Lacey exchanged glances. “Lacey and Eric are—” Mari began but Lacey cut in.
“We’re sort of together.”
My throat suddenly felt thick. “Oh.”
Lexi nudged me again.
“You don’t mind, do you?” Lacey asked. “Because it was a long time ago when you two dated but I don’t know if you’re still hung up on him or—”
“No!” I lowered my voice to a normal level. “No, it’s fine. Of course it’s fine. That was like, eight years ago. Ancient history. Just a bit of leftover bad blood working itself out, that’s all.” I grabbed my soda and swigged, hoping to banish the weird lump that had formed in my throat.
Lacey’s face lit up with a huge grin. “You’re the best!”
“See, I told you she’d be okay with it,” Mari said. I grimaced around my straw. “They’ve gone out almost every day this week. Lacey’s in looooove .”
Lacey blushed and giggled. She didn’t deny it.
“So soon?” Lexi asked. She didn’t know Lacey, or the fact that she was the fall hard, fall fast type. I hadn’t heard of one relationship where it had taken her longer than two weeks to hit the L word.
“You haven’t met him,” Lacey said to Lexi. “He’s absolutely perfect.”
Lexi glanced at me.
“He is so sweet,” Lacey continued. “And kind, and funny and…”
I wanted to put the magazine over my face and smother myself so I wouldn’t have to hear anymore. Lexi arched an eyebrow, her lips bunched together to keep from laughing.
“…and his voice! It’s so dreamy!”
Dreamy? Lexi mouthed. I smacked her with my magazine. Lacey was too busy gushing over Eric to notice.
“And those lips! Yum! He’s the best kisser ever.”
My smile died. I could still remember the taste of Eric’s lips, the way his mouth moved with mine. How his hands felt when they caressed my skin. The weight of his body pressing into me. How I used to melt into him.
I pushed those memories away. They were bad news.
“Oh, sorry,” Lacey said. “Too far, right?”
Lexi studied me, her eyebrows lowered. You okay? she mouthed.
I nodded. Eric was dating Lacey. Good for them. We’d moved on from each other ages ago.
But that didn’t stop me from wishing I didn’t have to be around to hear about all of this newfound looooove .
* * * * *
The four of us walked out of the theatre and into the sunshine, simultaneously donning oversize sunglasses against the glare. Lacey was giving us a play-by-play of her favorite parts of the movie.
“That scene where she finally finds out the truth? So amazing!” She absently twirled strands of hair around her fingers. “And then that kiss during the balloon ride. Wow! Maybe I can convince Eric to take me on one.”
Lexi and I glanced at each other.
“That actor was gorgeous,” Mari said. “Who was he again?”
Lexi linked her arm with mine, drawing us behind Lacey and Mari. “Did you like the movie as much as she did?”
I shrugged. “It was okay.”
She gave me a sideways look. “It was cheeseballs.”
I laughed. Lexi was not into romance movies at all. She preferred her movies with a heavy dose of guns and explosions.
“Lacey’s favorite type of movie,” I said. We walked behind Lacey and Mari, and I could still hear her rhapsodizing over the big kiss. “She thinks she’s going to marry a prince one day.” Or she used to, anyway. Maybe she was ready to give up that dream for a popular musician.
Lexi replied with a simple ‘ah,’ as if she now understood everything there was to know about Lacey Musgrove.
“What do you think Eric sees in her?”
I blinked in surprise. “If Lacey’s only fault is that she goes a little bit gaga sometimes, she’s not going to have any trouble attracting men, Eric included.” Lacey could be a bit overenthusiastic at times, but that only added to her overall charm. “Besides, you don’t even know Eric.” I didn’t even know him anymore.
“But if he was engaged to you—” Lexi stopped as Lacey spun around to face
“We’re sort of together.”
My throat suddenly felt thick. “Oh.”
Lexi nudged me again.
“You don’t mind, do you?” Lacey asked. “Because it was a long time ago when you two dated but I don’t know if you’re still hung up on him or—”
“No!” I lowered my voice to a normal level. “No, it’s fine. Of course it’s fine. That was like, eight years ago. Ancient history. Just a bit of leftover bad blood working itself out, that’s all.” I grabbed my soda and swigged, hoping to banish the weird lump that had formed in my throat.
Lacey’s face lit up with a huge grin. “You’re the best!”
“See, I told you she’d be okay with it,” Mari said. I grimaced around my straw. “They’ve gone out almost every day this week. Lacey’s in looooove .”
Lacey blushed and giggled. She didn’t deny it.
“So soon?” Lexi asked. She didn’t know Lacey, or the fact that she was the fall hard, fall fast type. I hadn’t heard of one relationship where it had taken her longer than two weeks to hit the L word.
“You haven’t met him,” Lacey said to Lexi. “He’s absolutely perfect.”
Lexi glanced at me.
“He is so sweet,” Lacey continued. “And kind, and funny and…”
I wanted to put the magazine over my face and smother myself so I wouldn’t have to hear anymore. Lexi arched an eyebrow, her lips bunched together to keep from laughing.
“…and his voice! It’s so dreamy!”
Dreamy? Lexi mouthed. I smacked her with my magazine. Lacey was too busy gushing over Eric to notice.
“And those lips! Yum! He’s the best kisser ever.”
My smile died. I could still remember the taste of Eric’s lips, the way his mouth moved with mine. How his hands felt when they caressed my skin. The weight of his body pressing into me. How I used to melt into him.
I pushed those memories away. They were bad news.
“Oh, sorry,” Lacey said. “Too far, right?”
Lexi studied me, her eyebrows lowered. You okay? she mouthed.
I nodded. Eric was dating Lacey. Good for them. We’d moved on from each other ages ago.
But that didn’t stop me from wishing I didn’t have to be around to hear about all of this newfound looooove .
* * * * *
The four of us walked out of the theatre and into the sunshine, simultaneously donning oversize sunglasses against the glare. Lacey was giving us a play-by-play of her favorite parts of the movie.
“That scene where she finally finds out the truth? So amazing!” She absently twirled strands of hair around her fingers. “And then that kiss during the balloon ride. Wow! Maybe I can convince Eric to take me on one.”
Lexi and I glanced at each other.
“That actor was gorgeous,” Mari said. “Who was he again?”
Lexi linked her arm with mine, drawing us behind Lacey and Mari. “Did you like the movie as much as she did?”
I shrugged. “It was okay.”
She gave me a sideways look. “It was cheeseballs.”
I laughed. Lexi was not into romance movies at all. She preferred her movies with a heavy dose of guns and explosions.
“Lacey’s favorite type of movie,” I said. We walked behind Lacey and Mari, and I could still hear her rhapsodizing over the big kiss. “She thinks she’s going to marry a prince one day.” Or she used to, anyway. Maybe she was ready to give up that dream for a popular musician.
Lexi replied with a simple ‘ah,’ as if she now understood everything there was to know about Lacey Musgrove.
“What do you think Eric sees in her?”
I blinked in surprise. “If Lacey’s only fault is that she goes a little bit gaga sometimes, she’s not going to have any trouble attracting men, Eric included.” Lacey could be a bit overenthusiastic at times, but that only added to her overall charm. “Besides, you don’t even know Eric.” I didn’t even know him anymore.
“But if he was engaged to you—” Lexi stopped as Lacey spun around to face
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