Page 57 of Pucking Only
Grace smiles, her eyes bright with certainty. “I know you can, Sky. You’ve got so much talent, so much drive. You just need to remember that you’re enough as you are. You don’t need to change to fit anyone else’s idea of success.”
Her words are still swirling in my mind, giving me more to think about than I anticipated. I’m caught in this strange mix of emotions — gratitude, confusion, and a touch of relief. Before I can dwell on it too much, Grace suddenly perks up, a mischievous glint in her eye.
“You know what? I think we both need a break. Let’s go shopping for dresses for my parents’ anniversary party. It’ll be fun! I know you love to dress up and be girly sometimes.”
I blink, caught off guard by the sudden change in topic. “Shopping? Now?”
“Why not?” Grace grins, nudging me playfully. “Come on, Sky, you need this. We both do. And then you can join me for dinner with Stacey!”
“Stacey? Stacey from high school?”
She nods. “Yeah! Remember I told you she reached out when she realized I moved to Denver. Come on, join us! It’ll be fun. Some shopping, some dinner … we’ll make a girls’ night of it.”
I hesitate for a moment, but her enthusiasm is infectious. The idea of getting out, doing something just for the fun of it, is actually appealing. Besides, she’s right — I do enjoy dressing up every once in a while, even if I don’t admit it often. There’s something about slipping into a beautiful dress, feeling like I can be someone else for a little while, that I find oddly satisfying.
“Okay, fine,” I relent, a small smile tugging at the corners of my lips. “Let’s go shopping and then meet Stacey. Do your best to make a lady out of me.”
Grace practically bounces out of her seat, clearly pleased with herself for convincing me. “Perfect! There’s this new boutique downtown that I’ve been dying to check out. I’m sure we’ll find something amazing there.”
I can’t help but laugh at her excitement. “You’ve already scoped out the options, haven’t you?”
“Of course I have!” she declares proudly. She grabs her bag and leads the way out the coffee shop. Once we’re out on the sidewalk, she hooks her arm through mine. “Trust me, we’re going to be gorgeous. Let me just text Jensen and I’ll let him know we’ll be out the rest of the day.”
At the mention of Jensen, my mind immediately jumps to Carson, because of course it fucking does. It seems I can’t go very long without wondering where he is or what he’s doing, or when I’ll get to kiss him again. Once Grace finishes sending her text to Jensen, she tucks her phone away and looks at me with a wide smile.
“Ready?” she asks.
I nod. “Yep, I am.”
Chuckling, we make our way down the sidewalk together and I feel so much better than when I first woke up this morning. Despite how complicated everything is in my life right now, knowing that Grace is on my side makes it all more bearable. Without her, I’d be totally lost.
That realization just makes me worry what all I might be risking by hooking up with Carson. If we’re found out or things end badly, I could lose Grace as well as Carson. I need both of them in my life. I need both of them. Am I being reckless with Carson and putting my friendship with Grace on the line? The thought that I might be gambling with my friendships, my heart, and my entire world is enough to make me second-guess everything. But then I think of Carson — how he makes me feel, how he looks at me — and I wonder if I’m willing to take that risk. I need both of them in my life, but at what cost?
I just need to stick to the plan. Sex with Carson and nothing more. This doesn’t have to affect my friendship with Grace. Once I’m back in California, Carson and I can just go back to being frenemies. Even if a part of me likes to imagine what it would be like to have a real relationship with Carson, I know better than to think something like that could ever really happen.
That’s just a fantasy, and I’m not naive enough to believe that fantasies can really come true.
The little French café is the kind of place you can’t help but fall in love with. It’s tucked away on a quiet corner,and inside, the atmosphere is cozy and warm, with soft light filtering through the windows and the scent of fresh bread and herbs in the air. Grace and I have snagged a table by the window, and I’m sipping on an iced coffee while we wait for Stacey to arrive.
I watch Grace toy with her phone, scrolling mindlessly.
“You think she’ll be late?” I ask, half-joking.
“Nah,” Grace says with a grin. “She’s too organized to show up late. Besides, she hasn’t seen us in a while.”
Just as I’m about to respond, Stacey comes through the door, looking flustered but happy. She waves at us. We wave back, standing up to hug her. She looks good — her red hair hangs just above her shoulders. She’s tall and curvy. In high school, she was rail-thin, so she’s definitely filled out since then.
If I’m honest, I can’t remember the last time I saw Stacey. I wasn’t as close to her as Grace was, but we ran in the same circles. One day she was there, and the next she was just … gone. Transferred, apparently, but I don’t think anyone ever knew exactly why. It’s a little surreal seeing her now after she seemingly dropped off the face of the earth.
What has she been up to all these years?
“Sorry I’m late,” she says as she sits down, setting her bag beside her. Her green eyes sparkle as she looks between us. “Traffic was brutal. But it’s so good to see you guys! I feel like it’s been forever.”
“It has,” I say, smiling. “What’s new? We need the full update.”
Stacey leans back in her chair, a little sigh of relief escaping her. “Well, school is insane, as usual. Physical therapy is a really fascinating area of study and practice. I’m getting into the more intense stuff now, the hands-on training.I’m looking for a place to do my residency, so that’s been taking up most of my time.”
“What kind of places are you looking at?” Grace asks, leaning in with interest.