Page 79 of A Little Secret
“Thank you!” I chime in, leaning closer to the bathroom mirror to apply the rest of my mascara.
As I swipe the wand against my lashes, Dylan notes, “So, you look especially cute today.”
“Um, I always look cute.”
“I saidespecially.”
Slipping the wand back into the tube, I twist it into place and give my best friend a once-over. “So do you. I like the face paint.”
“You did the face paint,” she points out.
“No wonder I like it.” I wink. “But for real, you look hot. Reeves is gonna die when he sees you.”
Her mouth lifts in a shy smile, but she sobers slightly.
“Okay, what did I say?” I ask. “Because you went from looking as happy as a clam to looking like I kicked your puppy.”
“I don’t have a puppy, and what kind of saying is that, anyway?” Her nose scrunches. “Ollie says it, too.”
I lift a shoulder. “No idea where the saying came from, but I knew I liked Reeves. Great minds think alike and all that.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“So?” I prod. “What’s wrong?”
Her lips bunch on one side, and she scoots her glasses a little further up her nose. “Can I ask you something?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“Was it ever like…thisfor you and Drew?” she asks.
“You mean like rainbows and butterflies and over-the-top cuteness?”
She nods.
Digging my teeth into my bottom lip, I play back a few of my most potent memories with Drew at the beginning of our relationship, then pop a shoulder. “Honestly? Things with me and Drew were never like”—I wave my hand toward her—“this. We were like two puzzle pieces who kept trying to mash ourselves together in hopes of fitting. Sometimes, I could almost believe it worked, but then…I don’t know. It’s like I could feel the crumpled edges I was trying to convince myself were as sharp and intricate as in the beginning. Does that make sense?”
She nods again. “Yeah, I think it does.”
“So, see? You and Mr. Reeves are the real deal, and I’m not the only one who can see it, so don’t stress.”
“Thanks.” Her lips lift. “How are you holding up on the whole Drew front, anyway?”
My body sags against the edge of the bathroom counter. “You’ve already asked me this, you know.”
“Yet, I never feel like you give me the real answer,” she volleys back at me.
“We’re good.”
“We?”
My face scrunches. “Talk about a Freudian slip, am I right?” I try to laugh it off as I push my hair behind my shoulder and give myself one more quick assessment in the mirror. “I meant me and Drew. We’re better off apart, and honestly? Considering all the time I wasted with him, I kind of thought I’d be sadder, but I’m not. I’m…” I press my lips into a thin line, mentally finishing my sentence.Toodistracted by the baby in my uterus and sneaking around with your older brother to give my ex much thought.“I’m good.”
“Just know I’m here for you,” Dylan says. “And so are Lia and Raine. I know you think you have to put on a brave face and be Miss Independent and all, but we’re here.”
“Thanks.” I pull her into a hug, squeezing tight.
“Even Frankie,” she adds.