first time, what she'd been doing. She slumped back into the couch as if exhausted, and stared down at her hands, which were raw, red, and trembling.
Ariana's breath started to come quick and shallow. She had to get Lexa back on an even keel. If she didn't, the results could be disastrous. For both of them.
"I've been thinking, maybe you, me, Lexa, and Connie should go out on a double date," Ariana said, turning toward Palmer, suddenly bright- eyed.
His brows shot up. "You think?"
"Yeah. Why not? It could be fun," Ariana said, turning her knees toward his.
"Fun. To go on a date with my current girlfriend, my ex-girlfriend, and her current boyfriend," Palmer deadpanned.
Ariana took a breath for patience. "I know it could be weird, but she's my best friend, and you and Conrad are friends too. Sooner or later we're all going to have to hang out together. The sooner it happens, the sooner we can get past the uncomfortable part and start feeling okay about the whole thing."
Palmer frowned, considering this, and took a long sip of his coffee. "Okay," he said finally. "If it's something you think we should do, I'm in. But let's do it after parents' weekend. Things are going to be insane for the next few days."
"Thank you!" Ariana planted a kiss on his cheek and leaned back into him again. All she had to do was show Lexa some actual fun. Distract her with total normalcy. Make her understand that life could, in fact, go on exactly as it had been before, even after what had happened with Kaitlynn.
It was a truth Ariana lived every single day of her life. If Lexa was smart, she'd figure out how to live it too. "All I know is, these bags are not going to fit in that car," Soomie said, dropping her many paper shopping bags as she sat in a small Georgetown caf� on Thursday evening. "But I do so love that car," she added, looking longingly out the window at Ariana's gunmetal gray, classic Porsche 944 convertible, which had just been delivered that morning. It was parked out on the street below the flattering glow of a streetlight, and two college guys in backward baseball caps were just now stopping to admire it.
"Don't you, though?" Ariana asked giddily.
When Maria had floated the idea of a Stone and Grave Ball�related shopping jaunt, Ariana had jumped at the chance to drive her friends to the chic merchants' district in her new ride. Of course, the "backseat" was the size of a bread box, but it did come equipped with seat belts, so Maria and Soomie and crowded in, letting Lexa take the front. Everyone had enjoyed the drive, even Lexa, who hadn't whipped out a single disinfectant wipe all afternoon. Still, Ariana sighed as she looked around at the four girls' many purchases. Soomie was right. They couldn't have fit this haul in the back of a Hummer.
"No worries," Lexa said, slipping her phone from her purse. "I'll just have Keiko call one of Daddy's drivers and have him come pick it all up."
Ariana grinned. Not only was Lexa with it today, she was even being proactive. Plus she had purchased a gorgeous black Marchesa gown for the ball, gabbing on about how Conrad loved her in black. Maybe Palmer was wrong. Maybe Lexa was simply going through a cleanly phase. Leaning back in her chair, Ariana decided to savor the moment. She was off campus, relaxing with her friends, and didn't have a care in the world. She could have sat in that caf� all night long and been perfectly content.
"Hello, ladies," a tall, blond waiter appeared at their table, pad and pen at the ready. "Can I take your order?"
"We'll all have oriental chicken salad, low-fat dressing, and no nuts," Maria said, handing him the menus. "And we'll stick with water," she added, gesturing at the four filled glasses on the table.
"Hey! I was going to get pasta," Ariana said, grabbing in vain for her menu.
"Not if you intend to be bloat-free for the ball, you're not," Maria replied.
"Maria, please," Lexa said, turning off her phone after her brief
Ariana's breath started to come quick and shallow. She had to get Lexa back on an even keel. If she didn't, the results could be disastrous. For both of them.
"I've been thinking, maybe you, me, Lexa, and Connie should go out on a double date," Ariana said, turning toward Palmer, suddenly bright- eyed.
His brows shot up. "You think?"
"Yeah. Why not? It could be fun," Ariana said, turning her knees toward his.
"Fun. To go on a date with my current girlfriend, my ex-girlfriend, and her current boyfriend," Palmer deadpanned.
Ariana took a breath for patience. "I know it could be weird, but she's my best friend, and you and Conrad are friends too. Sooner or later we're all going to have to hang out together. The sooner it happens, the sooner we can get past the uncomfortable part and start feeling okay about the whole thing."
Palmer frowned, considering this, and took a long sip of his coffee. "Okay," he said finally. "If it's something you think we should do, I'm in. But let's do it after parents' weekend. Things are going to be insane for the next few days."
"Thank you!" Ariana planted a kiss on his cheek and leaned back into him again. All she had to do was show Lexa some actual fun. Distract her with total normalcy. Make her understand that life could, in fact, go on exactly as it had been before, even after what had happened with Kaitlynn.
It was a truth Ariana lived every single day of her life. If Lexa was smart, she'd figure out how to live it too. "All I know is, these bags are not going to fit in that car," Soomie said, dropping her many paper shopping bags as she sat in a small Georgetown caf� on Thursday evening. "But I do so love that car," she added, looking longingly out the window at Ariana's gunmetal gray, classic Porsche 944 convertible, which had just been delivered that morning. It was parked out on the street below the flattering glow of a streetlight, and two college guys in backward baseball caps were just now stopping to admire it.
"Don't you, though?" Ariana asked giddily.
When Maria had floated the idea of a Stone and Grave Ball�related shopping jaunt, Ariana had jumped at the chance to drive her friends to the chic merchants' district in her new ride. Of course, the "backseat" was the size of a bread box, but it did come equipped with seat belts, so Maria and Soomie and crowded in, letting Lexa take the front. Everyone had enjoyed the drive, even Lexa, who hadn't whipped out a single disinfectant wipe all afternoon. Still, Ariana sighed as she looked around at the four girls' many purchases. Soomie was right. They couldn't have fit this haul in the back of a Hummer.
"No worries," Lexa said, slipping her phone from her purse. "I'll just have Keiko call one of Daddy's drivers and have him come pick it all up."
Ariana grinned. Not only was Lexa with it today, she was even being proactive. Plus she had purchased a gorgeous black Marchesa gown for the ball, gabbing on about how Conrad loved her in black. Maybe Palmer was wrong. Maybe Lexa was simply going through a cleanly phase. Leaning back in her chair, Ariana decided to savor the moment. She was off campus, relaxing with her friends, and didn't have a care in the world. She could have sat in that caf� all night long and been perfectly content.
"Hello, ladies," a tall, blond waiter appeared at their table, pad and pen at the ready. "Can I take your order?"
"We'll all have oriental chicken salad, low-fat dressing, and no nuts," Maria said, handing him the menus. "And we'll stick with water," she added, gesturing at the four filled glasses on the table.
"Hey! I was going to get pasta," Ariana said, grabbing in vain for her menu.
"Not if you intend to be bloat-free for the ball, you're not," Maria replied.
"Maria, please," Lexa said, turning off her phone after her brief
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