Page 71 of Friends That Heal Us
I tilt my chin towards the sourdough bread lying out on the counter. “Those are ready to be wrapped and set out front.”
“Okay.”
Opening day is tomorrow, and Liv and I have been here all day preparing for it. I’ve been baking while she helps put the baked goods out front. This is the first day she and I have worked together. This morning I gave her the rundown on taking orders on the iPad and how to make the different coffees we’ll be offering. She jumped right in, eager to work and learn. She doesn’t question anything I ask her to do. The only questions I’ve been getting from her are ones that will help her learn.
We’ve been so busy that I have had little time to get to know Liv. She seems like a good kid; she’s just lost in what direction she wants to go in life.
“So, I invited some of my friends to come tomorrow,” she says, raising her head up, catching my gaze. “I hope that’s okay?”
“Of course it is.”
Silence fills the room. I want to get to know Liv. But what do you even ask an eighteen-year-old?
“So, are you dating anyone?” I ask. Swallowing the lump in my throat. Is this something you ask?
One side of her lip rises. “Ugh. No.”
I giggle. “Why, ugh?”
“Because boys are stupid.”
“You got that right.”
She pauses what she’s doing and looks at me. “So they never get any better?”
My loud laugh echoes through the kitchen, and my mind lands on Zayn. “Not really,” I say, shaking my head. “Well, some do. My ex never did.”
“Really? What did he do?”
“Uh.”
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” she offers.
“He cheated on me.”
“No!”
I nod my head slowly, wondering if this is a conversation I should have with her.
“How did you find out?”
“I got records of his text messages from our phone carrier.”
Her head tilts in curiosity. “You can do that?”
“Yup.”
She blinks a few times, shaking her head. “What an ass—” she says, stopping mid-word. “I mean, he’s stupid.”
“He sure is.”
“Do you know who he cheated on you with?”
“Sure do. It was my best friend.”
She jerks back in shock. It’s the same reaction everyone else does when I tell them who it was with. “I’m so sorry.”
I shrug a shoulder, forcing a smile. “It’s okay.”
