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Bree
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I WAS NOT IN THE MOOD for company, but Mel was insisting. I tried to remember I had to be a good friend and try to repay the kindness and patience she had shown me. It was hard. Mel wanted to have a girl’s night. We had plenty of them in the past and always loved them. But things were different now. I was different.
I couldn’t go to the club with her. I couldn’t go to a movie with her. We couldn’t sit around the house and watch a movie. I didn’t understand the point of having a girl’s night. There was nothing to do but sit around and talk. Honestly, I was talked out. The conversation would inevitably end up on me and my eyes and the fact they were broken. She would tell me to get the surgery. I would tell her I was considering it. Then she would tell me to quit thinking so hard about all the possible things that could go wrong.
It was the same conversation I had been having with everyone in my life. I was over it. If they would just give me five fucking minutes alone with the matter, I could come up with my own conclusion. It was beating a dead horse. I felt like the dead horse in the equation.
I thought about calling and telling her I just wasn’t feeling up to it, but I knew that wouldn’t stop her. The cold I’d been fighting seemed to be gone, but I still felt icky in general. Luke had hung out with me for a bit and his official medical opinion was that I wasn’t feeling well because I wasn’t getting enough activity. He said that depression was making me feel under the weather. I didn’t see how that was possible, but whatever.
I would do the stupid girl’s night and be a good friend and then go back to feeling like shit. I heard the gate alarm buzz and knowing it was just me in the house with Luke at the cottage and my dad gone, I made my way to the security panel on the wall. “Who is it?”
“You know who it is,” Mel called out. “Buzz me in.”
For one brief moment, I considered not doing it. I felt for the button and pushed it, opening the gate for her. I went to the living room, knowing she would let herself in. It wasn’t long before I heard the clacking of her heels on the hard floor.
“In here,” I called out.
“Ugh, it’s so quiet in here,” she complained. “We need to liven this place up.”
“I’m not sure I’m in the mood for a party.”
“I didn’t say party. I said liven it up. It’s like a tomb in here. I brought wine and a lot of it. Do you want to order Chinese, pizza, junk food?”
I shrugged. “All of it.”
She let out a loud whoop. “That’s my girl.”
She called out to Alexa, demanding that club music be played. Seconds later, the house was filled with the loud beats of a bass drum mixed with lots of techno.
“I’ll get glasses for the wine,” I told her, speaking loud enough to be heard over the music.
“Did Luke and his sister go out?” she asked.
“I have no idea.”
“We should invite her to hang out with us,” she suggested.
I grimaced. “Why?”
“Because you’re dating her brother. It’s a great way to get information about him.”
“I don’t get the feeling she likes me all that much.”
“Then we are definitely inviting her over. I’ll feel her out.”
I groaned. “No.”
“Come on. You look pasty. You need to get out of the house. Luke is failing. You were looking so good and now you look like a member of the Addams family. We’ll pop in at the cottage. It will earn you points with your man if you play nice with the sister.”
At least I now knew I looked as bad as I felt. Luke would never tell me I looked bad. “Fine. But I’m going to need a glass of wine for the road. I told you our first meeting wasn’t exactly great.”
“But now you have me here,” she said. I could hear the wine being poured into the glasses. “I’ll tell you what her face says.”
“Thanks,” I said, wrapping my fingers around the glass she put in my hand.
We slowly walked to the cottage. The warm evening air felt good. I had been inside the whole day. She knocked on the front door of the cottage and I suddenly felt very foolish.
“Is everything okay?” Luke asked.
“Fine,” Mel answered. “We were wondering if Lisa would like to hang out for a bit. We’re having ourselves a girl’s night and thought we would invite her over.”
I had no idea what was being said between them without words. I felt completely in the dark—literally. “Are you sure you don’t mind me crashing your party?” Lisa asked.
“I would love to have you over,” I said with a big smile.
“Can you handle being alone?” Lisa said, I assumed to Luke.
“Yes, go. You’re on my last nerve as it is.” I heard laughter in his voice and knew he was teasing. I was happy to know they had made up or at least were on better terms than they had been.
“We’ll have her back before midnight,” Mel promised.
The three of us walked back to the main house, Mel’s arm hooked through mine like we used to do when we were younger.
“Who are you?” I heard Lisa ask.
Mel burst into laughter and I quickly realized we had made no introductions. “I’m sorry,” I said. “This is Mel, my best friend. Mel, I suppose you figured out the woman in Luke’s house was his sister. At least I hope you’re his sister.”
“I’m his sister,” Lisa said with a small laugh. “Although, I don’t know if he’s always willing to claim me.”
Mel poured more wine for all of us, placed orders to several different restaurants and then we all settled into the living room once again. I quickly changed the music to something a little more mellow. It was hard to have a conversation with club music bouncing off the walls.
“How long are you in town for?” Mel asked.
“I leave tomorrow.”
“So soon?” I asked with surprise. “I thought you were staying a few more days?”
“Luke has convinced me to go see my mother,” she answered. It was clear she wasn’t looking forward to the idea.
“You don’t sound thrilled,” Mel commented.
“I’m not, but it’s been a long time.”
I wanted to ask about the mom, but refrained. Luke had been very close-lipped about it and I didn’t want to stick my nose where it didn’t belong. “I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you,” I said, which was the only thing that came to mind.
Lisa laughed. “I doubt it, but I’m going anyway. Tell me about you and Luke.”
I almost choked on my wine. “What do you mean?”
“He told me you guys are on a bit of a break while you figure out what your next move is,” she answered in her usual blunt way.
Swallowing the wine, I waited for Mel to jump in and help me out. She didn’t. “Luke and I are waiting until after we know for sure what my future looks like.”
“Bree tells me you know the doctor that wants to do the surgery,” Mel chimed in.
“I do. We all grew up in the same area. I didn’t really spend a lot of time with Ellie, but she and Luke were very close.”
I flinched at the word. “Close?” Mel asked and I could have kissed her. She was digging for information and saving me the indignity of sounding like a jealous girlfriend.
“Friends,” Lisa said. I wondered if she was smiling when she said the word. If she was, that would indicate she knew why Mel was asking and was okay with it. I hated not being able to see expressions! “They were only friends. You have nothing to worry about.”
“Are you talking to me?” I asked.
“I am.”
“I wasn’t,” I started to defend myself.
“You have every right to ask about a woman that comes into his life,” Lisa answered. “He really does like you. Luke never really had girlfriends, at least not when I was living at home. He was always busy with his modeling career, work or taking care of our mother.”
I slowly nodded. Again, I wanted to ask about the mom, but kept my question to myself. “He’s a good guy.”
“He’s an empath,” Lisa said. “He can’t help but want to take care of everyone in his life.”
It seemed like that may have been directed at me. “If he and I decide to pursue a relationship, he won’t need to take care of me. No matter how this turns out, I can take care of myself.”
I heard a slow clap and knew it was coming from Mel. “Damn right you can.”
“I’m getting there,” I said. “My dad isn’t going to let me be alone. If Luke isn’t my caregiver, someone else will be. I don’t want anyone else. Luke understands me and we have a good relationship. He pushes me when I need to be pushed.”
“And he takes care of you when you need it,” Lisa added.
“Yes, he does.”
“It’s what he does best,” she said, her tone a little glib.
“What’s it like living in England?” Mel asked, quickly changing the subject.
“It’s good. It was a little weird at first, but I adjusted. I like it there.”
“Do you have any kids?” I asked.
Lisa laughed. “No, definitely not. My husband is a little older. We like our lifestyle just the way it is. We do a lot of traveling for his job, which would be difficult, if not impossible, if we had children.”
“Do you work?” Mel asked.
Lisa giggled. “Nope. I married a sugar daddy.”
“Good girl,” Mel said with a laugh.
“Honestly, I didn’t marry him for his money, though. I married him for his accent and the promise to take me out of Texas. The money was a bonus.”
I smiled, listening to her story. She was a little abrasive, but I could hear her softness underneath it all. I did like her I decided, though I wasn’t sure if I would at first. “Is your husband here with you?”
“No, he had to be in Seattle for the week. I figured since we were going to be in the states, it would be a good chance to catch up with Luke. I wasn’t planning on visiting my mother, but she is getting older and I’m not sure when I’ll be back.”
There was a brief silence before the gate buzzed, announcing that our food had arrived. “I’m going to get the food,” Mel said. “When I get back, there will be no more talk about getting old or anything serious. We are here to kick up our heels and have a good time.”
I raised my glass. “Do I need more wine?”
They both burst into laughter. “I’ll get you a refill,” Lisa volunteered.
We spent the next two hours talking about celebrities, silly fashion trends and life in general. I was glad I had agreed to the girl’s night. I had been worried it would be boring and uncomfortable with me not being able to see, but it had been fun. It felt good to forget all about my worries and just be one of the girls for a while.
