by Lauren Helms
“So, what’s up?” I ask.
“This better be good, I was right in the middle of Chicago Fire. I got some insider info that one of the main cast members was being killed off tonight.”
I roll my eyes, trying not to think about where he got his intel. I hit Link again with the pillow at my side.
“Dude. We have DVR, it’s recording right now.”
He mutters something under his breath, turns back to Dex and signals for him to get on with it.
“So. I just wanted to let you know that Morgan and—”
“Oh my God. Are you getting married?” Link nearly shouts.
“Uh, no,” Dex replies, “but I mean, that’s the end goal though—”
“Having a baby? Did you knock her up, you dirty dog, you?” Link interrupts again. I rub my forehead and stifle a groan. I glance at Dex and see the annoyed look on his face.
“No. Will you shut up and listen to me?”
“Fine, fine,” Link surrenders.
“Morgan and I are moving in together. There’s an open apartment on Bernie’s floor and we want to snag it up. So, I’m moving out.” The look on his face is a mix of trepidation and excitement.
“I can’t tell, are you not looking forward to moving in with her or are you excited?” I ask carefully.
“No, I was not looking forward to telling you fools. You give me shit all the time and I figured you’d both freak out at the news,” he says.
“So, what’s this mean for the team?” Link asks.
“Says the man not on the team,” I deadpan. Link shoots a glare my way.
“It means absolutely nothing for the team. I’m just not going to be living here in this unit with you guys. You’ll still see me in practice all day, every day. Instead of sharing all the waking and sleeping hours near you smelly a-holes, however, I’ll spend them with my girl.” He smiles. It’s slightly annoying how in love he is, but I’m happy for him. “I’d like to add that she is quite partial to you both, so she’s worried that you’ll be upset. I told her that she could visit anytime she wanted.”
Link places his hand over his heart. “Aww, I knew she loved me.”
Dex rolls his eyes. “Watch it,” he warns.
“So, what was the deciding factor in all this?” I ask.
“Well, we want to see each other more. Plus, Morgan can’t really afford the rent for her apartment now that …” He hesitates, but I just cock an eyebrow. We don’t have a “she-who-should-not-be-named” policy. I mean, her best friends are over here constantly. He takes the hint and continues. “Gia isn’t splitting the payment anymore. So, it doesn’t make sense that she lives there alone. Plus, their lease is up. Ruby was going to move in, but she can’t get out of her own yet.”
“It all makes sense, man,” I tell him.
“Plus, I really don’t like her living alone. I know it’s only a twenty-minute drive or so between us now, but I’d just feel better knowing she’s closer.”
“Yeah, don’t worry about us, we will survive without you. Two single bros living the life,” Link croons. Then looking at me he says, “I mean, think of the possibilities, the parties we could throw, all the single ladies. Life’s about to get interesting, man.”
I just shake my head and Dex chuckles.
“Whatever. Even when there were three single bros,” Dex air quotes the last word, “we didn’t live that lifestyle. But do what you want.”
We all know we won’t turn to that lifestyle. Even though he jokes about it, it's really not Link’s scene.
“So, for real though, when are you getting married?” I ask, taking my turn to razz him a bit.
“Ooh, do tell.” Link props his head up on his palm with his elbow leaning on the arm of the couch.
Dex relaxes now that we’ve apparently eased his mind on hearing his news. A slow, confident smile crosses his face.
“Well, I’ll have to ask her first.”
“So, you’ve thought about it,” I confirm. I know he has. He doesn’t know, but I caught him looking at rings a couple weeks ago on his computer.
He chuckles. “You could say that.”
“You already have the ring, don’t you?” Link asks.
“I do.” The smile never leaves his face.
“Well, hot ham, man. I think some early congratulations are in order,” I say. I’m truly happy for him.
Link lets out a whistle, leans over, and slaps him on the shoulder.
“Yeah, let's not get ahead of ourselves. I still have to ask, and she still has to say yes,” he says.
“She will,” Link and I both say.
“Does it make me a pussy, if I say I want to see the ring?” Link asks slightly bashfully. “I mean, you’re the first one of us to do this and I want to start preparing myself to outdo you someday.”
I bark out a laugh as Link takes enjoyment in his dig. But Dex just smiles.
“Yeah, I bet. I can see Ruby requiring an over-the-top, expensive fucking ring. Have fun with that.”
“Oh, snap.” I laugh out loud and Link loses all his mirth.
“Whatever,” he grumbles.
Minutes later, I find myself staring down at the diamond solitaire engagement ring that my best friend plans on giving the love of his life. He’s so damn happy and in love. I can’t stop the new crack that forms in my chest. This could have been me someday, getting ready to ask Gia to spend the rest of her life with me.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Gia
I stand impatiently right inside the entrance of the airport. I even have a little white sign that says “Ms. Lawson and Ms. Jacobs” on it. I haven’t seen my best friends in four months and waiting the last five or so minutes it takes for them to get here is nearly killing me. Neither of them checked any bags since they are only staying the weekend. But Morgan texted me almost 20 minutes ago telling me they were deplaning.
Then suddenly, I see them coming right for me, big smiles on their faces. I see Morgan reach up and wipe something off her cheek. It’s taking everything in me not to run to them, but I’ll be classy for just a little longer.
As they get to me I take the last few steps and ask in a deep, manly voice, “Ms. Lawson and Ms. Jacobs, I presume? Your chariot awaits.” We all laugh and then embrace each other in hugs.
God, I've missed them so much. Hugging them, seeing Morgan tearing up, just cements the fact that I need them in my life.
“I don’t ever want to go four months without seeing you guys again. Understood?” I say, fighting back my own tears.
Ruby slings her arm around Morgan’s shoulders. “This one here has been so excited I figured she would start crying before we even got off the plane. The minute we touched down she started bouncing in her seat.”
I chuckle and Morgan shrugs. I grab her hand and tell her how happy I am that she’s here.
We pile into a taxi and leave the airport.
“What are we doing first?” Ruby asks.
“Well, it’s only five here. You guys are two hours ahead of us back in Chicago. So, do you want to eat dinner? I don’t mind eating a little early. There is this super cute pub near my apartment we can go to. Then we can either go out or go back to my apartment for the night.”
“That sounds great, but can we drop off our stuff first?” Morgan asks.
“Absolutely,” I tell her.
“I still want to walk the Hollywood Walk of Fame tomorrow; can we do that?” Ruby asks.
“Of course, I haven’t had a chance to see most of Hollywood yet,” I tell her. I knew it was something she has always wanted to do so I’ve been waiting to see it with her. “We can play the rest of the day by ear. But we can also see the Chinese Theater, the Dolby Theater, NBC, and the Hollywood sign while we are over there.”
They both like the sound of that.
“And I thought that if you were up to it, Ruby, maybe we could spend Sunday morning on Rodeo Drive. I need some new clothes. I have a press event and gala coming up at the end of the mo
nth that I need a cute new outfit for. I need a dress and heels too,” I tell her. It’s another thing I have been putting off doing.
“Gia, I think I’m going to cry with how excited I am right now,” she says, leaning over Morgan in the middle seat to grab my hand.
I just laugh. “I know there are a lot of things to see, but you guys are only here for a few days. I don’t want to fill it up with way more than necessary.”
“While I so badly want to see the theaters and the Hollywood sign, I would be one hundred percent happy hanging out in your apartment all weekend catching up with you, Gia,” Morgan says, and I know she means it. We’ve never needed to be doing a planned activity to enjoy each other’s company. Camping out on the couch and binge watching Netflix has always been something we love doing together.
Hours later, after an enjoyable dinner we are back in my tiny studio apartment.
“So, I’m not going to lie, this place is tiny,” Ruby states from the kitchen bar as she looks around the room.
“Yeah, how much are you paying for this a month?” Morgan cringes. “Maybe I don’t want to know.”
I chuckle, “Well, I get a stipend through TVEdge for my first six months of living here, but I pay nine hundred dollars. That covers fifty percent of the rent.”
Ruby lets out a low whistle.
Laughing, I say, “I know, things cost more out here, but wages are also higher.”
“I do like what you’ve done with the place though,” Morgan says.
The entire space can be seen from the front doorway. My bedroom, or I should just say my bed area, is to the right. On the same wall as the door is my TV. There is a small closet there too, near my bed. Right across from the door on the other side of the room is my couch, a coffee table, and my bathroom, which is surprisingly nice-sized. To the right of the living room, there is a small half wall that juts out creating a barely there divide where I have a four-seat high-top table. Then from there, walking toward the door is my small kitchen. There is a two-person island which I’ve turned into a makeshift desk area. But most of the time, I work on the floor between the couch and coffee table.
“It’s tiny, but I don’t have a lot of stuff and I don’t need a lot of space,” I say, trying to imagine what they see when they look at the space. I’d love to say that it suits me or that I’m happy to call this place my own, but it would be a lie. So, I use this as a segue to bring up my news.
“Actually, I was wondering, Morgan,” she looks over from the other end of the couch. “Is my room still open?”
She looks startled and I see a smile creep over Ruby’s face while she makes herself a drink.
“Yes, and we will come back to why you just asked that question in a moment, but I should tell you that the room won’t be available for long. I’m actually moving out,” she says with a hint of excitement in her eyes.
It takes me only a millisecond, then I gasp, “Are you and Dex moving in together?” A huge smile spreads over my face when the pure look of happiness radiates from hers.
“Yes, we are,” she says excitedly.
“Oh my gosh. I’m so happy for you. When? Where? Oh my—how did the guys take the news? I assume you are getting your own place?” I ask, my own news falling by the wayside.
“Thank you. And we are moving into a unit in the same building they are in now, so Dex will still be close to the team. We move in next month. And they took it as you’d expect.” She giggles.
“We all think that Link will end up crashing in their second bedroom because he’s too attached to Dex,” Ruby explains. We all laugh because we can totally see this happening.
I lean back and look at her knowingly. “You know what this means, right, Morgan?”
“What?”
“It means before long he’s gonna get down on one knee and give you a ring.” I can’t stop the smile as she blushes.
“He’s totally going to do it sooner rather than later, I can feel it,” Ruby agrees.
“Come on, guys, stop. It’s not something I want to dwell on,” she says.
“Have you talked about it?” I ask. She blushes again.
“Oh my gosh, they have!” Ruby giggles.
“Morgan?” I push.
“Yes, we’ve talked about it. But we haven’t looked at rings or anything. We’ve talked about them, but not looked. So, I doubt it’s soon. Don’t couples usually look at rings first?”
“Not necessarily. Sometimes, but not all the time,” I tell her.
Then I jump up and tackle her with a hug. “Aagh, I’m so excited for you, Mo.”
She hugs me back and thanks me. But she grows serious. “OK, now tell us why you asked about your old room.”
Ugh. Here goes.
“Well, I’m kinda moving back to Chicago,” I say, waiting for the words to hit them. They both look at me, trying to comprehend what I’m saying for a second too long. Right as I start to sweat about the possibility that they won’t take the news like I’d hoped, they jump up and begin whooping and hollering with excitement. The tension in my body disappears and relief washes over me.
They settle down after a minute or two and then start bombarding me with questions.
“I thought you loved your job. Is it not what you thought it would be?”
“Why wasn’t that the first thing you told us?”
“I don’t understand, do you have another job lined up?”
Holding out my hands, I tell them to hold on. I chuckle. “OK, I’ll try to answer all your questions, just give me a chance to get a word in.”
They laugh and quiet down, allowing me to launch into more detail.
“Really, the main reason is that I just don’t like it here. Yeah, LA is cool and there are a lot of cool things to do, but it’s not really for me. I love my job, but I just don’t think I can get over living somewhere I hate. Plus, I’m really lonely here. I miss you guys so much. I’ve made some friends, but we don’t hang out much outside of work.” I take a breath and try to gauge their reaction. They both look sad but understanding laces their faces. So, I continue.
“I’ve talked to my boss about it, and she knows I’m not happy here. So, while I’m going to continue working for them, I’m kinda getting a demotion. Well, I shouldn’t really call it that, but I’m taking a pretty big pay cut and my job functions are changing a bit to accommodate that I will work via telecommunication. I get to keep my TV review and spoilers column, I won't get to cover red carpets, awards shows, and in-person interviews. But, I did just secure a part-time gig working for Weekly Entertainment magazine. My boss actually recommended me, and I get an actual weekly piece in the TV section of the printed magazine along with some online features. I get to put together the ‘What to Watch’ calendar each week.”
“So, what you’re saying is that you get to move back home and have an even better job set up?” Ruby says.
Laughing, I say, “Pretty much, yeah.”
“When does all this happen?” Morgan asks.
“I’ll move back in May. I have a few events and things I have to attend here this month and next, so it makes sense for me to stay until they are done. I start at WE in April, so there will be some overlap. But since I have no social life, I don’t mind.” I try to laugh it off, but it’s totally true.
“Gia, I’m so happy you are coming home,” Morgan says. “I just wish you had a place to move back to. I mean, we donated all the stuff you packed up and didn’t need, like you told us to do. I’ll be out of our apartment before you move home. I’m almost certain that they’ve already got someone scheduled to move in,” she explains.
“Oh, hey, it’s OK, I promise. I’ll find a one bedroom somewhere and get new stuff.”
“Hey, you could always move into Dex’s old room,” Ruby suggests.
I choke on the water I just took a drink of before coughing and giving her a glare.
“Ha-ha. Not funny.” I stand to grab a tissue from the bathroom to wipe the water from my chin.
&n
bsp; When I return moments later Morgan and Ruby are having a silent conversation. I snort and shake my head because I know what they want to ask. So, I sit back down.
“No, I don’t know if I’m going to try and get Simon back,” I say as they both snap their heads toward me. “Isn’t that what you wanted to know?”
“Why wouldn’t you?” Morgan questions.
“Ah, well, don’t get me wrong, I want to, I just don’t know if it’s what’s best,” I tell them honestly.
“What do you mean?” Ruby asks.
“I’ve left him twice now. While I don’t plan on leaving again, I don’t think Simon is going to trust me enough to give us a third try. They call it a ‘second-chance love’ for a reason.”
“Pfft. I call bullshit,” Ruby huffs.
“What do you mean?” I ask.
Ruby continues. “If Simon is the one, then you do everything you can to get him back and make him trust that you won’t leave him again. Also, the first time, you were sixteen and had no choice. You just didn’t handle the situation correctly. The second time, well, that was just unfortunate timing.”
“He hasn’t dated anyone since you broke up!” Morgan blurts out.
“And neither have you.” Ruby points at me.
“I’ve been adjusting,” I whine with an eye roll.
“Whatevs, you’re still hung up on Simon and you will be until the two of you kiss and make up and have your HEA,” Ruby says with satisfaction.
“Whelp, that settles it, then. You’re going to go get your HEA,” Morgan says with a clap of her hands.
“Wait, what?” I ask confused. “What’s settled?”
“Your happily-ever-after. You’re getting Simon back,” she sings.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Simon
We’ve been back from our tournament all of about thirty minutes when Morgan and Ruby show up at the apartment with pizza. It doesn’t bother me that they are here, I can kick back and relax whether they are here or not. Plus, they brought pizza. But I also know they have only been back for a couple days from their trip to LA to see Gia.
I’m torn because I really want to hear about Gia and her new life. But for the same reason I haven’t unblocked her from Facebook or reached out to her myself, I just don’t want to hear about how awesome her new life is … without me.
