What Friends Are For by Lacey Thorn

Chapter One
     
    “Fuck him.”
    “You don’t mean that, Jacey,” Dee stated. “You and Jonas
have been friends for a long time now.”
    “That was before he decided I should take a hike.”
    “That’s not what you told us he said.” Mischa snorted. “I
believe the man just asked you to knock instead of barging in. Your brother is
sort of living there.”
    Jacey laughed. “He might as well be living with Dee at this
point. Good grief it’s only been a couple of weeks and you two are practically
joined at the hip.”
    “Yeah,” Dee agreed with a grin.
    “She’s got that great-sex glow,” Mischa said.
    “Oh, hell, yeah,” Dee nodded.
    “And I so don’t want to hear about sex with my brother on
GNO,” Jacey groaned before grinning wide. “However, he’s my brother, so of
course he’s incredible and all that. It’s a family thing.”
    “Really, when was the last time you had sex, Jacey?” Mischa
asked.
    “I’ve been busy.”
    “You’ve never been too busy for sex.” Dee snorted. “I don’t
remember you mentioning anyone since we saw Jonas out to dinner with that
redhead.”
    “Yeah, wasn’t that when you walked out in a snit?” Mischa
smirked.
    “I did not have ‘a snit’,” Jacey snapped. “I just lost my
appetite seeing him try so hard, that’s all.”
    “Try so hard on what?” Dee pressed. “Having fun? Going out?
Living his life?”
    “Isn’t that what you’ve been teasing him to do forever?”
Mischa added.
    “Whatever,” Jacey muttered. “What happened to the rule about
no picking at each other on girls’ night? Does that one not exist if it’s me?”
    “Yep,” Dee agreed.
    “Yes,” Mischa said at the same time, making them all laugh.
    “Seriously, Jacey,” Dee spoke as soon as the laughter
quieted down. “Just take a little bit of time and think about why this is
really bothering you.”
    “Think about it and then do something,” Mischa added.
    “Trust me,” Jacey said, looking incredibly sad, “I’ve
thought about very little else for the last two weeks. I just don’t know what
to do.”
    “What?” Mischa slapped her hand on the table. “You always
know what to do.”
    “This is different,” Jacey said.
    “How is this different?” Dee asked.
    “Because it matters,” Jacey confessed with a sigh. “Damn it,
Jonas matters. I don’t want to lose him as a friend.”
    “And how many times have you stopped over to see him in the
last two weeks?” Dee wanted to know.
    “None,” Jacey admitted.
    “Then seriously, Jacey, what have you got to lose?” Mischa
asked softly, putting her hand out to rub her friend’s arm.
    “You still have the key to his place, don’t you?” Dee asked
and Jacey nodded. “Then use it.”
    “I don’t think he wants me to.”
    “Did the man take the key back?” Mischa demanded.
    “No.”
    “Enough said then,” Mischa stated. “If he didn’t want you
there, he’d have snatched that key back or changed the locks.”
    “What if I walk in on him with someone?” Jacey sighed.
    “What the hell is wrong with you?” Mischa demanded. She
reached out and tapped her fingers against Jacey’s head. “Hello? Is the real
Jacey in there? Can she come out and play because this insecure whiny bitch is
getting on my damn nerves.”
    They all laughed again and for the first time that evening
Jacey started to feel more like herself.
    “You’re right. I either need to do something or move on.”
    “So what are you going to do?” Dee asked when she realized
Jacey wasn’t going to elaborate.
    “I’ll let you know tomorrow,” Jacey said with a laugh. “Now,
doesn’t someone have an anniversary coming up?”
    Mischa seemed to practically glow. “One year the end of the
month. I can’t believe I’ve been married to the perfect man for an entire
year.”
    “He does seem pretty awesome,” Dee agreed.
    “Yeah, I kind of wondered if we would have to do GNO without
you once you got married,” Jacey confessed. “I was