She too was all dolled up and looked ready to head to work.

“What’s with all the pretty?” I asked, indicating her outfit.

She looked down at her adorable skirt and button up shirt ensemble and shrugged.

“Interview.”

“Really?” I grinned and then I frowned, annoyed she hadn’t told me about this sooner.

Gracie hadn’t had an easy time of things since she had gone to rehab last year. The normally smart and focused girl with hopes of starting her own fashion magazine had settled on becoming a barista at the local coffee bar downtown

I knew she was disappointed in herself. She had been in the same journalism program as Riley in college. And now Riley was in grad school and working as a freelance reporter for a local newspaper.

Gracie had decided her aspirations needed to sidelined in place of getting herself together. And more power to her. That was where her head needed to be.

“Where?” I asked, getting out the bread and popping a slice into the toaster.

“Nothing major, just at the Southern Gardens magazine. They’re hiring a part-time columnist to write about festivals and events in the area.”

Well it wasn’t the New York Times, but it was a start. I gave her a huge smile and reached out to hug her. Gracie rolled her eyes and accepted my hug and I knew she was excited even if she was unsure whether she should be or not.

“You’ll nail it. I have no doubt,” I said with confidence. Gracie sipped on her tomato juice.

“I hope you’re right. I need to do something more than sling coffee before I lose my mind.”

We carried our breakfast into the living room and I turned on the news, as was my normal routine.

“So what did you think of the impromptu show last night?” Gracie asked, nibbling on her bagel.

“Honestly? I thought it sucked. Paco wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t Generation Rejects we were watching. It’s sad that we may never see them play together again,” I noted a tad despondently.

Gracie nodded. “Yeah, I just can’t understand why they’re letting such petty crap get in the way of their dream. Guys are worse than girls sometimes.”

“Hasn’t Mitch mentioned what he’s thinking about all of this?” I asked her, knowing my mention of the Rejects’ bassist would get a reaction.

Gracie stiffened instantly, as I knew she would, and dabbed her mouth daintily with a napkin. She took her time answering me.

“I haven’t really spoken to him about it,” she said after a while.

“And why is that?” I dug. I hadn’t had a chance to talk to her about what was going on with her and Mitch. And it helped to focus on someone else’s floundering personal life than fixate too long on my own.

“We just haven’t really talked,” Gracie responded, as if it were no big deal.

“You act as if that’s not major, G. You and Mitch used to talk every day, even when he was on the road. What changed?” I interrogated her further.

Gracie was starting to look increasingly uncomfortable. She fidgeted a bit and started to pick at her bagel.

“Well. . .um. . .” she began.

“Well, um, what?” I pushed.

“We had sex,” she said, dropping the bomb I had been expecting but was no less shocked to hear.

“Are you flipping serious?” I squealed, my voice reaching a piercing volume.

Gracie winced and nodded.

“When was this?” I asked, trying to be considerate of the fact that my roommate looked less than thrilled to be talking about this particular subject. But I wanted to know what happened. Because even though this seemed like a good thing, obviously it hadn’t turned out all sunshine and roses. Something had gone wrong afterwards.

“When we were in Raleigh,” Gracie admitted and it all clicked into place. I had wondered at the time where she was all night while I lay in her hotel room crying my eyes out. But I had been too mired in my own drama with Cole to put too much thought into it.

“So. . .” I prompted, wanting her to continue.

Gracie glared at me, clearly annoyed that I was pressing the issue.

“So, Mitch told me he loved me. I told him I couldn’t be with him. He got pissed. I got pissed. We fought. Now he’s dating some girl named Sophie he went to high school with.”

Wow, that was a lot of information for first thing in the morning.

“He’s dating someone? So soon?” I asked, still trying to process my friend’s angst filled story.

Gracie nodded, her jaw clenching. “Yeah. Apparently they had talked on and off for years. They dated for a while when they were seniors. He had mentioned her to me before, but whatever. It’s not like I have any say in what he does or who he sees,” she spat out defensively.

“Are you jealous?” I couldn’t help but asking.

Gracie glared at me again, but this time with a hell of a lot more venom.

“Why in the world would I be jealous? I just told you I turned him down. I told him that I couldn’t be with him. Mitch is my friend. That’s all he’ll ever be,” she argued.

“Except you’re not even really friends anymore,” I pointed out.

Gracie sighed. “Well, yeah, there is that.”

“But you slept with him,” I said slowly, trying to piece together the things Gracie wasn’t saying.

Gracie sighed again. “Yes, I did. I was drunk. Mitch was drunk. I was lonely and at the time I was feeling things, never mind, it doesn’t matter. I ruined an amazing friendship because I couldn’t keep my legs closed. I just had no idea Mitch felt that way.”