Pressure Point (Point #2) by Olivia Luck Page B

want. Each other in a quiet ceremony.”
    “That’s what we’ll give you.” Sure, I would love to have the whole shebang for my closest cousin and my loving friend, but I leave the decision to her. There’s time for a massive party at my wedding. The thought sends me sour almost instantly. If I ever get married.
    “Did wedding talk distract you long enough?” Violet asks.
    I cram another square of pizza into my mouth, though it tastes like chalk in my dry mouth. “I slept with Blake tonight,” I say once I’ve stopped chewing. Unfortunately for me, Violet was in the middle of a sip of wine and droplets sail across the couch and ping me in the face when she spits out the liquid. Felix squawks and falls back against the couch in surprise. Both of them know that I’ve harbored a crush on him for years.
    “What?” Violet shrieks incredulously. I toss a napkin at her and she cleans the dribble off her chin. I use my own hand to wipe the dots off my cheeks.
    “Explain,” Felix demands.
    Frowning, I cross my arms over my chest and think about how foolish I was. Meanwhile, Felix grabs me by the shoulders and shifts me into the arm of the couch. Now that we’ve switched places, I face both of them.
    “I thought I was in love with him. The man could do no wrong in my eyes. Then tonight, he dashed all of my dreams in about two minutes.”
    “Two minutes?” she scoffs. “Thought he could at least last for ten.” At that, a tiny giggle escapes my lips. One trickle turns into peals of laughter and soon I’m laughing hard enough for tears to build behind my eyes. Meanwhile, Violet and Felix watch me carefully.
    “The joke wasn’t that funny, chickie,” she says.
    “The alternative to laughing is too depressing,” I mutter when I get ahold of myself.
    “Start from the beginning,” Felix says.
    Quickly, I recant my visit with Zoe while my friends murmur words of encouragement and sympathy. When I hit the Blake portion of the story, Violet’s face darkens.
    “He had sex with you without a condom?” she seethes.
    Felix shakes his head, eyes narrowed. “Not fucking cool, Stella.”
    I nod miserably. “God, I feel so cheap. What was I thinking? There was no tenderness whatsoever. He didn’t kiss me once.” Automatically, my palm cups the still tender skin at my neck. “No doubt I’ll have a hickey tomorrow. That was the opposite of adult sex. It was like a bumbling, horny guy who had no care for my pleasure. It was humiliating.”
    “Stop right there. This is not humiliating to you. It’s mortifying for him. The guy behaved badly and doesn’t deserve to be with someone as good as you,” Violet says.
    “It’s the death of a dream,” I admit forlornly. “For six years, I have imagined Blake as the guy for me. Today, he showed me…” I release a weary sigh. “I don’t know what he showed me, but whatever it was that I saw, it hurt tremendously.” Staring at my hands, I allow the conversation to lapse into silence. Then, achingly, I admit, “I love him. Loved him. I don’t know anymore. I’m so confused.”
    “He’s easy to love, Stella. From everything that you’ve told me, he’s almost as perfect as Max.” That provokes a weak smile. “These are extenuating circumstances for all of you. He may have made a mistake, but that doesn’t make him unlovable.” By the sharp, painful expression that crosses her features, I know Violet’s referring to more than Blake in this situation.
    “You’re right,” I murmur. “Our mistakes don’t define us; it’s what we do in light of them.”
    Felix nods. “No one’s perfect, Stell. The guy looks it, but he’s got struggles. I’m not trying to justify what he did, but he’s fighting something fierce, too.”
    Violet catches my hand in hers. “As much as I hate to say it, you probably need a break from all things Zoe and Blake. Give them time to figure out their issues. Well, give Zoe the benefit of the doubt. Blake, on the other hand, is on