Chapter 47
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
For the second time in as many weeks, Jif woke up after noon, this time with a headache pounding in her temples.
She staggered to the kitchen, looking for Gatorade, but after her breakup with Jordan, she’d thrown his vile red bottles away and never restocked.
She hadn’t needed to. Not ‘til now, anyway.
Instead, she ran a glass of water from the tap, then gingerly made her way to the bathroom and popped a couple Tylenol. Done, she sank back into bed and closed her eyes, trying to block out the light aggressively piercing her brain through her eyeballs.
Even that discomfort didn’t sting as much as the highlight reel from the previous day.
Jif groaned and buried her head under her pillow as Britt’s words echoed in time to the throbbing in her skull: sel-fish, sel-fish, sel-fish.
Okay, yes, she could be selfish at times, and woefully self-absorbed.
She knew that about herself and had been actively working to change it.
But how could Britt have been so mean? She’d lost her boyfriend, and then her brother had announced his move across the country.
.. Would a little bit of sympathy be so hard?
Why couldn’t Britt understand she needed someone to feel what she felt alongside her?
Kind of like you couldn’t understand she needed someone to be excited about her engagement?
“Shut up,” she said aloud. “It’s not the same.”
Except, it was, wasn’t it?
She groped for her phone and dialed before she could think twice.
“Hello?”
“I really am a selfish bitch, aren’t I?”
Britt remained silent for a moment, then huffed a laugh. “Only sometimes.”
“I’m sorry, Britt. I’m a sucky friend.” Jif swallowed.
Maybe that explained why Miles didn’t want to be with her anymore, either. She must be a sucky girlfriend, too.
“Yeah, you kind of are.” Britt’s voice held an edge of anger, clearly unready to forgive Jif, yet.
“Geez, ouch.”
“What? You think I’m going to coddle your ego when you’re the one who’s supposed to be apologizing?” Britt scoffed. “Call me back when you’re ready to actually say you’re sorry, not make excuses and pretend you’re a bad person.”
Jif blinked at her phone for a moment, checking to make sure she’d called the right person. She’d expect this kind of response from Colton—maybe not quite as emotionally intelligent, but definitely dripping with the same derision—Britt, though. Yikes.
Way to kick a girl already on her knees.
But... she wasn’t wrong.
“I didn’t mean to be a jerk about your engagement.” Jif bit her lip. “I was jealous. I’m sorry.”
“I thought you got over it months ago.”
“Telling you about it didn’t magically make it go away. In one shot—in less than six months—you have everything I’ve been trying for years to get.”
“Come on, Jif. Love isn’t something you get.
It’s something that gets you. Like you and Miles.
” Britt’s voice gentled. “You weren’t out there trying to find a guy, then he appeared.
And it’s real this time. You’ve dated half the players on the team—including Jordan—and Miles is different.
Soon enough, it’ll be your turn to ask me to be your maid of honor. ”
“Miles won’t even talk to me...” she trailed off, her brain catching up to Britt’s words. “Wait, what? Really?”
Britt laughed. “You’re my best friend, Jif, even when you’re being difficult. Who else would I ask?”
“Your s-sister,” Jif stuttered.
Britt had literally walked out on her yesterday and now, less than twenty-four hours later, wanted Jif as her maid of honor?
She didn’t deserve Britt’s graciousness, but she wouldn’t turn it down. And she’d try to be more worthy of it.
“I’ve already asked her to be a bridesmaid, so it’ll be awkward if you tell me no.”
“Of course I’ll be your maid of honor!” Jif squealed, then winced, her head still pounding. “Ugh, but maybe tomorrow, okay? I think I need to get some more sleep.”
“You should call Colton, too.”
Jif frowned. “No way.”
“Jif, I love you,” Britt started, pausing until Jif hummed a reply.
“So, please understand what I’m saying is meant with love when I tell you your brother is not the bad guy, here.
You needed to vent, and you’re hurt he’s leaving you.
I get it. And I’m sorry, too, because you really needed your best friend, and I was too busy being angry at you.
But with love, I am reminding you he doesn’t have a choice in this, and he’s made sure you’ll be fine after he leaves.
Your dad never gave you that—actually, he gave you the opposite! ”
Jif considered Britt’s words, turning them over like a quarterback debriefing a bad play. “You really think so?”
“I have known Colton for almost as long as I’ve known you,” Britt replied adamantly. “He loves you. He’s not abandoning you.”
“It feels like he is.” Her voice broke at the admission. “My dad, Jordan, Colton, Miles...” Jif listed off the men who’d left her. “Why can’t I get a guy to stick around?”
“I think...” Britt trailed off.
“Yeah?”
“Do you really want me to answer?”
More than anything. She trusted Britt. “Yes.”
“I think because you’re so busy trying to be what they want you to be, you forget to be who you want to be.”
Jif sat with Britt’s slow, quiet statement for several long moments. “What if I did that with Miles, too? I wanted something different, something deeper. What if I pretended for him?”
“Did you?”
“I don’t think so.” But she couldn’t be certain.
“Well, maybe you should figure it out before you call him. And in the meantime, you can be here at nine tomorrow morning. We’re going dress shopping.”
“Nine, got it. Uhh...” She paused, not wanting to risk the fragile peace they’d found. “Is there a reason, I mean, you’ve only been engaged a couple weeks...”
Britt giggled, a tinkling laugh lighting up the phone line. “We don’t want to wait. We found a little chapel that will do the ceremony next month, between pre-season and the start of regular season, so we have to move quickly.”
“But you’re not... There isn’t...”
“Jif Pritchard, are you accusing me of being pregnant?”
She wanted to deny it, but she couldn’t. “Are you?”
Britt laughed again. “No.” Then, after a long pause, she added, “Not yet, anyway. But when I am, you’ll be the first person I tell, I promise.”
Jif grinned at the happiness in her friend’s voice. “Second. You have to tell Garrett first.”
“Deal.”