right?”
“Yeah,” I laugh. “I hardly drank tonight.” Another lie. I didn’t drink anything.
“Not what I meant. I know this might sound weird, but you’re like a sister to Edie. And that makes you important to me, too. I hope you know we’re both here for you if you need anything.”
Stepping to him, I hug him and smile. “Thanks, John. I really appreciate that.” Then in an attempt to swallow my emotion, I say, “The party was beautiful.”
“Yeah . . . it was,” he agrees.
“You were a hit,” I commend. “Holly Springs is lucky to have you.”
He snorts. “And so is Edie,” I add. “I’m glad you came back for her. I know what you gave up to do it.”
His gaze drops to the floor before meeting mine again. “I have no regrets, Nik. Nothing that I could achieve in life would be worth shit without her.”
I kiss his cheek. I love this man for the way he loves my best friend. In that way, John and I are bonded. We love Edie James and would do anything to see her happy. “I’ll see you later.” With that, I leave Edie’s house and cry all the way home.
We’re halfway to the airport and the car is silent. Edie rode with us, insisting I sit in the front with John. When I woke up this morning, I was pissed. Nikki was gone. Why does this woman keep running out on me? It’s fucking infuriating. I thought about demanding to John to give me her address and storming over to her place, but thought better of it. A man has to cut his losses at some point. It’s not like I haven’t tried for months to connect with her. This is the last straw. She doesn’t want me. I need to man up and move on. But even I know it’s not that easy. Nikki’s not a girl you just forget. I have no doubt that I’ll always compare every woman I touch to her.
“Here, man,” John says, pulling me away from my thoughts as he slips out an envelope from his jacket pocket.
I snort as I take it from him. “Aw, sweetie. Did you write me another love letter, John? You shouldn’t give it to me in front of Edie. She might get jealous.”
“No, didn’t write a letter this time. It’s a poem,” he laughs. “It’s a poem about how soft your skin is and how your eyes sparkle when you come.”
“That’s some deep shit, man,” I laugh.
“You two are ridiculous,” Edie giggles from the backseat.
“You didn’t know you had some competition, did you, Edie?”
“I’m shaking in my boots back here,” she plays along.
“Nah, man . . . all kidding aside, this is from Nikki,” John says. My eyes narrow as I stare down at the envelope in my hand. I’m so frustrated, I want to crush it like an old beer can. “She gave it to me last night before she left.”
“You saw her?”
“Caught her . . . more or less.”
I glance back at Edie and she’s biting her lower lip. “You know what it says?” I ask her.
“I think I do,” she says, ever so quietly. “You need to read it.”
I glance at John and he shrugs. Apparently he doesn’t know what it says. Fuck it. Tearing it open, I pull out the letter and unfold it. What the fuck could she have to say to me in this letter that she couldn’t say to my face? Must be a brush-off—bon voyage, loser. This is what I’m bracing myself for. I twist my neck from side to side till I hear it crack. Let the rejection commence.
Parker,
This letter is my backup plan in case I can’t say to your face what I need to. Just know I never meant for this to happen and I expect nothing from you, but I think it’s the right thing to do to tell you. You deserve to know.
I’m pregnant.
Ten weeks, to be exact. I’ve already been to the doctor . . . it’s the real deal.
I know your life is in New York and you have a new job. As I said, I expect nothing from you. I can take care of this baby by myself. And I won’t judge you or resent you if you choose not to participate in the child’s life. Neither of us planned for this.
I’m sorry, Parker. I really
“Yeah,” I laugh. “I hardly drank tonight.” Another lie. I didn’t drink anything.
“Not what I meant. I know this might sound weird, but you’re like a sister to Edie. And that makes you important to me, too. I hope you know we’re both here for you if you need anything.”
Stepping to him, I hug him and smile. “Thanks, John. I really appreciate that.” Then in an attempt to swallow my emotion, I say, “The party was beautiful.”
“Yeah . . . it was,” he agrees.
“You were a hit,” I commend. “Holly Springs is lucky to have you.”
He snorts. “And so is Edie,” I add. “I’m glad you came back for her. I know what you gave up to do it.”
His gaze drops to the floor before meeting mine again. “I have no regrets, Nik. Nothing that I could achieve in life would be worth shit without her.”
I kiss his cheek. I love this man for the way he loves my best friend. In that way, John and I are bonded. We love Edie James and would do anything to see her happy. “I’ll see you later.” With that, I leave Edie’s house and cry all the way home.
We’re halfway to the airport and the car is silent. Edie rode with us, insisting I sit in the front with John. When I woke up this morning, I was pissed. Nikki was gone. Why does this woman keep running out on me? It’s fucking infuriating. I thought about demanding to John to give me her address and storming over to her place, but thought better of it. A man has to cut his losses at some point. It’s not like I haven’t tried for months to connect with her. This is the last straw. She doesn’t want me. I need to man up and move on. But even I know it’s not that easy. Nikki’s not a girl you just forget. I have no doubt that I’ll always compare every woman I touch to her.
“Here, man,” John says, pulling me away from my thoughts as he slips out an envelope from his jacket pocket.
I snort as I take it from him. “Aw, sweetie. Did you write me another love letter, John? You shouldn’t give it to me in front of Edie. She might get jealous.”
“No, didn’t write a letter this time. It’s a poem,” he laughs. “It’s a poem about how soft your skin is and how your eyes sparkle when you come.”
“That’s some deep shit, man,” I laugh.
“You two are ridiculous,” Edie giggles from the backseat.
“You didn’t know you had some competition, did you, Edie?”
“I’m shaking in my boots back here,” she plays along.
“Nah, man . . . all kidding aside, this is from Nikki,” John says. My eyes narrow as I stare down at the envelope in my hand. I’m so frustrated, I want to crush it like an old beer can. “She gave it to me last night before she left.”
“You saw her?”
“Caught her . . . more or less.”
I glance back at Edie and she’s biting her lower lip. “You know what it says?” I ask her.
“I think I do,” she says, ever so quietly. “You need to read it.”
I glance at John and he shrugs. Apparently he doesn’t know what it says. Fuck it. Tearing it open, I pull out the letter and unfold it. What the fuck could she have to say to me in this letter that she couldn’t say to my face? Must be a brush-off—bon voyage, loser. This is what I’m bracing myself for. I twist my neck from side to side till I hear it crack. Let the rejection commence.
Parker,
This letter is my backup plan in case I can’t say to your face what I need to. Just know I never meant for this to happen and I expect nothing from you, but I think it’s the right thing to do to tell you. You deserve to know.
I’m pregnant.
Ten weeks, to be exact. I’ve already been to the doctor . . . it’s the real deal.
I know your life is in New York and you have a new job. As I said, I expect nothing from you. I can take care of this baby by myself. And I won’t judge you or resent you if you choose not to participate in the child’s life. Neither of us planned for this.
I’m sorry, Parker. I really
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