“What?!”
“I rented this micro apartment. Like, ninety square feet, and it came with a hot plate and everything. And then it got robbed. It was horrible. They broke down my door, stole my MacBook, and ruined that sweater I borrowed from you. You know, the baby blue cable knit one with the cherry print? So I, um, called Dexter because we-we, uh, ran into each other.” Nat looks at Dexter like she forgot he was there. He waves and smiles one of those nervous smiles where his bottom teeth are more exposed than his top before she throws a glare at him. “And he let me stay with him until I went to Hawaii for your wedding.”
“I’m so confused. You just randomly woke up one day and decided to quit your job and move to the city without telling me?”
“Not exactly.”
“Okay,” she says, her wide eyes demanding answers. “So…”
I pause, hesitating to tell her the next part. I turn to look at Dexter, and he gives me an encouraging nod. “Remember that internship I told you about?” I ask. “The one Mom told me not to apply to?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I applied for it, even though she didn’t want me to. And I got in. So I quit my job and moved out here since it was for this big ad campaign and they were shooting in Brooklyn.”
Her face softens when she realizes why I didn’t say anything. She reaches across the table for my hand and clutches my fingers. “Lucy.”
“And I’m so happy I did because it was so amazing,” I continue through a sudden burst of emotions making my voice waver. “I learned so much, and they’re going to offer me a job. Like, a real job. And I don’t have to keep filling out those stupid job applications and send my resume to a hundred different places I don’t even want to work at.”
I look up at Nat and see her looking at me with apologetic eyes.
“I’m so sorry, Nat. I wanted to tell you, but when you told me it was good I didn’t apply…I didn’t know how to tell you without letting you down. I was already such a disappointment to Mom and Dad. I couldn’t keep disappointing more people.”
“Lucy…” she cries softly. “I didn’t mean…I’m so sorry. I was only thinking about what was best for you. I didn’t mean to make you feel like you were letting me or anyone down.”
“It’s not your fault,” I assure through a shaky voice. “I just couldn’t pass up on this opportunity, and I knew Mom wouldn’t understand. I was scared and worried at the time, but I understand now, this was something I needed to figure out on my own.”
A rumble of laughter at a table nearby brings us back to reality, where we realize we’re in a public space and people can see our tears and sad faces. We both quickly dab at our eyes with our fingers, Hayden and Dexter looking over us in awkward silence, before Nat smiles at me. “Okay,” she says, letting out an embarrassed chuckle. “So, um…why are you here with Dexter?” she asks, looking between me and Dexter.
Silence falls over the table. “We’re sort of a, uh…thing,” Dexter finally says, answering her question for me.
“What?!” This time, Hayden jumps in. He leans forward, bracing his hands on the table, and looks at us in shock.
“Surprise,” I say sheepishly.
Nat starts laughing, her tears long forgotten, and she clutches Hayden’s arm. “I told you so,” she says in a sing-song voice to Hayden. She faces me with a wide grin. “I told him I saw something between you two in Hawaii.”
“So, uh…um, when did this happen?” Hayden stutters, waving a loose hand across the table.
“While she was staying with me,” Dexter answers. He peers at me thoughtfully before adding, “Actually, I guess it happened way before that.”
“What do you mean, before that?” Nat asks with a confused look on her face.
“We sort of…hooked up, like, three years ago.”
“When?!” Nat shrieks, and a few heads turn in our direction. I swear, this up and down of her emotions is going to give her whiplash.
“When I was visiting,” I answer.
“But how? When did you…” Nat stares off into space like she’s trying to pluck out a moment somewhere in her timeline that involved me and Dexter and us two hooking up.
“After we met at that party you had at your apartment.”
“Ohmigod,” she whispers. Her hands move to her mouth, and she gapes at us in shock. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”
Dexter sits up and leans his face toward Nat in an attempt to gain her wavering attention. “Look, Nat. We didn’t mean to keep things from you guys, but things were a little complicated between us. Lucy was living all the way in Seattle, and I’ve been here. We didn’t know what was going to?—”
“Wait a minute,” Nat interrupts, raising a hand in front of her. “What do you meanwas?” She turns to look at me for an answer.
