11. Porter
PORTER
Josie busts through the front door of the house, startling me. “Porter, oh my god, Carrie is amazing,” she shouts as she hangs her coat on the rack, probably expecting me to still be in my bed hungover.
“Your text kind of gave that away last night,” I respond from behind her on the couch, and Will shifts on the other one he’s on across from me.
“I totally thought you’d—oh, hello again, Will. What a surprise.” She looks delighted as she turns, and I’m fully aware how this looks. Will is in our house, in the morning, the night after I left the bar with him.
“Will just stopped by to drop off coffee,” I explain, holding up my cup, hoping she’s not about to turn this into a big deal in front of him. The last thing I need while I’m hungover on my birthday is Josie making this into something it’s not.
“Yeah, I’ll head out and let you two catch up,” Will starts, getting up to make his way toward the door. I want to protest, but I really am too hungover to mediate Josie and Will. “Hope the coffee’s helping that hangover. Have a good birthday, Porter. I’ll text you later.”
I wave from my spot on the couch. “Thanks again.”
The second the door closes, Josie rolls her lips between her teeth then raises her eyebrows. “So?”
“So, what?”
“So, what the hell is Will Carter doing here? In the morning! Is he queer? Oh my god, did you guys hook up? Wait, is this a secret? Is he in the closet?”
Questions are flying out of her mouth way too fast for my hungover brain, but I quickly shut it all down. “No. I told you, he literally came over to bring me a coffee this morning.”
“Boo, that’s so boring! So no birthday sex?” She pouts as though she’s just as disappointed in my lack of a sex life as I am.
I snort a laugh as I head back to the couch. “Nope. Seems like the only one who got lucky last night was you and probably Abbey.”
“Mhmm, it was amazing. Carrie is amazing.” Josie sits right next to me, tucks her legs up and hugs a pillow.
“I really like her. But I will be a great best friend and refrain from telling you all about my night. Tell me about yours!” She slaps my arm playfully before she continues.
“You left with Will and he ‘came to bring you coffee this morning’ so something good must’ve happened. ”
“Okay, first off, he did bring me coffee this morning.” I hold the cup up in front of her again.
“You didn’t need to put it in air quotes, but I don’t know.
We left the bar, went to Taco Bell, he paid for my food, we walked back here, ate it, he made sure I had water, and then he went home. That was it.”
“And now only hours later he’s back to bring you a coffee on your birthday?” She grins mischievously. “No sex, but clearly someone’s been taking care of you.”
“Yes. Ugh, don’t remind me that he gives off major daddy vibes even though he’s straight.”
“Or you could be his bi-awakening,” she suggests.
“I’m way too hungover for this conversation,” I dismiss, dropping my head back on the couch. “Besides, you know how well that didn’t go for me last time with Robbie. I can’t let myself get my hopes up about another hot guy who has no interest in me.”
“Fine, you’re right. I’ll let it go. I’m just saying, no one’s ever brought you coffee before in the morning to nurse your hangover. I’ve ordered us coffee, sure, but that’s so not the same thing and you know it. He literally left his house to go get you one and bring it here.”
“Not. Helping,” I groan.
“Okay, okay. So, gift time?”
That makes me perk up. “Yes, I’m dying to know. You’ve been dangling this gift in front of me forever.”
“Well, I’m really excited about it!” She hands me an envelope, and I rip into it, pulling out a card with silly raccoons on the cover.
They’ve got wide eyes and tiny grabby hands with speech bubbles that say happy birthday in the most ridiculous way.
I snort as I open it and see a note written by her on the inside.
Porter,
Happy birthday to my favorite person ever! You’re hot, dramatic, and deeply deserving of good things. You put up with my nonsense, so now I’m forcing you to accept a vacation rental for spring break. You’re welcome. Love you forever, P!
xo Josie
I stare at the note for another second, processing it. “Vacation rental? What? We’re going on a trip?”
Josie grins, scrunching her face up. “We sure are!”
I look back down at the card in my hands, then back up at her. “Like an actual trip?”
“Yes. As in pack your bags, we’re getting you the hell away from here for spring break!”
“Where are we going? Oh my god. I can’t believe this!”
“Oh thank god you sound excited. It’s a lake house that’s about an hour and a half drive from here.
I booked it for the second half of spring break so you can request it off with plenty of time, but still work the beginning of the week because I know you wouldn’t want to miss out on too many hours.
It’s so cool, P, you’re going to absolutely love it. ”
“You’re the best, thank you! Do you have pictures?”
Josie knows I’ve hardly ever gone anywhere since my mom wasn’t able to afford to take my brother and me on trips growing up.
“Yes, let me find them. I’m so glad you’re happy! It’s going to be so much fun.”
Reality catches up and my chest does that annoying tightening thing it does when I’m caught between excitement and the instinct to immediately downplay anything nice that happens to me.
It’s not that I feel undeserving, it’s just that I’ve learned to be happy with what I have and I feel guilty when Josie goes over the top with gifts in ways I can’t possibly repay.
“You didn’t have to do this,” I remind her, even though I’m sure she’s going to steamroll right over that sentence.
And she does. “I did because I wanted to. Don’t overthink it, P. It’ll be so much fun.”
I swallow, my grip tightening slightly on the card. “Josie—”
“No,” she cuts in firmly. “You don’t get to argue this.
You’re allowed to have good things. This is one of them.
I’m so happy I can do this for you and that we’ll get to have a little getaway.
If you need to tell yourself something to feel better, know that this is as much of a gift for me as it is for you. ”
I huff out a breath, shaking my head. “You really thought of everything, huh? I don’t even know what I did to deserve a friend like you.”
“We were just always meant to be best friends. You’re stuck with me, so you better get on board.”
I look down at the raccoons again on the front of the card because suddenly eye contact feels like too much.
Josie has always had this way of making me feel chosen without ever making me feel like my lack of money is a burden.
She’s never once cared about the difference between where we came from, only that we somehow landed in the same place and were destined to be in each other’s lives.
It’s refreshing, and over time, I think it’s helped me to see my future beyond the town I grew up in and used to be afraid I’d never leave as a real possibility.
Between this and Will showing up with coffee, my chest feels too full from my friends’ gifts.
Well, shit. I guess Will really is my friend after all. Such a weird thing to acknowledge when I thought I hated him not that long ago.
“You okay?” Josie nudges me.
“Yeah.” I nod. “I’m just… This is the best gift I could’ve asked for. Thank you.”
She smiles at me and pulls me in for a side hug. “Luckily for you, I only accept payment in your continued friendship and occasional emotional support.”
“Tragic,” I deadpan. “I was hoping I could Venmo you instead.”
She laughs and puts her head on my shoulder. “Nope. You deserve this,” she murmurs. “Don’t overthink it.”
“I’ll overthink something else instead, like whatever’s going on with Will.”
Her eyes light up immediately. “Yeah, we are absolutely not finished talking about that. But I’ll let you enjoy your birthday without further interrogation. Until tomorrow.”
“Generous of you to spare me today.”
“So,” she starts, clapping her hands once, and I groan at the loud sound that makes shooting pain radiate through my skull.
It’s a miracle her shrieking didn’t have the same effect.
“Now that coffee has been acquired and you’re no longer on the brink of death, how does brunch sound?
Or Abbey and Ty can pick it up and bring it over so we can veg? ”
“Nah, we can go,” I say, then add casually, “and you can invite Carrie too.”
She presses a hand to her chest, mock-touched. “In honor of making today not about me, I will simply say thank you.”
I smirk and shake my head.
She grins. “Alright. Birthday brunch it is! Let’s go!”