He moves next to me and puts his arm around my shoulder, pulling me against him. “Gorgeous. You never cease to amaze me, cupcake.” He plants a quick kiss into my hair as my phone beeps. Somehow, even though I had hurled it with all my strength against my wall earlier, it managed to survive the assault. I reach quickly into my pocket after wiping my hands off on my apron.

Reese: I need to see you tonight.

I show it to Joey. “Well you knew that was coming, the boy is persistent.” He leans in and checks out the flowers. “What are you going to do?”

I stare at his message before I answer. “I don’t know, I think I need a night with my two best friends and no boys. Can that happen?” He smiles and pulls his phone out, quickly messing with it. I’ll deal with Reese tomorrow when we both attend Billy and Joey’s party.

His phone beeps and he turns towards me. “Juls is in, cupcake. No boys.” I nod and smile weakly as I reply to Reese.

Me: I can’t tonight. I need some time to think.

Joey walks back up front while I await his response. It doesn’t take long.

Reese: Don’t pull away from me.

He guts me with his words, the same words from last night. Is he that worried that I’ll end this? Or he is just worried that I won’t give him the opportunity to explain the situation. I type quickly.

Me: I’m not. I just think I need some space. You have no idea what this feels like for me.

I go to press send but don’t, my thumb hovering over the button. Shit. Do I really want space from him? Hitting the back button, I shorten the message before I send it.

Me: I’m not.

**

Joey drove us to Juls’ house that night after we closed up shop and made a quick liquor store run. There was no way in hell I wasn’t drinking tonight. I was actually surprised I didn’t dive into the vodka bottle that’s been in my freezer for months at some point today. But I’d never drink at work, no matter how hurt or pissed off I was. Reese hadn’t sent me any more messages or tried to call, which I was grateful for. But it also surprised me. He was so damned persistent about everything that I half expected him to barge into the shop before closing, throw me over his shoulder, and take me home with him so that we could fuck, talk, and fuck some more. And I hated that a chunk of me wished he would have. But tonight wasn’t about boys. It was about spending time with my two best friends, laughing and hanging out like we did before the three of us fell fast and hard for members of the Chicago man candy club.

Joey parked outside Juls’ building and we walked inside together. She lived in Hyde Park, which was about fifteen minutes from the bakery in a two bedroom apartment. She’s lived here since graduation and it occurred to me as we walked up the flight of stairs to the second floor that she would only be living here for a few more months. She would surely move in with Ian after the wedding and the thought of her not living in this place that held so many of our memories saddened me. I sigh and catch Joey’s attention as we step out onto the floor.

“Come on, cupcake, we’re here to have fun, not sulk.” I follow him to Juls’ door and he opens it without knocking in true Joey form. Once he’s been to your house, he feels like he lives there along with you.

“I’m not sulking. I’ll just miss this place once Juls moves in with Ian.” We spot her in the kitchen opening a bottle of wine and she beams at us. “Do you remember that time we threw that eighties party here and you dressed up like Vanilla Ice?” He blushes at my memory as we plop down in front of the television on the floor.

Juls walks over with three wine glasses and hands them out. “That was fucking hilarious. You knew the entire rap from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” she says. I giggle into my glass and take a few large sips.

“Christ, I will never live that shit down. Thank God no one took any video of that mess.”

“That party was insane,” Juls says behind her glass. “Dyl, remember how pissed off you got at Justin because he was the only person here not dressed up?”

I nod and picture the memory, rolling my eyes at it and taking a sip. “What an asshole. He spent the entire party bitching about the music selections. It was a fucking eighties party. What did he expect?”

Joey laughs around his glass. “I think he expected you to just leave with him and not have an amazing time. But you have never been that girl, cupcake, and he should have known that. What a waste he was.” Juls and I mumble in agreement.

“A waste that ended up getting exactly what he deserved. Prick,” she adds, tossing us each a pillow so we can sprawl out on the floor. “Are we going to talk about the pictures, sweets?”

“No,” I quickly reply.

Joey rolls onto his side. “You can’t be mad about girls he’s fucked before you. That’s not fair. He didn’t even know you when those pictures were taken.”

“That’s not why I’m mad.” I sit up, glaring at both of them. “Well, okay, yes it bothers me that he’s been with other women. And I know it shouldn’t because I wasn’t a virgin when we started this thing between us, but I’ve only been with Justin.” I put my glass down. “Reese gave me a ballpark figure of close to twenty girls and that’s a fucking lot. Which is fine, whatever. I can deal with that as long as it’s not thrown in my face. But it was.” I close my eyes and picture one of the images from the box. Grabbing my glass off the small table, I down it quickly before I continue. “I’m not even mad at him about this. Not even in the slightest, which is what’s making this so fucking confusing. The only thing he did wrong was allow for the pictures to be taken of him and not confiscate them after he ended it with her. He didn’t send them to me. He doesn’t talk about other girls that he’s been with. He tells me that I’m amazing and that I’m all he thinks about.” I sigh heavily and throw myself back down onto my pillow. “But now I have to deal with psychotic ex-hookups and I’m not sure I’d do well in prison. I’m too hostile.” This is true. I’d probably end up permanently in solitary confinement after getting into too many fights or disobeying orders.

I glance over and see the bursting smiles on my two best friends’ faces, desperately trying to hold in their hysteria. I motion for them to let it out and the three of us fall into a fit of giggles.

“Alright, so I have a question,” Joey says and I shake my head, preparing for the worst here. “How the hell did you wind up spending the night with him last night? I thought you were against sex in beds and sleepovers and anything too intimate.”

“You slept over at his house?” Juls asks.

“It was an accident. He wanted to fuck me in his bed for his birthday so I let him and then we passed out together. I’m not letting it happen again.” I glance over and see Joey’s mischievous grin and Juls’ teary eyes. “What?”

“You were his birthday present? Oh my,” she says and blinks rapidly. Good Lord, she’s emotional lately.

I glare at Joey. “And what’s up with you?”

Crossing his hands behind his head, he continues after a dramatic pause. “I just think it’s cute that you think it was an accident. I mean, he could have woken you up and driven you home but he called me instead and told me that you would be late today. It was no accident, cupcake. He wanted you there.”