Best Friends Forever (25 page)

Eleven

We walk the aquarium for over an hour, much longer than I usually spend there, but we take our time. We also spend the entire afternoon discussing Hazel and how to bring her down from her high horse.

“She’s a bitch for the sole purpose of being a bitch. I mean, yeah, her mother left her, but she needs to move the fuck on,” Lexi says as we make a second pass on the moving walkway that leads us underneath the large aquarium tank.

“She’s not the only one who’s lost someone in her life,” I say under my breath. But Lexi hears me.

“That sounds intriguing. Tell me about it,” she demands.

“I don’t think so.”

“Oh, hell no! If we’re going to be best friends, you better start dishing,” she says.

As odd as it seems, spending time with her this afternoon, both of us talking about our lives and whatnot, I can’t help but feel as though her words are true. We are quickly becoming the best of friends, connecting on so many levels. Aside from our hatred of Hazel, we love and hate the same types of music and eat similar food. It sounds lame, but I think it’s fate she’s been put into my life. So I feel like telling her about Reece. Not the whole story, but just enough.

“I dated Roman in high school, officially, but I was really good friends with his brothers, too. His oldest brother, Reece, was in a car accident during my senior year and has been in a coma ever since,” I rush out.

“Oh, Red, I’m so sorry. That’s a shitty hand to be dealt. And then you and Roman broke up … I bet that made it harder for you to be close to the family,” she says.

“It did. I managed, with the help of my little brother, but it was still a tic awkward. Especially when the whole family found out I was pregnant.”

“Ugh. Fucking men getting women pregnant. I swear, I wish I was sterile,” she mutters then widens her eyes at me. “I didn’t mean to sound so cold. I just know I don’t want kids. I didn’t mean to be offensive.”

“I don’t find it offensive at all. If I hadn’t gotten pregnant, I’m not sure I would have had any children, either. But I love Deacon, and I wouldn’t give him up for the world. Not everyone wants the same things out of life.”

“See? You were made to be my best friend! I say the most inappropriate things sometimes, and I don’t like having to apologize for what I say.”

“We’ll make a deal,” I offer to her. “Unless I tell you I’m offended by something, you don’t have to apologize for it.”

“Deal.”

We shake hands just as the walkway ends. “Do we want to see anything else here?”

She looks around. “Not really. We should walk over to Liberty and grab some dinner.”

Broadway at the Beach is a huge entertainment circle, where people walk around, shop, and eat. I’ve never been to the Liberty Steakhouse, so I agree, even though I’m not super hungry yet. It’s only five, and Audric fed me just a few hours ago.

“Good. Let’s race there. The long way …” she says, turning right out of the aquarium and eyeing me suspiciously.

I stretch for a second, ready to participate. “Let’s do it.”

“Ready … Set … Go!” she yells.

We both take off at a break neck pace. Running is so therapeutic for me, I can feel the stress of this semester easing out of my body. Luckily, we’re both in sneakers, so the run is easy. I line myself up behind her on purpose, keeping the wind out of my face. We round the far end of the circle and the bridge that crosses over the water is covered in birds. The pounding of our feet on the wood planks disturbs them, though, sending them flying across the water, away from us. As we pass Wonder Wall, I think that we should spend more time here in the future, maybe when it’s a bit warmer.

When Liberty comes into view, I fall out of step with Lexi, picking up the pace and coming from behind. In the last fifteen steps to the entrance of the restaurant, I surge ahead, passing her by a few feet.

I stutter to a stop just in front of the empty outdoor hostess stand. I turn to find Lexi just a foot behind me, her hands on her knees and hunched over while she catches her breath.

“Fuck. You are fast, girl,” she says. “You run track?”

“Nope. I wanted to, but my family wanted me to be a cheerleader in high school.”

“Oh God, you were a cheerleader? I don’t think we can be friends anymore,” she mutters, her breathing still uneven.

I let out a laugh and then we turn to go inside. I’m actually feeling hungry now.

Twelve

After we order our meals, both of us opting for a steak with veggies and a salad, I sip my Coke and wait for Lexi to start her plotting. I am game for this plan of hers, but it’s her plan. Not mine. I set my glass down and glance around, loving the décor of this place. It’s modern, but with a definite rustic feel. Everything is all solid wood, and the windows we’re sitting near are gigantic, giving us a great view of the sunshine over the pond.

For January, the weather is actually pretty good. It’s chilly, but not the bone-freezing cold that happens when I visit my aunt and uncle in Maine. I hate going up there unless it’s summertime. I’ll take the warmth and no snow any day.

“How do we figure out when to make Destiny find Nolan and Hazel?” Lexi asks, pulling me from my own thoughts.

“I’m not sure. We’ll need to scope out the situation and see if we can catch them on a regular basis, you know? We should also try to have a girls’ night or something with Des, to figure out if she already knows.”

“Oh, that’s good. And once we know their schedule, we’ll be able to guide her to find them too. Do you think they meet often?” she asks.

I let out a chuckle. “Hazel probably loves fooling with him in public places. I bet it makes her feel powerful, like she’s got something to hold over Destiny, and even Nolan, if she threatens to come clean. With both of them securely wrapped around her finger, she’s probably thinking she’ll be able to run this damn school.”

“Well, we can’t have that, can we?” Lexi grins evilly at me.

“Hell no,” I agree.

Our meals arrive and we lapse into silence. It’s like she and I were made to be friends; we both love food. I used to be a twig, but I love my curves now, and although I try to work out quite a bit to stay fit, I don’t mind eating a full meal, and if Lexi’s eating with gusto habit is any indication, neither does she.

Eventually, the steaks are gone and Lexi and I glance at each other, both of us realizing in the same moment that we didn’t say a word to one another during the meal. We both laugh at ourselves for being so food-involved.

“Now that the food addiction is out of the way, let’s go shop,” Lexi suggests, slapping a credit card down on the tab before I can protest. “I got this. Besides, if my mother’s new husband can buy her a new set of boobs, I think he can pay for lunch for us.”

Once she signs the slip, we’re outside in the brilliant sunshine again. “Where do you want to shop?”

“Let’s go over here,” she suggests, leading me toward a tiki-place that sells touristy stuff. We walk in, and, as the only customers, the cashier looks up at us. Though, he keeps staring at us, I’m certain, because he’s interested.

When we round a corner and he can’t see us, I turn to Lexi. “I think the sales guy is into you.”

“Yeah, I noticed that,” she says with a wink. “Should we put on a show for him?”

“What do you have in mind?” I ask, a little unsure, but I must admit, I am loving this chick more and more with each passing moment. She’s wild and crazy, and I need to have a little more fun in my life.

Lexi grabs my hand and interlocks her fingers with mine. I shake my head with a laugh, already picking up where she’s going. She grabs some little trinket and leads us to the cashier.

“… I would do anything for you, baby,” she says as we get within hearing distance of the guy.

“Are you sure?” I play along. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to buy me anything.”

“Oh, baby. I love you, and when we get home, I’m going to fuck you to show you how much I adore you,” Lexi winks again.

When the guy’s eyes go wide in shock, it takes every ounce of strength I possess not to bust out laughing. I hold it in, but just barely.

Lexi licks her lips and then looks at the blonde kid behind the counter. “I want to buy this for my girlfriend,” she says. She leans closer to the counter and whispers the next part to him. “She’s a good little kitten and I can’t wait to pet that pussy.”

After I break out into a coughing spell and have to turn away, Lexi slaps my back and speaks to the cashier again. “I hope that cough goes away, although her belly sucks in so beautifully when she coughs while I’m eating her out.”

My cheeks are on fire, I’m so embarrassed. Finally, she pays for the trinket and leads me out of the store. Once the door closes behind us, I let out my howl of laughter.

“I can’t believe you said that!” I reprimand her. “I’m a mom – I shouldn’t be a part of things like that!”

“Umm, what the fuck does being a mom have anything to do with anything? You treat your son right and love him, don’t you?” I nod. “Then you deserve to be able to let yourself have a little fun. I live to embarrass people, just so you know. Especially when they are so rude as to stare at my ass,” she mutters. “Is it so wrong to just want people to leave me the fuck alone?”

I give her a sad smile. “I hear you completely.”

“This is why you’re my new BFF. You get me.”

And just like that, I feel like I’ve made my first real friend here at Coastal.

Thirteen

The first day of classes for the second semester is actually pretty familiar, especially since I pretty much have the same classes as Lexi, plus a few other people.

Lexi, Andre, and Destiny are in my psych class, so the four of us jumped at the chance to work on a group project together. I’m pretty sure Andre has a thing for Destiny, so as soon as she’s over Nolan, Lexi and I will have to figure out how to get the two of them together.

In my human geography class, I find myself wedged between Lexi and Audric, both of whom vie for my attention during the entire class. Instead of getting in the middle of their silent battle, I just ignore both of them. Before I leave the class at the end, though, I slip Audric a piece of paper to let him know I still like him, and that I’m looking forward to our real date.

Lexi follows me out of room and whistles. “He’s fucking hot. Where do I sign up to get on the Audric list?”

“Audric’s not for sale,” I say, barely containing a growl.

Her face falls. “Oh. Damn. Good job, girl.”

“Thanks. I like to think so, too.”

“Hazel said he was gay …”

I laugh. “It was a lie he told everyone because he didn’t want girls all over him. I’m okay with everyone believing it, too, because it’ll still keep the other girls away. Except for you, of course.”

“Well, yeah, but you’ll know my flirting with him will be pretend. And probably a little over the top, too. I like to showboat a little.”

“You? No way …”

We both laugh as we head to our third class of the day, which we share. It’s great to have so many classes together, since I’m not usually so outgoing and I always end up sitting alone in these classes.

Nolan flags us down as soon as we enter the room. He separates us, opting to sit in between the two of us. While it irritates me, I’m anxious to know if Lexi is going to say anything to him about Destiny.

“Aren’t you just a hot hunk of blonde meat …” she mutters to him, and although Nolan smiles at her compliment, I can tell by her tone that she’s not serious.

She flirts with him throughout the class and when we’re finally let go from our career and life planning lecture, she bolts, hardly waiting for me at all. By the time I catch up with her, she’s nearly back at the dorm.

“What was that?” I ask when she throws open our door and falls onto her bed in a fit of laughter.

“That is the infamous Nolan? The way Hazel talked about him, I thought he’d be hotter than Roman! But he’s not. Fuck. That boy has a damn derp face.”

“Derp face?” I ask, not entirely sure what she’s talking about.

“Hell, yeah, derp face! Like, a butter face, as in, the only way I’d fuck him is if he wore a paper bag over his head.” She sighs, shaking her head.

I close our door and then burst into full laughter. “I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s not attracted to him,” I admit.

“Hey, different strokes for different folks, but he is, for all intents and purposes, now Derp in my book.”

“I’ll get in on that. Hazel and Derp!”

We fall into fits of laughter again and I know this friendship is going to be perfect.

Fourteen

My last class of the day is with hottie teacher. I had him for a class last semester, but when Lexi and I walk in together, she lets out a low whistle. He’s pretty sexy, I must admit, but I’m not the type of girl to sleep with a professor. Lexi, on the other hand …

“Why did no one tell me about Hotstuff?” she complains as we take seats in the back.

“Honestly, I didn’t even think about it. I’ve been a little preoccupied, you know,” I mutter, noticing she hasn’t taken her eyes off Hotstuff, not one time.

“Well, I get that,” she sighs, and I have to wonder if she’s even paying any attention at all. “Fuck, Red – he’s a tall glass of perfection.”

I roll my eyes, but the name is growing on me. “Keep your dick in your pants. He’s not about to ruin his career by dating a student.”

She sighs. “You’re probably right about that.” She flits her eyes to me. “Did you just tell me to put my dick away?”

“Damn right, I did. Stop acting like a horny guy and get it together. We’re in the south. That means we’re graceful and sweet, and all that bullshit. If he’s into you, let him come to you.”

“Oh, I have no intentions of pursuing him. He’ll come to me, eventually, and if I give him a little push now and then, who’s to say one word about it?” She smiles sweetly at me, batting her eyelashes innocently.

We make it through class without Lexi ripping off Hotstuff’s clothes, or her own, and I am actually impressed by her reserve. She didn’t even hit on him. When we get up to leave, she gives him a longing look before I grab her arm and drag her out of the room. She resists at first, but then we are out of the building and she yanks her arm away from me.

“You’re a bitch, Red,” she accuses.

“You’re not so sweet yourself,” I reply, tucking my hair behind my ear, giving her a resolute look and then stalking toward the dorms.

It’s been a long-ass day. Why on earth I have so many classes on a Friday, I’ll never know, but the good thing is, it’s the weekend, already! This is the best reason to start classes on a Friday after a break. This is Roman’s weekend with Deacon, and since I’m the one who spent most of Christmas break with our son, I’m glad to have a little bit of a break. Deacon didn’t want me to go when I left a few days ago. He couldn’t be bribed with toys, either. It crushed me.

I’m happy to be here at Coastal, but I wonder if I am going to have to finish school back at home at some point. I can’t keep leaving my baby boy. Although, dating Audric puts a wrench into things. I actually really like him, and finding out about his virginity, and the fact that he wants to give it to me … It’s amazing. And I definitely don’t want to disappoint with his first time, which is why I’m in no rush to sleep with him.

We have plenty of time, and I want him to be absolutely sure before we go further than making out. Even though we haven’t technically kissed yet. Things could change tonight, though. As tired as I am from a full day of classes, I cannot wait to go on our date.

Lexi pulls me from my thoughts. “Bitch Hazel is up ahead.”

I glance up and notice Hazel waiting for us. “What the fuck,” I mutter.

As we get closer, Hazel stands up taller. “I need to talk to you,” she says to Lexi.

“You’re on your own,” I whisper.

“You leave me, and I’ll start screaming,” Lexi whispers back.

I sigh, knowing I can’t leave Lexi with Bitch-Hazel. Dammit.

“What do you want?” Lexi asks her almost step-sister.

“Alone, if you don’t mind,” Hazel says, looking at me. Her contempt for me is unwarranted; I truly have no idea what the fuck I did to her.

“She stays or this doesn’t happen,” Lexi says with an air of impatience.

“Fine. Dad said he wanted us to come home this weekend to go dress shopping for the wedding.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Well, I don’t have a car and so he wants us to ride together.” I can tell from her tone that Hazel hates asking Lexi for a favor.

“Ah, so you need me, then.” Lexi smiles. “Groveling will help.”

“Fuck you,” Hazel mumbles. “I’ll just take a bus.”

“I was kidding, Hazel. You can ride back with me,” Lexi laughs.

“No thanks. I prefer not to ride with a whore.” Hazel gives an evil smile and Lexi loses it.

“Bitch!” Lexi screams and then goes for her throat.

It’s over in an instant, with Hazel on the ground, holding her eye and Lexi breathing heavily above her. I hold in a laugh, thinking back to the last time Hazel got a black eye, though I didn’t know at the time why she was getting punched by Destiny.

“Get your own ride and don’t fucking talk to me again, bitch,” Lexi mutters, wiping her blood-stained mouth. I guess Hazel got at least one hit in before she went down.

Lexi turns to me, daggers in her eyes. I give her a little nod and then follow after her. When I look back to make sure Hazel isn’t so injured she can’t get up, Nolan is at her side, helping her up. I gulp down my anger at Nolan even thinking about rescuing her. He’s a moron for cheating on Destiny, who would never get herself into this kind of trouble.