Page 106 of The Fast Lane

“Yeah, good feeling. I’ll come for you first if you don’t start sharing.”

“We have a group text?—”

“You have got to be kidding me.”

“We’re usually only active after the two of you have been seen together. But this whole trip has had us working overtime.”

“What is the pool for?” I asked slowly.

She crushed a shirt to her chest. “Wellllll…It’s a pool to see who can guess what day you two will finally figure it out. This was my day.” She danced a little jig. “I won.”

“You bet on my love life?”

“Just for the last couple of years.”

“I was still dating Alec a couple of years ago,” I said, not sure I should be outraged or amused.

“Pffsht. That thing with Alec was never gonna work out.”

“You didn’t know that.”

“Yes, I did. I am your best friend. He was all wrong for you. It got even worse the longer you dated. In the beginning, he wasn’t so bad, but there at the end, he was the worst. I wanted to punch him the last time he was in town and started talking about your clothes.”

“I mean, I was wearing sweatpants on a date night.”

“So? We were having a movie night. In your apartment. Wear a tutu and cowboy boots. How does that give him the right to get mad at you? Yeah, I should have punched him.” She shook her head in disgust. “Theo cares about you, not what you wear or how messy your hair is or if you’re too tired to go to a stupid cocktail party or that driving gives you panic attacks. Theo cares about you.”

“Thanks,” I said softly.

“Don’t thank me for telling you the truth. Geez. Alec is a total juice canoe.” She picked up a pair of socks and folded one into the other. “So, you get your man. Finally. I’m going to go collect my spoils.”

“You never did tell me who else is in this pool.”

“I’m not going to either. What happens in the group text, stays in the group text.”

Smiling, I shook my head. “Mae.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m glad you’re my friend.”

“Same, Ali. Same.”

Theo: Are you awake?

Theo: Ali?

Theo: Alright then, just wanted to tell you goodnight.

Theo: And sweet dreams.

Theo: And that I really, really like you.

FORTY-FIVE

Note to self:

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.