it.”
“If you're bound and determined, then I can't stop you. Just know I'll always be here, okay? You know I don't make friends easily. You're important to me. You always will be. And if he ever cheats on you again, I want you to leave. For good.”
“I promise. If I ever catch him cheating again, I'll leave. No matter what.” She sat up and wiped her eyes. “Got any Ben and Jerry's?”
Jenna laughed. “I might have a little left in the freezer for emergencies.” Which Catie knew, as they'd shared Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey during every crisis for most of the four years they'd been friends.
“I think this constitutes an emergency,” Catie said.
Jenna nodded. It did. And as she took out the quart of ice cream and they dug their spoons into the banana flavored goodness, she felt an overwhelming sadness. Because this was likely to be the very last time.
She'd meant it when she said Tony would make it impossible for them to be friends. Oh, he'd never outright say that Jenna and Catie couldn't associate. His mother would never allow that, given her relationship with Jenna's parents. But he'd make it difficult. And with Jenna planning to return to California once she was done with graduate school, chances were better than average that her path and Catie's would rarely cross.
Jenna should know. She was a numbers girl, after all.
**********
Minnesota State University, ten and a half years ago...
Staring at the heavy, cream stationery embossed with a frilly, black script, she sighed. “You know I'd be there if I could,” Jenna relayed to Catie in a rare phone call.
“How is it that you're scheduled for a conference in Budapest the week I'm getting married?”
“This thing has been planned almost since I arrived. I've been killing myself for months to get ready for it. I wish I could be there. You know I would if I could.”
“Are you sure about that? You're not Tony's biggest fan.”
“No. I'm not. But at the very least, I'd be there to drive the getaway car if you decided to play Runaway Bride . And you're one of my best friends. One of my only friends. You know I'd be there to support you. I wish you'd chosen a different weekend.”
“I didn't choose it. Tony did. Or, his mother did. I wanted Memorial Day weekend, but he said she wanted it to happen outside of their annual family gathering on the Vineyard.”
Which, as Jenna knew, was a total crock of shit. Her mother said Tony's mother wanted the events on the same weekend because of the logistics. But though she'd grumble, Mrs. Donati would never deny her precious baby boy anything he wanted.
“Why'd he choose that weekend?” she asked. Jenna suspected it was Tony trying to drive a wedge in her friendship with his fiancée, but she didn't want to help him by pointing it out to Catie.
“Oh, well, he said that since it's Mother's Day weekend, Liam can come home for both the wedding and Mother's Day. He knows I won't get married without Liam there, so he figured he'd make it easier on my brother.”
“Is he going to come?”
“He promised he would. Damn, you'll miss him again.”
Jenna chuckled. “He's probably got a girlfriend anyway.”
“Nah. He hasn't seriously dated anyone in a while.”
“Well, I'm dating someone right now. Who knows if it'll last, but I'm technically not single.”
“That's too bad. One of these days, I'm going to get you two together.”
Jenna laughed. “Okay. Hey, I have to get back to work. I'll send an awesome gift. And I promise it won't just be a car on standby to rush you to the airport. Or tickets to come see me in Budapest.”
“Very funny,” Catie replied. There was a hint of amusement in her voice, something that Jenna hadn't heard in ages.
“I thought so,” she joked. “Don't be a stranger, okay?”
“I won't. I promise. Bye.”
As she hung up, Jenna sighed. Catie had meant it when she'd promised. But it didn't matter. In less than a year, they'd gone from talking daily
“If you're bound and determined, then I can't stop you. Just know I'll always be here, okay? You know I don't make friends easily. You're important to me. You always will be. And if he ever cheats on you again, I want you to leave. For good.”
“I promise. If I ever catch him cheating again, I'll leave. No matter what.” She sat up and wiped her eyes. “Got any Ben and Jerry's?”
Jenna laughed. “I might have a little left in the freezer for emergencies.” Which Catie knew, as they'd shared Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey during every crisis for most of the four years they'd been friends.
“I think this constitutes an emergency,” Catie said.
Jenna nodded. It did. And as she took out the quart of ice cream and they dug their spoons into the banana flavored goodness, she felt an overwhelming sadness. Because this was likely to be the very last time.
She'd meant it when she said Tony would make it impossible for them to be friends. Oh, he'd never outright say that Jenna and Catie couldn't associate. His mother would never allow that, given her relationship with Jenna's parents. But he'd make it difficult. And with Jenna planning to return to California once she was done with graduate school, chances were better than average that her path and Catie's would rarely cross.
Jenna should know. She was a numbers girl, after all.
**********
Minnesota State University, ten and a half years ago...
Staring at the heavy, cream stationery embossed with a frilly, black script, she sighed. “You know I'd be there if I could,” Jenna relayed to Catie in a rare phone call.
“How is it that you're scheduled for a conference in Budapest the week I'm getting married?”
“This thing has been planned almost since I arrived. I've been killing myself for months to get ready for it. I wish I could be there. You know I would if I could.”
“Are you sure about that? You're not Tony's biggest fan.”
“No. I'm not. But at the very least, I'd be there to drive the getaway car if you decided to play Runaway Bride . And you're one of my best friends. One of my only friends. You know I'd be there to support you. I wish you'd chosen a different weekend.”
“I didn't choose it. Tony did. Or, his mother did. I wanted Memorial Day weekend, but he said she wanted it to happen outside of their annual family gathering on the Vineyard.”
Which, as Jenna knew, was a total crock of shit. Her mother said Tony's mother wanted the events on the same weekend because of the logistics. But though she'd grumble, Mrs. Donati would never deny her precious baby boy anything he wanted.
“Why'd he choose that weekend?” she asked. Jenna suspected it was Tony trying to drive a wedge in her friendship with his fiancée, but she didn't want to help him by pointing it out to Catie.
“Oh, well, he said that since it's Mother's Day weekend, Liam can come home for both the wedding and Mother's Day. He knows I won't get married without Liam there, so he figured he'd make it easier on my brother.”
“Is he going to come?”
“He promised he would. Damn, you'll miss him again.”
Jenna chuckled. “He's probably got a girlfriend anyway.”
“Nah. He hasn't seriously dated anyone in a while.”
“Well, I'm dating someone right now. Who knows if it'll last, but I'm technically not single.”
“That's too bad. One of these days, I'm going to get you two together.”
Jenna laughed. “Okay. Hey, I have to get back to work. I'll send an awesome gift. And I promise it won't just be a car on standby to rush you to the airport. Or tickets to come see me in Budapest.”
“Very funny,” Catie replied. There was a hint of amusement in her voice, something that Jenna hadn't heard in ages.
“I thought so,” she joked. “Don't be a stranger, okay?”
“I won't. I promise. Bye.”
As she hung up, Jenna sighed. Catie had meant it when she'd promised. But it didn't matter. In less than a year, they'd gone from talking daily
Similar Books
