Wasted Time (The Steel City #1)

26. Penny

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

penny

“Wake up. I want to see the look on your face when you realize I’m the greatest friend in the whole, wide world.”

I pry my eyes open, squinting through the space between my arm and the pillow, where I’d apparently buried my head last night. It must be early. The hotel room is still dark. I let out a soft breath. It’s relieving to hide in the shadows sometimes.

Avery is holding a wonderful sight. The smell of hot coffee and hazelnut wafts through the room and I am shooting up in bed, snatching it from her hands before she can even utter another word.

Avery grins, nodding with satisfaction. I guess my face gives off enough ‘Avery is the bestest friend ever vibes’ to confirm that yes, I do think she’s the greatest and she can relax now.

I take a sip and study her.

She sits down on her bed, basking in her ‘best friend’ glory. She’s still in her pj’s. There is no way in hell that my sleep-loving friend left this hotel to get coffee in those tiny little booty shorts before the sun rose .

“Take out or the boys?” I ask, rubbing the sleep from my eye.

She shoots me a hard look. “What do you mean? Couldn’t I have gone out on my own? I’m an independent bitch.”

“There is absolutely no way you were up at six in the morning with enough pep in your step to do that.”

She rolls her eyes. “Seth and Wyatt popped in on their way back from fuelling up.”

I laugh into the lid of my cup. I hadn’t woken up for any of it. My mind must have finally succumbed to how exhausted my heart is. I fell asleep thinking about Declan and how badly I messed up, but I dreamed of Gavin and I sitting on the back porch, listening to music and drinking wine.

Talk about a muddled head.

“Feel better this morning?”

Worse, actually.

I glance at her, running a hand through my tangled hair. “No. Not really.”

“To be expected,” she says with a slow nod. “We’ll unload your stuff at your parents’ place, and then we’ll go back home and crack two bottles of wine. Or tequila. Your choice. You’re staying over, right?”

“Ave,” I sigh, leaning my head back against the headboard. Her eyes narrow at my tone. “You’re newly engaged. Do you really want me interrupting every single moment of this stage of your life?”

“Yes,” she says instantly. “Plus, Seth owes me. He didn’t want to invite my second half to my engagement? She gets to live with us for a bit instead.”

My lip twitches. “Ave.”

“It’s a non-issue, Pen. I love you. Seth loves you, and you’d go crazy living with your parents again. Stay with us until you decide what to do next. You’re never imposing. ”

Avery deserves to enjoy this phase. She won’t be a fiancé for long, if I know her at all. She’s going to run that boy down the aisle, which means she’ll only have a small window of time to enjoy being engaged.

Marriage is a whole different ball game. It’s the last step. Besides kids, the only step that follows is divorce and that’s not in the cards for them, anyway. Do they really want their adopted, recently single child lingering in their home when they should be delighting in each other? I’m like a bad relationship omen at this point.

“Fine. But just for now.”

She flashes a toothy smile, sipping her latte. “Fine. But just forever.”

I glare at her. “You’re up too early. You’re going to crash before eleven.”

“Guaranteed.” She confirms with a nod. I can’t help but laugh. “Want company for the ride home? I will not be very entertaining, but Seth would probably enjoy the peace. We all know Wyatt doesn’t want my ass in the U-haul.”

A reminder of how much I owe them sweeps over me. Wyatt is driving a U-haul back eight hours on his own just because I wanted to drive down by myself. I needed the silence and the time to think before I faced what was waiting for me at home. I didn’t want to have to wear a brave face for eight whole hours.

None of them even blinked. Instead, they dove into who would drive which vehicle and when we’d all leave. Avery booked the hotel in under four seconds, refused to accept money for it, and it was over. It was as easy as that.

“Can we listen to our playlist?” I mutter against my cup.

It’s a playlist made up of One Direction and eighties rock. It’s called Ones N’ Roses and it’s going to be our legacy in the years to come.

Avery’s lips pull upward. “Turned all the way up, baby.”