? How’s the house? Tell me all the things.”
“It’s all good,” Blake answers. “The kids love coming and keep telling all their friends, so it’s growing like crazy. I feel like we have at least one more kid show up every single time we have an activity.”
“Aww,” Ash gushes. With her elbows on the granite countertop, she rests her chin in her hands. “I love it.”
“Me too,” Kate agrees.
Blake nods. “Yeah, it’s really fun to see. Crazy and chaotic but fun. Thankfully, the donations we’ve had over the past year have been super helpful. We should be able to afford another full-time person soon so we can split the kids into a couple more groups based on age. Then the five-year-olds aren’t hanging out with the twelve-year-olds and so on.” She reaches for the sack in front of me, drags it toward her, and pops the lid off a carton of The Tonight Dough. “Trust me, when all the kids are together, attempting to split the group into two teams for a game of basketball is laughable.” I smile at the thought, and Blake bumps her shoulder with mine. “Ya know, if you weren’t so busy, I’m sure Fender would love your help––”
“Yeah, I’m definitely too busy,” I interrupt. “But I’m glad you’ve been receiving more donations.”
“Me too. You have no idea how much they help.”
She scoops a heaping bite of ice cream with her spoon and shoves it into her mouth as I ask, “And how’s the house coming along?”
“It’s good,” she answers. “We’re renovating one of the bathrooms, but as soon as it's finished, we want to have everyone over for a housewarming party. Are you guys in?”
“Yeah, of course,” we all agree.
“Perfect.” Blake grabs a few more spoons from the drawer and slides one to each of us.
“So, Mia, any update on the whole Henry front?” Ashlyn’s perfectly plucked brow lifts as she takes the pint of mint chip ice cream from the bag and pops the lid off.
“What update?” Blake asks between a mouthful of ice cream.
“What Henry front?” Kate adds.
My gaze narrows, but Ash only grins. “Come on. You have to tell them.”
“Oh, yes. Whatever it is, Ash is right,” Blake agrees. “You have to tell us.”
“Fiiiine,” I pout but tell them all the gory details about my hook-up with Buchanan in Creekside, along with the rejection at SeaBird and butt dial from hell.
“And that’s it. The end,” I lie through my teeth with a sigh of exhaustion.
An unconvinced Ashlyn opens her mouth to call bullshit when Kate lifts her forefinger into the air.
“Pause. I have to use the bathroom,” she announces. “But I really want to hear everything else, so don’t keep going without me.”
“Take your time,” I tell her.
She heads down the hallway and finds the bathroom as I shove a bite of ice cream into my mouth, avoiding Ashlyn and her detective-worthy gaze beside me. To be fair, she isn’t wrong in her unspoken assumption. There’s a lot more I need to tell her. And I will. But only after I’ve had a shot––or five––so I can get through it.
Admitting I’m sleeping with my boss to myself is one thing. Admitting it to my best friends is an entirely different story. And after how this morning ended with Buchanan? The whole situation is even more of a mess, leaving me curious and uncomfortable and caught between the urge to end things as fast as possible and telling him every single detail about my past he wants to know.
Yeah. I’m a wreck, and I don’t even know where to start.
Shoving another bite of cookie dough ice cream into my mouth, I lick the spoon, too lost in the clusterfuck of my life to notice the deafening silence surrounding me.
“There’s more,” Ash decides. “Isn’t there?”
“Yup, definitely more,” Blake agrees.
“There isn’t more,” I lie, grimacing from their scrutiny.
“Come on. Tell us,” Ashlyn prods, then her eyes bulge. “Wait. Tell me you didn’t do what I think you did.”
I grimace harder, hiding my guilty expression behind the pint of cookie dough deliciousness.
“No freaking way.” She shoves my shoulder. It isn’t rough by any means but still manages to get her point across, and I scrub my hand over my face.
“Yeah, I know,” I mutter.
“Know what?” Blakely demands. “What just happened?”
“Wait, what’d I miss?” Kate asks as she walks back to the kitchen.
“Details. Now,” Ashlyn orders.
“There isn’t much to tell,” I hedge.
“Mia,” Ashlyn warns.
“Kate, how’s the temperature in here?” I ask her. “Are you hot? Cold? I want to make sure you’re comfortable since you’re pregnant and all––”
“Nope,” Ashlyn interrupts. “Sorry, Kate. You know I love you and want you to be comfortable, but Mia’s using you as a scapegoat right now, and we’re not done talking.”