Page 161 of Where We Stay

MAL: Don’t lie. You secretly love it.

RORY: I most certainly do not, bitch.

MAL: Sure. Anyway, I’m in.

G: Salt & Oak booked for seven, bitches. MWAH x

I stare at the messages, feeling some of the pressure in my chest ease.

I don’t have to tell them everything.

Maybe, for now, I just need to remember I’m not completely alone.

Thirty Two

Dean

Three days.

That’s how long it’s been since Blair asked me for space.

Three days since the one message I sent went unanswered. Three days of stopping myself from sending another, showing up at her cottage or finding some bullshit excuse to drive past the school.

I’m losing my fucking mind.

Tonight, I’m at The Breakwater with Knox and Logan while Courtney spends a few hours with Aspen at my parents’ house. Mom and Dad offered to supervise, and Aspen is just as comfortable there as she is at home.

According to Dad’s last update, it’s going well. Aspen was standoffish with Courtney at first, but she seems to be warming up to having her mom around again.

She still asks about Blair every day.

All I can tell her is, “Blair’s busy right now, Penny.”

I don’t know when that answer will change.

For fuck’s sake.

“Staring at your phone won’t make her text you any faster,” Logan says, smirking over his beer.

“Fuck off.”

“Aw, Big Daddy misses his girl.” Knox grins over the rim of his glass.

I give him the finger and put my phone face-down on the table.

“You know she’s at Salt & Oak tonight, right?” Logan asks.

My head whips in his direction. “With who?”

“The girls. G told me.”

Knox looks between us. “Wait. G told you? Since when are you and Georgie all buddy-buddy? I thought Rory would’ve been the one to tell you.”

Logan shifts in his seat. “We’re friends.”

“Friends?” Knox repeats, dragging the word out.

We both know there’s more to it, but I’m happy to let Logan take the heat for once. He and G have been doing this dance for a long fucking time.