CHAPTER 27
River
“Whoa! You’re naked!” she said, covering her eyes.
“Sorry, I’m… running late,” Lacey told her, pulling underwear out of her dresser drawer. “I just need a minute.”
“Your hair is wet, Lace,” she said, still covering her eyes.
When River realized how ridiculous she was being, she lowered her hand, opened her eyes, but looked down at the floor. Then, she looked up and saw that Lacey was holding a shirt to her chest, and she looked vulnerable, maybe even a little nervous. It wasn’t just River, then.
“I’ll wait in the living room. I’m early. I thought we could stay in tonight, so if you want to put on comfortable clothes, that’s fine.”
“I made a reservation.”
“You did? Why?” River asked, meeting Lacey’s eyes.
“Because it’s a date, right?”
“Right,” River replied. “Lace, can we please just stay in? I’ll order us something if you’re hungry. I think–”
Lacey stopped moving and said, “That we should talk?”
River nodded solemnly.
“Can you wait out there? I’ll change and pull my hair up or something. I’ll cancel the reservation, too.”
“Yeah, sure,” she replied and turned to go.
River ended up in the living room of Lacey’s apartment, feeling like everything was about to change, and she knew that it was as she sat down on the sofa and rubbed her hands together, trying to figure out how to say it, how to get out what she knew needed to happen.
“We’re breaking up,” Lacey said.
River looked over and saw her standing there, looking sad and tired, wearing her comfy sweats and one of River’s hooded sweatshirts that Lacey had stolen a long time ago.
“Can I keep this?” Lacey asked, tugging on the bottom of the sweater. “It’s okay if you say no, but I’d really like to have something of you after…”
“You want my hoodie? It’s yours, Lace.”
Lacey nodded and walked around the coffee table to sit down next to her, leaving a little space between them.
“It’s okay, River. You don’t have to say anything, really. We both know. We knew this was going to happen. We’ve just been avoiding it, haven’t we?”
“Yes. I don’t want to lose you, Lace.”
“I know. I don’t want to lose you, either.” Lacey sat her phone on the table and turned more to her. “I want us to be friends, River. If not now, someday.”
“I want that, too,” she replied, turning to face Lacey as well. “I think that maybe that’s what we were supposed to be all along.”
“So the hot sex was just part of our friendship?” Lacey joked, smiling a very small smile, but River knew she was doing her best to lighten the mood.
“I think the hot sex was because we had chemistry in the beginning. Then, that settled down, and now, we’re just–”
“Covering ourselves up with towels and shirts because it feels strange that the other person is seeing us naked?”
“Yeah,” River replied. “I don’t know how that happened. We showered together one day, but the next, it felt wrong.”
“I know why.”
“You do? Care to share with the rest of the class, Lace?”
“You like Kennedy, River. It felt wrong to let me see you naked when you like her and want her to be the one to share that shower with you.”
“Lace, no. That’s not–”
“It felt that way when you walked in on me tonight.”
“What do you mean?”
“I didn’t want you to see me, either, River.”
“Because of Cameron.” River nodded. “God, this is so weird.”
“Tell me about it.”
“We’ve been together for a year and a half, but they’ve been together for a lot longer than that, and it felt more like I was with Kennedy, and you were with Cameron all weekend. Lace, I didn’t know what to do. I still don’t know what to do. I know I don’t want to hurt you.”
“I don’t want to hurt you, either, and you like her.”
River nodded and asked, “Cameron?”
Lacey nodded back, and her phone dinged on the table.
“Is that her?” River asked, seeing Cameron’s name appear on the screen. “Wait. Didn’t you go over there for their couple’s massage?”
“I did, yeah. I didn’t actually do it, though.”
“Why not?”
“Well, I never should’ve agreed to do it in the first place, but it felt strange to be there, in their house. I like Cameron, and I knew you liked Kennedy, but they’re together, and you and I are together… So, I told her I needed to go, and then, Kennedy showed up, and I left.”
“What’s their place like?”
“Like Kennedy threw up on it.”
River laughed and said, “Yeah? She likes things a certain way, doesn’t she?”
“Are you prepared for that? You like things a certain way, too, River.”
“Prepared for it? No. Why would I need to be? I might like her, but it’s not like anything’s going to happen.”
“River, they broke up,” Lacey shared. “That’s why Cam has been texting me. Kennedy left. She’s in a hotel somewhere, I guess. It’s over.”
River leaned back against the sofa and said, “They broke up?”
“I don’t have all the details, but I think they’re going to be friends. I hope you and I can be friends, too.”
“Of course. I mean, you didn’t do anything wrong here, and neither did I, Lace. Hanging out with you is one of my favorite things to do. I may not want to be your girlfriend anymore, but I’ll always want to be your friend.”
“Same for me,” Lacey said and smiled her actual smile this time.
“Do you want to answer that?”
River nodded toward Lacey’s phone.
“Yes.” Lacey laughed. “But I’m not going to. This is too important.”
“What if she’s asking you out on a date?”
“On the day she broke up with her girlfriend and when she still thinks I have one? I doubt it. I told her I was here to talk to her if she needed a shoulder to cry on. I’m sure that’s what it’s about.”
“You’re going to be a shoulder for her to cry on over Kennedy, when you want to go out with her?”
“Can we talk about this? I mean, really? We broke up, like, two minutes ago, River.”
“Lacey, we broke up months ago, I think. We just didn’t want to admit it. When was the last time we even kissed? And I mean really kissed, not a quick peck on the lips before one of us leaves.”
Lacey sighed and said, “It’s been a while.”
“Yeah… So, it might be a little awkward, but if you’re good with it, I am, too. We both know what’s going on here. We met these two women, and we caught feelings really fast. We might as well just put it all out there.”
“We are incredibly mature, aren’t we?” Lacey joked.
“We’re trying to be, at least. If Cameron hurts you, I will murder her. I don’t care if she has bodyguards. I’ll find a way to take her out.”
Lacey laughed and replied, “I’m not dating Cam, River. Come on.”
“You want to.”
“Yeah, maybe. I like her. But like doesn’t mean I want to date her. She’s a celebrity. She’s one of the biggest celebrities in the world.”
“Do you think that would bother you? Hypothetically speaking, if you and Cameron did go out, would it bug you?”
“Dating a movie star? I don’t know. It’s not something I ever worried about, so I’ve not spent a ton of time thinking about it.”
“Yes, you have.” River chuckled. “This week, at least.”
“Fine. I have a little this week, yes, but I made that drive today, River. Can I really do that a few times a week, or have her do it to get here? I have work and have late clients sometimes. She’ll eventually get another movie and be super busy, too.
On top of that, there’s the whole actually dating the celebrity thing.
When we go out, there could be cameras there, and she goes to parties, events, and award shows.
I’d have to go with her, right? I’ve never walked on one of those carpets.
Would I have to wear a dress and heels? Look at me.
” Lacey pulled on the sweater. “I like comfortable clothes, and heels are not comfortable. I don’t care how much they cost. She’s also been with Kennedy Gannon.
I mean, Kennedy Gannon, who’s beautiful, talented, and rich.
I have a tiny one-bedroom apartment and not much else.
Who am I? I’m no one. She’s Cameron Levine. ”
River took a deep breath and said, “You are Lacey Keller. You are beautiful. You’re smart.
You’re talented, and you’re funny. You’re a business owner.
You are not a no one, Lace. You’re the best person I know, and I love you.
Cameron Levine would be lucky to have you on her arm at any event, and if she doesn’t realize that, that’s her fault and has nothing to do with you, but I think she does realize it.
Trust me, I caught her staring at you more times than I could count last weekend.
It’s there for her, too, Lace. If you like her, you should give it a shot.
It’s complicated, yeah, and there’s just enough distance between LA and Anaheim that the traffic will make it a total bitch to see each other, but she’s rich.
She can pay someone to drive her back and forth.
Hell, while she’s not working, she can just be down here with you, and you can figure out the rest later.
I want you to be happy always, Lace, and I saw you with her. You were happy.”
“I saw you with Kennedy, too, River. You were happier with her than you’ve been with me in a long time.”
“She’s great, and I do like her. I kind of thought they might break up, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up if they didn’t.
They were doing the whole double date thing to try to reconnect and make their image as a couple good again, so I thought there was a chance they’d go home and stay together for a while, at least, if not forever. ”
“But they’re broken up now.”
“Apparently,” River replied with a shrug.
“Do you think we should do this? I mean, really go for it? It’s not the celebrity thing for me.
I wouldn’t know how to handle that part, obviously, but for me, it’s the fact that they’ve been together for five years.
What if I asked her out, we tried, but I’m just the rebound girl for her?
Or, it wouldn’t work because she’s not ready? I’m not even sure that I am.”
“You just told me to go for it.” Lacey laughed.
“Yeah, well… Do as I say, not as I do. Right?”
“No way. If I’m doing this, you’re doing it, too.”
“What exactly are you doing?”
“No clue,” Lacey replied, laughing. “She’s the celebrity. Does she have to ask me out?”
“I don’t think there are rules. She’s not a queen, Lace.” River laughed. “God, this is nice.”
“What is?”
“Just being able to talk to you and not feel this pressure like we should be doing something else.”
“Sex?”
“Not just that. I mean all the other girlfriend stuff, too. I want to be able to talk to you and not worry that I’m being a bad girlfriend because I’m not paying attention to the movie on a date night; you know?”
“I know. I get it. And it is nice. Weird, but nice.”
“It’ll get less weird with time,” River suggested. “And if you’re keeping my sweater, can I keep that shirt you left at my place?”
“I have a few shirts at your place, I think.”
“The purple Nike one.”
“Oh, that’s my favorite shirt. How did you end up with it?” Lacey laughed.
“I wore it home once and just never returned it.”
“You kept it in your drawer? You little thief!”
Lacey continued to laugh as she tossed the small couch pillow at her.
River caught it and asked, “So, I can keep it?”
“Fine.” Lacey’s laughter died down, and she reached for the phone. “She wants to have coffee sometime this week if I do.”
“A date?”
“No. She said specifically that it wouldn’t be a date because I’m with you, and she knows that. Just coffee between two people figuring things out.”
Lacey turned the phone to her to read the message.
“Say yes, Lace.” River nodded. “To at least the figuring it out part. Tell her about us.”
“And what about you?”
“Well, Kennedy has my number, but I don’t exactly have any texts from her, so it might be a moot point. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be all right. In fact, I should let you go. Maybe you can call Cameron and arrange your not date.”
“You could always text her.”
“I could, but she might be struggling. I don’t know. Maybe she needs time. I don’t want to invade her space.”
“You can stay, River. You don’t have to rush off. I don’t need to call Cam right now. We can keep talking.”
“I will if you want, but I’m okay. I think I’d like to go home and channel my heartbreak into my work.”
“Your heart’s not broken, is it?”
“Not like that, I don’t think. But it’s still saying goodbye to something that was important in my life, so that breaks a little. It’s not breaking you?”
“No, it is. Trust me, it is. I love you, too, River. I never wanted this to happen. I thought we’d be living together by now and maybe on our way to being engaged, but that’s not going to make either of us happy.”
“No, it’s not,” she confirmed and stood up. “Come on. Hug me, damn it.”
Lacey laughed, stood up, and they pulled each other in.
“I will always be here for you. No matter what,” River said, hugging Lacey tighter.
“Me too. No matter what.”
River sniffled and felt her tears well, but she managed to keep them in and pulled out of the hug.
“Okay… Can I come back to pick up my stuff later?”
“Yeah,” Lacey said, wiping a tear from her own cheek. “Everything except this sweater.”
River laughed as she made her way to the door and confirmed, “Everything except that sweater, Lace.”
“I’ll call you?” Lacey asked.
“Yeah,” she replied before she pulled open the door to Lacey’s apartment and walked out.
When she heard the door lock behind her, River let out a deep breath and closed her eyes.
It was over. Her longest relationship ever had just ended.
And while her future was still unknown, the thought of Kennedy Gannon sitting in the sand next to her, listening to music through shared headphones, had her hopeful as she entered the elevator.