Angeles.
She shakes her head. “No.”
“What’s going on with Trey?”
She’s been tight-lipped about him since whatever happened between them last year, but I know something happened. The jokes her sisters make that quickly cut off when they remember I’m in the room are a pretty good indicator. Trey Galger is a record label owner who’s friends with Phoenix’s boyfriend. He flies his private jet into town every now and then. I hate the guy on principle that he’s not what Juno needs in her life.
She gives me that confused look she does every time I ask about him. “Nothing is going on. The baby shower was the first time I’d seen him in, like, six months.”
For some reason, her brushing it off stokes enough anger inside that I blurt out what I’m really feeling. “Juno, I can’t do this anymore.”
Her head rears back. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about this awkwardness between us. I get that I conveyed to you that I didn’t like Trey and I know I’m getting married and then the whole kiss thing last weekend, but I told you not to worry about it. We’re best friends. What’s happening to us?”
The waitress comes over and brings us our drinks.
We nod our thanks and Juno waits until she leaves to respond. “I’m just embarrassed.”
“Why? It’s not like we haven’t done things like that before.”
“Colton!” She looks around and leans forward, lowering her voice. “You’re engaged. I’m not the kind of person who does that. I barely know Brigette, but I’m not sure I can face her now.”
“You were drunk and…” I decide it’s better to leave out that she was depressed because she’ll just deny it. “And I told you, I’m not going to tell her.”
“Don’t you see?” She ties the straw wrapper in a knot, pulling both ends to see if it breaks. She’s been doing that since high school. It tears right in the middle of the knot, and she crumples it in her hand.
“Someone’s thinking of you.” I nod toward the now-balled white paper.
“I think I’ve just mastered how to pull the paper, so it breaks in the middle of the knot,” she grumbles.
“No, it’s because I’m always thinking of you.”
She blows out a breath and sips her diet soda. “You can’t say things like that.”
“Why not? I’m your friend.”
“My friend who’s about to become someone’s husband.”
Usually I can figure out Juno, pull out a smile, but this marriage thing has erected a wall between us. Had I known I was going to lose my best friend… I shake my head. I need to remember that Juno refuses to ever cross that line.
“Can I ask you a question?” The good guy in me says not to ask. Don’t be a dick right now. But the asshole part of me says it’s time she realizes exactly what she did to us.
“What?”
The waitress slides our plates onto the table and Juno unwraps her silverware before crumbling her crackers into her soup.
“What did you think would happen when one of us got married? Or found someone serious?”
She drops her spoon into the soup.
“I mean, I tried to cross that line you put between us when we were thirteen many times. And I get it, Juno, you’re scared. And I’ve allowed you to use that excuse because I don’t know what it’s like to lose my parents so young, but at some point, you have to live your life. You don’t want to date me, but then no one else should have me?”
“I never said that. I’m happy for you. I am.” Juno’s jaw clenches. She swallows every time she lies.
“The way you’ve been acting the last six months since I got engaged says you’re not.”
She leans back and puts her hands in her lap. “I’m not used to sharing you. That’s all.”
“Exactly.” I lean forward and my voice rises so loud that two employees at the counter glance over. “So I’ll ask again, what did you think was going to happen when you were so hell-bent that we only ever remain friends?”
She balls up the napkin and throws it on the table. “I wasn’t expecting to feel so left behind, okay? I didn’t think. Is that what you want to hear?”
Now the employees are blatantly staring, as are most of the people in the diner.
She slides out of the booth. “I didn’t think I’d lose you, and I was stupid for thinking that. You have another woman in your life now. I’m second, so if you could