Maysie grimaced. “Milla Wood. Yuck. I had tried really hard to forget about her.”

“I heard she got married to some guy from her hometown in Maryland, and has popped out two kids already. I also heard she’s gotten pretty fat too,” I said, grinning.

Milla Wood was our former sorority sister and all around assface. She had gotten Maysie black balled from our sorority over Jordan and had gone around spreading some vicious rumors about her as well. In the end, it turned out Milla was just pissed because Jordan had turned her down. She ended up transferring out of Rinard College, never to be seen again.

“Where did you hear all this?” Maysie asked, looking pretty pleased with the juicy gossip.

I smiled coyly. “I have my sources. I like to keep tabs and make sure karma does its job.”

“I shouldn’t care one way or another about the bitch but damn, that’s good to hear,” Maysie chuckled.

I inclined my head in Jaz’s direction. “But seriously, it doesn’t bother you to hear your ex is marrying someone else? Not in the slightest? I mean, I would be a little weirded out to hear a guy I used to bang was getting hitched.” I said, waggling my eyebrows.

Maysie snorted. “More power to ’em. I’m glad to hear they’re together. Eli’s a good guy. And Jaz…well she’s…”

“Enthusiastic?” I chirped.

We both started laughing again.

“I swear, I feel like I’m the last singleton from our graduating class,” I complained, thanking Jaz when she brought back our drinks.

“Oh no you’re not, Gracie. I know for a fact that Jasper Evans is still single,” Jaz chimed in.

“Who the hell is Jasper Evans?” I asked, trying to place the name with a face.

“The guy that used to sunbathe on the quad in his speedo?” Maysie asked, her lips twitching in amusement.

“Yeah, that’s him,” Jaz exclaimed.

I covered my face with my hands and groaned. “Great, so me and Speedo Guy are both single. Maybe I should give him a call,” I remarked sarcastically.

Jaz looked thoughtful. “I’m pretty sure he’s gay,” she pointed out.

I lifted my hands into the air. “Well there you go, I couldn’t even get Speedo Guy.”

Jaz patted my shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, Gracie. You’re a total hottie. You’ll get snatched up in no time. You’re pretty enough that not everyone will care about the fact that you used to be a total train wreck.”

Maysie and I looked at each other and I could tell my dear friend was trying not to laugh.

“Thanks, Jaz. You really made me feel better,” I deadpanned.

She continued patting my shoulder. “I’m glad. Because I mean it. Crazy is easily overlooked when you have a nice face.”

“Yeah, G, she’s right,” Maysie mused, biting her bottom lip.

“Okay ladies, I’ve got to get back to it. Your food should be out soon,” Jaz said with a final condescending shoulder pat.

“Wow. Do you think she hears herself when she speaks?” I asked after Jaz left.

“I doubt it. Let’s hope Eli has a good pair of earplugs. Maybe that could be my wedding gift to him,” Maysie snickered.

I shook my head. “It’s sad when Jaz-Motormouth-Digby can land someone and I’ve been sans a date in over six months.”

Maysie sobered instantly. “I didn’t think you were really looking for anything.”

I shrugged. “I’m not. But an option would be nice to have.”

Maysie raised her eyebrows questioningly. “Where is all this coming from? Does this have to do with you coming with us next weekend to the Rejects show? Because if it’s strange with all of us being with someone—”

I held up my hand, silencing her. “It’s not about anything, Mays. I’m just having a moment of feelsorryformyselfitis. It’ll pass. Listening to Vivian’s masturbatory moaning earlier has given me a case of the grumps is all.”

“There’s someone out there for you, G. Someone perfect,” Maysie said softly.

I laughed. I made myself. It was either that or cry.

Because I was pretty sure I had already found him.

Enough!

I had to stop thinking like that.

“I don’t need a man, Mays. I’m content with my own company. Plus I have you, Viv, and Riley to stop me from turning into a crazy cat lady.”

“I promise that if I see you adopting any cats, I’ll stage an intervention,” Maysie swore.

We ate our meal.

We laughed.

We talked.

It felt really, really good.

I had friends. I had a decent job.

I had a life.

I was sober. I was getting better.

That’s all that mattered.

Just as we were paying the bill, my phone dinged and I pulled it out, forgetting by that point, about my momentary weakness only a few hours before.

When I saw his name, I almost dropped my phone.

“Who is it?” Maysie asked, seeing my face.

I schooled my features into total neutrality. I didn’t care. I didn’t care.

“Just my mom. She’s being her normal, suffocating self,” I lied.

I had just lied.

Why?

“Ugh, sorry, babe. Ignore her until tomorrow.”

I swallowed thickly and nodded. “Yeah, it’s probably for the best. I don’t want to open a can of worms tonight.”

Maysie looped her arm through mine as we left Barton’s and headed out to the parking lot.

“Should we brave the apartment or perhaps should we give them a few more hours?” Maysie asked, digging her keys out of her purse.

I still had a death grip on my phone, unwilling to put it away.

“Uh. I think they might need a while,” I said distractedly.

I don’t care.

I don’t care.

“Should we go see a movie then?” Maysie’s voice seemed to be coming through a fog.

I nodded absently. “Yeah. I’ll meet you at the Cineplex.”

Maysie regarded me levelly. “Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked.

I gave her a shaky smile. “Of course. Just annoyed that Mom had to ruin my good mood. But it’s nothing a good chick flick can’t fix.”

Maysie gave me a quick hug. “Put it behind you, G,” she murmured.

“Yeah. I will,” I agreed.

Maysie walked to her car and I headed to mine.

I glanced down at the text again.

Do I need to ride to your rescue?

“Yes,” I whispered into the air, not daring to type out the reply.

Mitch had responded.

What did that mean?

His words felt so…normal.

And for the briefest of seconds we were just Mitch and Gracie again.

My chest felt uncomfortably tight and my eyes started to burn.

Do I need to ride to your rescue?

He had rescued me so many times before.

Mitch had always been my white knight.

But I had learned in the last few years that I couldn’t spend my life relying on someone else. That at some point I had to learn to rescue myself. And I was.

When I lost Mitch I had also gained a strength I hadn’t known I possessed. Because I had to be strong if I was going to survive losing the best thing in my life.

And I couldn’t walk down that road again. We had crossed a line we couldn’t come back from. Not ever. No matter how much I wanted to.

Because now there was Sophie.

So I deleted the text.

It was for the best.

All the while my heart tattooed a word against my chest.

Liar.

I could really use some Chunky Monkey right about now.

Her text surprised the fuck out of me.

It’s like she had ESP or something.

I had only just been thinking about her. Not like it was that unusual, but it was worse than normal. Because I tried my damndest not to think about Gracie Cook at all.

There was no sense in focusing on a part of my life that had been way too painful and way too embarrassing.

There was nothing like handing your heart over to someone only to have them throw it on the ground and do a tap dance number on it.

Sure, I still wondered how she was doing. If she was healthy and happy. I wasn’t an asshole. I was a nice guy. Everyone knew that. That was my role in Generation Rejects.