Dream With Me (With Me Book 4) (22 page)

At least I didn’t say I love you. At least I didn’t bare my heart to him. At least I tried to make him see reason and take a gamble on us. But he doesn’t want to take a risk on us.

He ended things.

The only thing that gives me comfort is this: I won’t have to see Griff ever again once we graduate on Sunday.

And, maybe, with distance, along with a whole lot of time . . .

I’ll stop loving him, too.

Friday, Two Days until Graduation

‡

“Sleepyhead,” a voice croons outside
my door. “It’s time to get up.”

I snuggle deeper under my covers. Here, I can pretend that last night didn’t happen. That Chloe and Taylor didn’t ply me with ice cream while I sobbed out what had happened. That I didn’t cry myself to sleep. That Griff didn’t break my heart.

A gentle knock on the door. “Evie, if you don’t answer, Tay and I are going to come in.”

“And I have Pookie with me.”

Pookie is Taylor’s stuffed teddy bear that she’s had since she was a baby. Pookie is only ever used in emergency situations.

“Uh oh,” Chloe says from the other side of the door. “She’s not saying anything. It’s serious. She wants the Pookie.”

“That’s because Pookie makes everything better.”

Not going to fall for it. I pull the covers over my head tighter. Besides I locked my door last night . . . didn’t I?

Shit.

I didn’t.

Too late.

The door opens and I keep my position under the covers. “I’m not in the mood for anything,” I say as a warning. “Especially
not
Pookie.”

“Now, now,” Taylor says in a small voice that’s supposed to be Pookie the Bear. “Don’t go hurting my feelings like that, Evie! I’m here to cheer you up.”

“My world is dark,” I say. “Dark as night.”

“That’s because you’re hiding,” Taylor as Pookie says. “Chloe, do you see where Evie is hiding?”

“I think she’s under those covers.”

“Play. Along,” Taylor says.

“Oh. Right. Um . . . she’s in the closet, I think.”

“With all those shoes? I guess we should go look. Oh, wait. Look at that big old lump in the bed. I think it’s MOVING. You know what that is, Chloe?”

“It’s Evie.”

“It’s Evie being eaten by a MONSTER. We have to save her. You know how we have to save her?”

“I do,” Chloe says gravely. “There’s only one way to save her.”

“That’s right.”

Oh fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.

FUCK.

I pop out of my covers and hold up my hands as they rush me. “Stop, stop, stop. There’s no need to . . .”

I’m too late. Too freaking late.

Chloe and Taylor and Pookie tackle me. Then they tickle me until I erupt in giggles, my sides clenching with hurt.

“You bitches,” I say without any heat.

“Takes one to know one,” Chloe says and gets off my bed. “Now, get your ass out of bed and take a shower. We’ve got plans for today.”

I clutch the comforter to my chest and give both a wary look. Taylor’s still sitting at the foot of my bed, holding onto Pookie.

“What sort of plans?” I ask.

“It’s Girls’ Day. And it’s a surprise. A good one, I promise,” Chloe says.

“Trust us, Evie,” Taylor says, dropping the Pookie voice and using her own. “We know you’re hurting and we’re not going to pretend that the hurt will go away. But Chloe and I want to take care of you. We’re all sisters from another mister. When one of us hurts, we all hurt. And we’re going to take care of you.”

“Pookie stays home,” I say.

“Well, duh,” Taylor says. “Pookie is a teddy bear. And teddy bears aren’t allowed.”

A new mimosa and a
hot plate of French toast covered with powdered sugar, two huge sausage links, and some hash browns is placed in front of me. The waiter gives Taylor her strawberry-covered crepes and Chloe a short stack of dollar pancakes. Taylor opted for the bacon while Chloe ordered the corned beef hash.

Jackson’s, a fresh to table restaurant, opened only a few months ago in downtown Burlington and serves from morning until late night. It’s one of the few eateries open past midnight from Thursdays to Saturdays. Getting into the place is always a nightmare but Chloe dated one of the bartenders a few months ago and has remained on good terms, so luckily we didn’t have to wait too long.

We’re nestled in a booth at the back, the spot that we refer to as “ours.” The booth is not one where benches are seated across from each other, but one of those rounded corners where people slide in to sit on the cushioned seats. I’m in the middle while Chloe and Taylor flank me. The lights in Jackson’s are low, something I’m thankful for, as my eyes still feel swollen and red from all the crying I did last night.

But it’s been three hours, twenty-seven minutes, and fifteen seconds since I’ve last cried. So . . . progress.

I concentrate on the plate before me and pour maple syrup over my French toast. It smells delicious, and my stomach rumbles. Well, at least I haven’t lost my appetite. I only lost my heart.

I frown as I cut up my food. I know the worst thing to do is ignore the pain, to pretend that I don’t feel anything. Taking a detour to Denial City might seem like a good idea, but Heartbreak Land is right around the corner. There’s no way to avoid it. Pushing the hurt down and acting like everything is normal is just not going to work for me.

I’m a feeler. A talker. And while I don’t want to harp about Griff and have it all be me, me, me, it’s all still fresh and new and so utterly hard that I know I have to allow myself to be a little selfish today. To harp and be all me, me, me. My two best friends in the whole world have been incredibly awesome to give me space and haven’t prodded since our conversation late last night.

This is what we do for each other. Last month, Chloe and I took Taylor here after a huge blow-out with her asshole of a father. Two weeks ago it was Chloe who needed it after some guy led her on. Through thick and thin, good times and bad, we’re here for each other.

What am I going to do without them? They’ll be in the same city and I’ll be in Manhattan, granted I’ll have my family. Don’t get me wrong. I love my family, but they’re not my girls.

I’m going to miss Chloe and Taylor terribly. I’m going to miss Griff even more.

My chin wobbles.

“Oh no,” Chloe says. “What do you need, Evie? Another mimosa? More potatoes? Maybe chocolate?”

Taylor’s already signaling the waiter. “Definitely chocolate. Their sea-salted caramel hot chocolate is divine. And Lake Champlain Chocolates is only a few blocks away. After we eat, we’re heading there.”

“And then we’re taking you to get pampered. We’ll do it together. Hair. Nails. Massages.” Chloe pauses when the waiter comes over and Taylor orders the hot chocolate. “Then we’ll watch a movie at the cheap seats and grab some dinner at the Italian place we all like. Or, if you want to, we can go punch things.”

“I don’t want to punch things. Some joke, right?” I reach for my mimosa and take a healthy swig of it. “Of us all, I’m the most experienced. So I should know better. I usually do know better. It was just supposed to be fun, hot sex. But instead . . . I lost my heart.”

“It happens,” Taylor says. “Don’t kick yourself too much. It could be worse. You could have said I love you and—”

“I know,” I say. “I didn’t want to scare him off, but he still broke up with me.”

“It sucks and I know it hurts really bad, but in time, things will get better,” Chloe says.

I glance down at my food. “It doesn’t feel like that now.”

The waiter brings over the hot chocolate, and I debate about getting another mimosa but I’ve already had two. I know I’ll be having a glass or two (or, let’s be honest, five) of Riesling later on, so it’s smarter not to drink so much right now. I need a clear head.

But nothing has been clear since last night.

I drop my head for a brief moment. “I just wish . . .”

“You wish it had turned out differently,” Chloe says even softer.

“Yeah.” I swallow hard and raise my head to meet my friends’ sympathetic gazes. I love these girls. “Yeah, I do.”

The spa is a phone-free
zone, and for once, I’m glad to turn it off and put it, along with Chloe and Taylor’s, in the glove compartment of Chloe’s car.

Not that it even matters. There have been no calls. No emails. No texts.
Nothing.

What did I expect? For Griff to reach out and say,
About last night, I was an ass, I was wrong, and I want us to be together.

Yeah. Right. This is the
real
world, not Evie’s Fantasy Land.

We check in at the front desk and are soon led to a small changing area with three rooms. We each take one. I undress and put on the plush robe, then slide into the foam flip-flops that were given to me. When we get back outside, we’re led to a sitting room and a spa attendant gives us a fizzy glass of champagne with a strawberry and a plate of fresh fruit.

I set my glass of champagne on the table and take a pineapple slice. “Do you know what’s first, Chloe?”

“Massages,” Chloe says. “Nails second and then hair and makeup.”

“I’m surprised you could book us all at once so fast,” I say.

Chloe colors slightly. “I didn’t. I’ve had this booked for months. It’s actually, well, my brother and his wife’s graduation gift.”

“You mean
one
of their graduation gifts,” Taylor teases.

It’s not a secret that Chloe’s older brother and only sibling, Nate, spoils her rotten.

“I know! It’s too much. They’re too much,” Chloe says. “But they wanted me to take you two out.”

“Your brother and his wife are awesome.” Nate and his wife, Willow, are also new parents to a baby girl named Belle, born on Valentine’s Day. “Is he able to come up? I know it’s been up in the air because of the team’s schedule.”

“Nate said he wouldn’t miss it for the world. And the management luckily cleared it,” Chloe says happily. “Our parents will be there, too, so I’ll be really happy to see all of them.”

“If your brother wasn’t happily married and hopelessly in love with his wife, I’d marry him.” Taylor gives a gusty sigh.

For some reason, I start crying.

Chloe and Taylor come over to me. Taylor grabs my hand while Chloe hugs me.

“I’m not going to say it’ll get better or anything stupid like that,” Chloe says. “But we’re here for you, and we’ve got you.”

“Always,” Taylor says.

I sniffle and search for a tissue. Taylor grabs one and passes it over to me. I hastily wipe my eyes and clear my throat.

“I love you both,” I say. “I’m such a hot mess right now, and you’re here for me.”

“Of course we are.” Taylor leans up and hugs me.

Chloe nods her head. “You can’t control what’s going to happen. We all know that better than anyone. What you thought—what we all thought—would just be a nice little fling before graduation turned out to be so much more. And one day, he’s going to realize that he missed out on something great.”

“It’s his loss, not yours,” Taylor says.

“It feels like it’s both of our losses,” I say truthfully. “That we both lost out on something . . . magical.”

Chloe and Taylor don’t say anything. They just hug me and support me with their love and friendship.

It does soothe me a little, knowing that they’re there for me. But it does nothing to mend my broken heart.

I’m not sure anything will ever be able to solve this heartbreak.

Except for Griff, and there’s no possibility of that ever happening.

After being pampered for a
few hours, we walk out of the spa.

“You feeling any better?” Chloe asks.

I take a moment to think about it. The sun is shining and the air is nice and mild. It’s a beautiful day, nothing like the chill of last night’s weather. There’s so much to be grateful for right now. I’m here with my best friends. Brunch was great, and the spa visit was fabulous. But better? I’m not quite
better
. I’m not sure I’ll ever be better.

“I feel relaxed,” I say.

Chloe nods in understanding as she unlocks her car. I slide into the passenger seat as Taylor takes the back. I get our phones out of the glove compartment and turn my cell back on.

It’s lit up with messages.

My heart gives a traitorous thump, hope beating hard in my chest. Griff. He’s called. He’s realized his mistake. He wants me back. But then I take a closer look at my cell. It’s not his number. It’s actually not a number I recognize straight off.

Behind me, Taylor lets out a soft gasp. “Chloe . . .”

“I know. I see it,” Chloe says. “Evie—”

It’s too late, because I see it.

The news headlines.

The reason why I have so many calls from a number I don’t recognize. The number that I belatedly realize is from Transfixed, the makeup company where I was supposed to start my internship.

But that’s no longer going to happen.

I click on the news video clip and watch it, not even believing what I’m seeing.

“Lachlan Harlow, self-made billionaire, CEO of Harlow Investments, was indicted today of charges of fraud and stealing billions from his clients. But the enigmatic billionaire is nowhere to be found. The authorities suspect that Mr. Harlow has fled the country and are doing everything in their power to find him. The courts have frozen all of Mr. Harlow’s assets. This includes all his companies, including Transfixed, operated by his only daughter, Lily Harlow. According to our sources, Lily Harlow is being questioned now about her father and is not suspected of any involvement. We’ll report more information as we learn of it.”