Julia
“Home sweet home,” Naomi remarked as she helped me carry my bags up to my house in the Atlanta suburb of Brookhaven that I’d bought after my former life fell apart.
It made sense to start over again here. After all, my brother lived right down the street. Throughout my life, he’d been one of the few people I could always count on to have my back, no matter what. And that still held true.
“Thanks for giving me a ride home.”
“It’s the least I could do after you treated me to a week in Hawaii.”
“It was a work trip,” I reminded her.
“Sure it was.” She winked. “Plus, I knew I could finally get you to spill the tea about how you and Lachlan left things.”
“Always an ulterior motive with you.” I rolled my eyes, feigning annoyance. But I could never be annoyed with Naomi.
Despite everything I’d been through this past week…hell, these past few years…she always had my back. Always supported me, no questions asked.
Everyone needed a friend like Naomi in their lives.
Which was why, during the drive from the airport to my place, I didn’t think twice about sharing Lachlan’s heartfelt plea with her. It was probably a good thing she waited until we were alone to push me for information, because talking about it opened the flood gates again, my tears relentless as I relayed his passionate words.
But they really weren’t tears of sadness.
They were more like tears of joy. Like my heart was so full of emotion from the way he felt about me that it could no longer keep it all in.
“I may have an ulterior motive, but it comes from a place of love.” She wrapped me in her arms, squeezing tightly.
“I know.” I returned her hug, finding strength in my best friend’s encouraging embrace.
“And I am so dang proud of you for how you handled this week.”
“You’re proud of me?” I pulled back. “For what? Spreading my legs and getting laid?”
“No…,” she drew out. “Well, kind of. But I’m more proud of you for taking a risk and finally making yourself a priority for the first time in, well…your entire life.” She gave me a reassuring smile, then looked into the distance, seemingly deep in thought.
“What is it?” I pressed.
“It’s funny.” She brought her gaze back to mine. “I never understood the saying before. Thought it was some bullshit motivational thing greeting card companies made up. But now… I get it.”
“Get what?” I peered at her quizzically, brows scrunched.
“That lame saying that used to make me want to gag. ‘Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.’ That’s what I’m doing. I’m beaming because something good finally happened to you, Jules. Something you deserve. Hopefully your week of sinful, lust-filled, depraved fucking was merely the first chapter in a book filled with lots and lots of happy endings…” She waggled her brows. “If you know what I mean.”
I studied her for a beat, then burst out laughing, the wide range of emotions I’d experienced the past few days spilling forward.
“Only you can turn a meaningful moment into something sick and disturbing.”
“It’s a gift,” she acknowledged, wrapping her arms around me again. “A rare and valuable gift.”
I sighed. “That it is.”
“I may joke around a lot,” she continued, her voice turning serious as she rubbed my back, “but I mean it. I am proud of you.”
“And here I thought you’d be mad I didn’t jump at Lachlan’s offer, considering you were the one who practically begged me to sleep with him.”
She released me and raised a finger. “Okay, first of all, there was no ‘practically’. I did beg you to fuck him. You needed a good lay. Worse than anyone in the history of sex.”
There was a time I would have shied away from this conversation, reminded her I was her boss and we shouldn’t talk about sex. But I hadn’t acted like her boss in years. Sure, she worked for me, but she’d always been more of a friend.