JULIE

“Can you please drive further?” I plead to the cab driver in a whisper, even though there's no chance of anyone hearing us.

The mistake I make is not bending my head fast enough. The slender blonde-haired woman glances in the direction of the cab, her eyes squinting behind her glasses.

I close my eyes and exhale. “Never mind.”

I climb out of the car, and she jogs over and wraps her arms around my neck, and I roll my eyes upwards.

“Julie,” she cries with a strained voice. “I'm so sorry.”

A few minutes later, we're sitting inside my apartment.

While she's wiping away the tears streaming down her cheeks with a handkerchief, I stare at her, completely unbothered.

“Can you stop that, Regina?” I snap.

Regina's shoulders rise and fall as she sniffles hard. “I'm so sorry about the divorce; you know I couldn't come back to see you while I was in the middle of my finals. It was just so hard for me to communicate.”

I've known Regina since high school, and because of that, I could tell when she was being very dramatic.

Like this moment, for example.

“Hmm,” I narrow my eyes at Regina. "You couldn't even call or send a damn postcard." Hi Julie, I hope you're doing the best you can to move on. Love, your best friend, Gina.” I say calmly, but my frustration increases the sharp tone in my voice. “Instead, I see you soaking up the sun at the beach in Spain with that gigolo. I've always cared about you, and yet I get absolutely nothing in return.”

Regina's mouth curls down.

I lean back on the couch. “So, what can you possibly say to convince me that you were thinking about me, huh?” I ask. “Who even told you I got divorced?!”

Regina's eyes sparkle with confusion. “Well, I heard about the rescue thing you did, and the news mentioned you and Tyler.”

Upon hearing the name of that backstabbing psycho, I rise to my feet. “Okay, thank you for stopping by. But I really need to rest.”

Regina makes a sound of disbelief and stands up too. “Julie, what's gotten into you? Why are you being so mean to me?”

Because you're the worst friend in the world.

Although I don't say it out loud.

Regina throws her hands up in resignation. “Fine, I didn't want to make this about me, but Juan and I split up.” She sighs.

I raise an eyebrow and stare at her blankly. “Really?“

“Yeah,” Regina says. “His wife came back from that work trip thing. They're thinking about having a baby so she can be a freaking housewife, can you believe it?”

I wrinkle my face in disgust, the same way I always did when Regina recounts her life as a mistress to about five different men in the last couple of years.

Regina must have mistaken my reaction for sympathy because she nods and grips my shoulders.

“So, yeah, I guess we're both single in the worst possible ways,” Regina says. “Funny, right?”

With everything that's happened in the last few days with Hunter McKnight, I begin to laugh, and Regina joins in.

Three seconds later, I slam the door in her startled face. I groan and press my forehead against the hardwood door and squeeze my eyes shut.

“What the hell is that?”

I glance up from my scrapbook on the table to a confused-looking nineteen-year-old Regina.

“I'm making a small gift for Tyler for our fourth anniversary,” I reply as I splash purple glitter around our senior prom photos. “More glitter?”

“Sweetie, is this page okay?” Regina says as she sits next to me. “Time to leave that goofy high school crappy romance and search for real men.”

I shoot her a look. “But I love him, you know that.”

Regina scoffs and rolls her dark eyeshadow-covered eyes. “Tyler's a total creep, and you don't even see it.”

Slamming the book shut, I glare at her. “Why don't you mind your own business and leave us alone? Not everyone wants that so-called college experience like you do!”

In the present, I take out a bottle of Irish beer from my fridge and drink a full sip. It seems even Regina knew the signs about Tyler before I did.

How could I have been so blind?

The sound of my ringtone causes me to flinch; I reach for it and discover it's Hunter calling.

“Great,” I murmur and swipe right on the screen.

Hunter's deep voice comes through the line. “Are you getting that bed rest?”

I lean over the dining bar and take another drink.

“Yup.”

Then he goes quiet.

“Is there anything else?” I press.

“Uh, no. Just checking in.” He mutters. “I mean, it's the right thing to do as your boyfriend.”

I crease my brows and widen my eyes in alarm.

“Except for the fact that you're really not,” I reply.

“I know that, Angel,” Hunter grumbles. “I'm still a person after all.”

A small grunt erupts from my nostrils, a smooth ripple passes in my belly, and I press my lips together, but the words slip out before I can stop myself. “You're so adorable.”

Then I tighten my teeth together. Okay, not the best choice of words to say to the man who also signs your paycheck, Jules.

“Uh huh. So, have you got any friends?” He asks lightly.

“Lots of them.”

“That's good, because I wouldn't want you to be alone right now in your condition.”

There goes the ripple again. I don't understand how Hunter could have this kind of effect on me.

By the time we say our goodbyes, it's nearly afternoon. I sleep off the beer, only to hear the sound of the doorbell ringing, waking me up.

Feeling a bit of fatigue, I stomp off to the front door and unlock the door. Only to see Regina standing outside, arms crossed, along with several pieces of leopard-print luggage.

I lifted my eyes to hers; her face was reddish, and her eyes were puffy from crying.

“I don't know where else to go.”