Chapter 4
HANNAH
“I hate my roommate,” Wren says for at least the third time since we got on the phone an hour ago. “She’s started leaving these passive-aggressive quotes on the whiteboard. Today’s read: Always choose kindness.”
“What’s so bad about that?” I ask.
“It’s aimed at me. I know it is. Last night I very politely asked Sara if she’d mind cleaning out her old takeout food from the fridge because we were running out of room and it smelled awful in there, and she said, ‘You know, Wren, I’ve been having a really hard time lately and I’d appreciate if you were a little kinder to me.
’” Wren lets out an exasperated grunt. “I can’t even ask her to throw away her two-week-old Thai without being mean? ”
I laugh but the thought of Thai takeout has me glancing toward my own fridge where my sweet and sour soup from a week ago still sits. I couldn’t bring myself to eat it. I was too mad. And a little afraid he did spit in it.
“I’m sorry,” I say as my phone pings with a text. I pull it away from my ear to read the message.
Kinsley
Meet us at MVP in an hour
MVP, the popular restaurant and bar in Moonshot, is so not the vibe I’m going for tonight. I had big plans of wearing sweats and living in my messy braid at least until tomorrow morning.
My fingers hover over the keyboard to tell her that, but Kinsley beats me to it.
Kinsley
I won’t take no for an answer. Do I need to pick you up?
Me
No
“Sorry,” I say to Wren. “Kinsley’s trying to get me to go out tonight.”
“You should,” my sister says, sounding a little less angry now that we’re off the topic of her roommate.
“Eh.”
“What are you going to do instead?” she asks. “Sit at home and doom scroll?”
“I’m listening to that podcast you sent me. I have two episodes left and they finally tracked down the ex-boyfriend.”
“Ooh. You’re almost to the end!”
My phone pings again.
Kinsley
No, I don’t need to pick you up or no, you refuse to run a brush through your hair.
Me
Both.
Kinsley
Put on a hat if necessary.
Kinsley
Oh wait. Scratch that. Skylar says dress like you want to feel.
Me
Even if I want to feel frumpy and comfortable?
Kinsley
In that case, dress like I want you to feel: sexy and confident.
“You should still go out though,” Wren says. “It’ll be fun.”
“Did Kinsley just text you to say that.”
“Maaaaaybe.” She laughs. “Go shower, get dressed, and if you still don’t feel like going, then call me back and I’ll complain about Sara some more.”
“Fine, but Wren?”
“Yeah?”
“Always choose kindness,” I say in my sweetest voice.
She hangs up on me.
Despite my initial reluctance, I do feel a little better once I’m showered. And after putting on my favorite dress and a touch of makeup, I’m actually looking forward to a night out. There have been few of them since I moved to Moonshot.
As soon as I step into the bar, I spot Kinsley and Skylar.
They’re sitting side by side at a corner table.
Kinsley’s head pops up and a huge smile takes over her face when she sees me walking their way.
It’s impossible to feel bad when she’s around.
Damn her. Sometimes a girl just wants to throw a pity party.
Though I question if that’s really what I wanted as my pulse picks up walking toward them.
Maybe what I needed instead was this. Not that I’ll admit that to Kinsley.
Like any good bestie, she’d use it against me the next time I want to stay home.
“You actually came!” Kinsley stands as I approach their table.
“Was there another option?” I ask with a small laugh as she pulls me into a quick but tight hug.
“We were betting on whether or not you were bluffing and not really coming,” Skylar says when her girlfriend releases me.
She doesn’t get up to hug me, which I don’t take personally, seeing as how I know she’s not a hugger.
It’s one of the first things Kinsley told me about her.
“My girlfriend is amazing. So smart and gorgeous but do not invade her personal bubble. She lets like three people touch her and the other two are her parents.”
“I was waiting for the ‘I’m not up for it’ text in about an hour once we were too happy and tipsy to make good on our threat to come get you.” Kinsley takes her seat beside Skylar.
There’s one lone chair opposite of them. A quick glance around the bar tells me they likely had to fight to keep this one. It’s packed in here.
“Good idea. I wish I’d thought of it fifteen minutes ago.”
They both laugh good-naturedly.
“Do you want something to drink?” Skylar asks. “I was just about to brave the bar for another round.”
“Is there a fight on tonight?” The last time I came to MVP for happy hour with some of the girls from the gym, we inadvertently walked into a big UFC fight night that had a similarly packed vibe.
“There’s a hockey game tonight.” Kinsley tips her head to the TV closest to us.
It’s at that moment it clicks for me that the little men skating on the TVs hung up all around this place are the main attraction. Groups of people are standing or sitting where they can glance up occasionally to see what’s happening in the game.
“The arena is close by. People hang here to watch in hopes the players will come by after.”
“Seriously?” I arch a brow in question. That feels…not stalkerish exactly but maybe a little pathetic.
Kinsley nods. “Oh yeah. If you think it’s chaotic in here now, just wait.”
“Or we could go somewhere else,” I suggest.
“No way. Moonshot is up by one with two minutes left,” Skylar says.
“You’re a hockey fan?”
“My family was into it.” She gives me a sheepish smile like she’s embarrassed to admit that she likes the sport.
“And this place is crawling with hot guys,” Kinsley says. Which is precisely when I realize she’s picked this place for my benefit.
“I’m not picking up a guy at a bar.”
“Why not? Where else are you supposed to meet them?” she asks.
“I’m not. I’m very happily single.”
She does that thing where she coughs and tries to say “bullshit” at the same time, but it comes out sounding more like a foghorn than anything else.
“I am,” I insist, rolling my eyes but unable to hold back a grin. I love her for thinking a cute guy is the answer to all my problems. “The last thing I need right now is a man. I have enough troubles.”
“Some of them are really, really cute though,” Kinsley says.
“Excuse me.” Skylar tries to look offended but with Kinsley practically sitting on her lap, it’s not that convincing.
“She’s very happily single and I’m very happily not single.” She leans in, frames her girlfriend’s cheek with one hand and kisses her.
My chest tightens in a way that suggests I’m not as happy in my independence as I’d like to believe.
When Kinsley pulls back, all doe-eyed and smiley, she says, “But I can still be objective about hotness.”
I let my stare roam around the bar. She’s not wrong. There are lots of guys in here that I’d say are above average on the handsome scale. Maybe a night out is exactly what I needed.