Chapter 17
The sun filters through this small café shining down at the baristas working on orders. I swirl my straw around my iced coffee, mixing it together. I look around at the quiet café. For how small it is, you’d think you could hear everyone’s conversation, but everyone’s talking so quietly.
I rarely come to this café because it’s about thirty minutes from me. But they do have a great selection of coffees and homemade foods. When I found them, I pitched my baked goods to them, but they wanted to keep everything in house. I can respect that.
“Are you going to spend another night with us?” Rya asks. Her blonde, bouncy waves drape across her chest.
Right now, she’s making me look like a bum.
My hair is up in a messy bun with an oversized tee, shorts, and my worn flipflops.
I was in no mood to dress up as much as she did.
She’s always one to dress up anywhere she goes.
Even though being away from Zayn this weekend has helped me a lot, I still didn’t feel the need to add any more to my appearance.
“I haven’t decided,” I say, taking a sip of my coffee. “Would you mind if I stayed again?” I’ve stayed two nights already. Today is Sunday, and I have to get back to the house tomorrow for sure. It’s been nice getting away. Almost feels like a staycation.
Zayn has only texted me once since I left.
He texted me late Friday night. No… More like early Saturday morning, asking where I was and if I was okay.
I have a feeling Rya texted him without me knowing.
I kept seeing her text someone throughout the night on Friday.
When I asked who it was, she said a friend from work.
“Of course, I wouldn’t mind.” Her eyes flicker to the window like she’s avoiding something.
“I don’t have to.”
Her eyes shift to me. “No. I don’t mind. I loved having a girl’s weekend with you.” Her grin widens. “We should do this more. It felt like high school all over again.”
“Yeah, it did. It was nice,” I say, twirling my straw around inside my cup.
“Have you talked more to Zay?”
I shake my head.
“He hasn’t texted you?”
“Only the first night,” I say, eyeing her as her lips turn downward in a frown.
“Well, that’s not like him.”
I shrug my shoulders because it really isn’t like him. None of this has really been like him. But I did take off and haven’t returned, and he probably doesn’t want to talk over the phone. But then again, he could have asked me to come home so we could talk, and he didn’t do that either.
Did he even wonder what I was doing all weekend like I wondered what he was doing?
Did he miss me?
I missed him. We usually aren’t ever away from each other and if we are, we’re always texting or calling each other before we go to bed.
“Were you the one who texted Zay that I was at your house on Friday?” I ask as my thoughts shift back to Friday night, watching her text nonstop.
Her eyes beam up at me like she’s been caught doing something. My brows knit together as she shakes her head. “No. I was texting a friend from work.”
I nod my head, looking away from her, not pressing it anymore. She reaches out and places her hand on top of mine. My gaze shifts back to her. A small smile lays across her face.
“Everything will be okay.”
Rya’s voice is soft and reassuring but something still stirs in the pit of my gut, not knowing what changed.
Her fingers squeeze mine before she lets my hand go.
All I can think is, how does she know everything will be okay?
Usually when we have problems with our husbands, we’re always there defending one another.
As girlfriends always do. But this time, it seems as if she’s defending him in a way.
I pull my arms down by my side and rest them on my lap.
This whole weekend, I was doing pretty good not thinking about anything.
Rya was a big help too. But now that Monday is creeping up, I feel like I’m getting the Sunday blues.
Not the regular Sunday blues about going back to work but for me going back home.
Has Zayn been confiding in Rya more than me? He is her best friend. We were all best friends at one point and still are. I just thought he would come to me as his wife. I trust my friends with my whole heart. They’ve never once made me second-guess anything.
I turn back to Rya and let my doubts fade away. I can trust that if anything were that bad and if Zayn were going to her, she would tell me.
Right?