How to Steal Your Best Friend's Fiancé - London Casey Page 0,68

footprints on my back. She called me when she needed something. And stupid me just never noticed it.

Just like with Buzzy… Miss Crabapple… the homeless men I gave food to…

That was just me.

I cared. I gave. I believed in abundance and giving.

But then there were people like Miranda. Who were born to take and take, and not give a damn.

Now Miranda didn’t even matter… kind of.

If she stayed in Boston, then it was a win for everyone here in the city.

She was still the person who controlled the building where the bakery was.

Something had to happen there though…

And just like that, I stayed up all night, thinking.

Stuck between a fantasy with Liam and the reality with Miranda.

Pacing my apartment, drinking water, diet iced tea, knowing I was going to regret not getting any sleep.

Finally at four in the morning, I sat down on the couch with my phone and typed up one more text to Liam.

Where would we run away together to? You want forever? Come get it.

I quickly deleted the text.

I then crashed on the couch and tried self-soothing again. With some visual aids thanks to the internet.

I was tired and wanted the real thing.

My fingertips were pruned like I had been in a bath too long.

All without any relief.

Sexually frustrated? Check.

Falling in love with my best friend’s fiancé? Check.

Ready to set my entire life on fire? Check.

I woke up two hours later and called Lucy.

“You sound like crap,” Lucy said.

“I didn’t sleep much.”

“Why not?”

I heard the tone in Lucy’s voice.

“Stop,” I said. “I’m going to do something I’ve never done before.”

“You’re ditching work.”

“Yes.”

“Good,” Lucy said. “You pay Ember and I to run the place. You should take a day off here and there. Now just please tell me that you’re in bed with Liam.”

“Lucy…”

“Okay, fine. I guess that was my fantasy last night.”

I shut my eyes. “I’m going back to sleep.”

“Enjoy,” Lucy said.

I hung up and rolled over on the couch.

I literally never did this. Ever.

Ever in my life…

When I was in high school, I had a job. My weekends were early hours and sometimes really long days. I also helped at the bakery when my grandmother needed me to. There was no sleeping for hours or sometimes days and all that.

Until now.

Right now.

It was like a new version of Emily showed up.

To get some sleep.

I fell back to sleep really quick too.

I figured guilt would keep me awake.

Nope.

I heard my phone ringing and I rolled over to answer it in case it was Lucy or Ember.

It was Carla calling.

And it was noon.

I sat up and looked around the apartment.

“Noon,” I whispered.

And the world didn’t end.

I got some sleep and life continued to function.

I didn’t answer Carla’s call.

Instead, I wandered into the kitchen and made some coffee.

Carla sent me a text that I didn’t read until I returned to the couch with my cup of coffee.

My plan was to stay in my PJ’s all day.

Give Liam a taste of his own medicine.

Hole up and think.

Ignore him.

Lie to him.

Even though there was this sense of… excitement…

He and Miranda weren’t together anymore.

Which meant…

I looked at my phone for distraction.

Where are you? We’re meeting Ernie at 1. You have to be there. Don’t be a Robin!

I smiled.

I looked at my guitar, balanced on the chair in the living room.

I looked at my coffee.

Was I really going to sit around and waste the day?

I mean, I already slept in… I ditched work…

I chugged the coffee and got changed.

Change of plans.

I was going to pretend I was a rock star.

The empty club had a much different vibe to it.

There was a guy behind the bar, wiping it down, getting everything set up for another afternoon and night. The stage was empty with a microphone, bar stool, and a deep red curtain that covered up the backstage area.

Most of the tables had their chairs upside down on them.

Ernie sat at the biggest table, with money and receipts around him.

Carla and Faye spotted me, jumped up and ran toward me.

I had my guitar case strapped to my back.

“And she plays guitar,” Faye said. “I love this woman.”

They hugged me like we had been friends for decades.

They made me smile as I hugged them back.

“Thanks for showing up,” Carla said.

“Ernie wants to hear us sing,” Faye said.

“Right now?” I asked.

“Yeah,” Carla said. “That a problem?”

I looked at the stage.

Jitters ran through my body.

Then I pictured Liam up there, singing.

I laughed. “I’m always ready to go.”

We walked to the table and saw Ernie gnawing on an unlit