Page 57 of Deal with Mr. Cruel

“I wish I hadn’t. But did you see the punch Nico got in? That was impressive.”

Mae shook her head. “What a mess. I guess now is when you say ‘I told you so.’”

Lindsay shook her head. “This is not something I wanted to be right about. Trust me. I saw you two at the festival. You looked totally in love or at least somewhere close.”

“He had everyone fooled, including me.”

“I don’t know. He’d have to be a pretty good actor to look at you that way.”

“How could he say those awful things then?”

Lindsay shrugged. “I don’t know what to tell you, Mae.”

Mae looked at her friend for a moment. Her friend, who took care of her with no judgment whatsoever and got her out of a bad situation with the man she had warned her about. Mae felt guilt wash over her.

“Am I a bad friend?” Mae asked suddenly.

“What? Where didthatcome from?”

“I haven’t been here in years. I barely see you. Or the kids. Or Ben.”

“You’ve been busy. It’s okay.”

“It’snotokay. I’ve been working at a job I’m not even sure I love to be close to my brother—who probably needs to grow up.”

“Oh, he definitely needs to grow up.” Lindsay laughed softly before she looked at Mae seriously. “You’re the hardest working person I know. Whether you love the job or not, you’ve proven yourself to be a valuable asset. And if you don’t love it, then quit. Anyone would be lucky to have you.”

Mae thought about the idea of no longer working at the only job she’d really ever known. What would it feel like stepping away from the role of Nico’s mother, and just be his sister? His friend. She also thought about the idea of not seeing Jonas every day. As much as she had avoided him since their breakup, she still felt her heart drop whenever she saw him.

“But I’ve also been gallivanting around with someone I thought would eventually love me. I could have left years ago when he broke my heart the first time. Why did I stick around? It’s like I wanted to torture myself.” Mae shook her head, frustrated with herself.

“Mae.” Lindsay grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. Mae looked up at her, fighting back tears.

“Sure, maybe you’re a little blind when it comes to Jonas. But sometimes you have to make mistakes. It’s how you learn,” said Lindsay.

“I should have learned the first time.”

“Ahh woulda, coulda, shoulda.” Lindsay waved her off. “We’ve been best friends for years. Nothing is going to change that. You’ve seen me at my worst, and I’ve seen you at yours. You’re stuck with me.”

Mae hugged Lindsay tightly. “Thank you.”

She heard someone clear their throat. They looked up to see Ben in the doorway, rocking on his heels awkwardly. “I got a little hungry, so I set the kids up with a movie so I could grab a bite from the kitchen. Is girl time over?”

Lindsay rolled her eyes. “I’ll heat up some leftovers. Are you hungry, Mae?”

Mae shook her head no. She watched as her friend playfully shoved Ben toward the kitchen. She let out a little laugh and looked up at the ceiling.

A moment later, Ben plopped down next to her on the couch with two beers in hand. He nudged her gently.

“You want one?”

“Yes, please,” said Mae, taking one.

They clinked their bottles together and took a big swig.

“Thanks, Ben. I needed that.”

“I heard.”