On His Face - Tabatha Kiss Page 0,84

my tears. I swore to myself years ago that I’d never let him see me cry again.

Sure as shit not about to start now.

Chapter 44

Heidi

I tap my pencil against the page of my sketchbook. Normally, when I have time to kill, I’ll just sit down and start drawing and the next thing I’d know it’s the middle of the night and all of my thoughts are yesterday’s problems. I can’t seem to get anything started now, though. All I can do is replay Drew’s confession of love in my head.

I’m in love with you.

I have been since the first time I saw you.

It’s the moment people spend their entire lives waiting for.

Too bad Seth had to be there to ruin the whole damn thing.

Jenna passes by my open door. Again.

I sigh. “You can come in, Jenna,” I say.

“Hm?” she asks, pausing in the doorway. “What?”

I sit back in my desk chair, abandoning the sketchbook. “You’ve been pacing around for like an hour.”

“No,” she says. “Well. I don’t know. Maybe a little.”

“What’s up?”

She lingers in place, nervously biting her lip. “Are we okay?” she asks.

“I don’t know,” I answer honestly.

“Are we... going to be okay? Someday? Preferably soon?”

At first, I don’t answer. I’m not even sure how to answer. “I hope so,” I say.

“Then...” She exhales slowly. “I know you probably don’t care to hear what I have to say right now, considering that I literally imploded your life today, but... can I say something real quick? Please?”

I nod.

Jenna walks into the room and plants herself on the edge of my bed. She fidgets for a few moments before taking a deep breath to compose herself. “I’m not sure how obvious this is to you, but I want you to know that I don’t know how to function without you,” she says. “I never want to know, either.”

I keep quiet, letting her say what she needs to say.

“Heidi, you are my best friend. In fact, you’re kind of my only friend. Possibly the only real friend I’ve ever had. I don’t think I’ve ever told you that.”

I shake my head once.

“I’ve done so much to drive away literally everyone but, for some reason, you’ve stuck around,” she says, her eyes glistening. “There is nothing I want more in this world than for you to be happy. This week, I took that too far. Today wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for me, and I am so sorry.”

“Are you sure?” I quip. “Because I haven’t heard that from you yet today.”

Her lips twitch. “And, judging by you cracking jokes, is it safe to assume that you accept my apology?”

I shrug a shoulder. “Is there a reason I wouldn’t?”

“Because I’m a bitch,” she says. “I’m an asshole. A cunt with a capital C.”

I snort. “Well, I wasn’t going to say it out loud.”

“And that’s why I love you, Heidi. You’re a better person than I am. A prettier, smarter, and more forgiving person, one might say.”

“You think I’m prettier?”

She winces. “I was kinda hoping you’d let that one go...”

I chortle. “All right. I accept your apology.”

Jenna holds her hands in prayer. “Would you forgive me?” she asks. “Please?”

“Do I have to?” I tease.

“I mean, you do have a permanent reminder on your back for how I complete you and you have to love me forever, so...” She smiles. “Yeah?”

I smile back at my old friend.

What’s the worst that can happen?

She could implode my life again, but honestly… if there ever were a person I’d trust to help me pick up the pieces, it’s Jenna. It’s always Jenna.

“I’ll get there,” I say. “Someday.”

“Soon?”

“Don’t push it.”

Jenna nods. “Someday works for me. Thank you.”

“But I’m also not the only one you need to apologize to. Putting those sketches out there… it wasn’t cool.”

“I know,” she says. “And the next time I see Drew, I will do exactly that.”

“I’m sure he’d appreciate it.”

She sighs with relief, and the tension drains from her shoulders. “You know, you’ve never cussed at me before,” she says, throwing on a pout. “It was weird, yet... empowering.”

I raise my brow. “It felt good, I’ve got to say.”

“I thought you were going to kill me for a second there.”

“I’d never do that,” I quip. “Who would help me hide the body?”

She sighs. “That’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”

“I believe it.”

She lowers onto her side and balances on her elbow, her usual gimme gossip position. “So, what’s next for you and Drew?” she asks.

I inhale a deep breath. “I’m not sure.”

“You