Page 66 of It Happened Duo
“Chelsea? I thought I recognized Rex’s car.” Sophie peered through the opening and Rex let the window down the rest of the way.
Maisy came up behind her roommate and peered in. “Perfect timing. Can you give us a ride?”
I glanced down at their hot pink and black party dresses. “Where to, and can I come?” I ignored Rex’s low growl at this.
“There’s a new club opening, and I finally convinced Maisy she needed to snap out of the funk she’s been in since she broke up with Brooks.”
“Maisy Calhoun, you’ve been avoiding me all week. Now get in here and tell me what’s going on.” I called to her.
“She told him about leaving after graduation.” Sophie supplied this information and Maisy scoffed.
“I figured as much. So she’s not handling it well?” I could have predicted this. Back on the island over spring break, I knew Maisy had been putting off telling Brooks her news, yet every single day I could see how the man fell deeper and deeper for her.
“I’m right here, ladies. Can we just drop this? Scoot over,” Maisy commanded.
After situating ourselves with me on Rex’s lap and the two girls on the seat next to him, I asked again. “Well? How’d Brooks take the news you wouldn’t be around for the next year?”
Even in the car’s darkness, I could see her worried eyes shifting between Rex and me. I assured her. “Don’t worry. I told Rex everything.”
“What? How could you?” She nearly jumped off her seat, gaping at me.
“He’s my fiancé. I think it’s important not to keep things from him.”
“She’s been worried about you ever since we got back from the island,” Rex supplied. “And if I don’t get her to talk about it, then it affects our bedroom fun, if you get my meaning.”
“Okay—ew. I get that you’re about to become my brother-in-law, but that’s too much information about yoursex life. And jeez, you must think I’m a horrible person,” she cried.
“No, I don’t. Although some of my buddies and I have a bet going. The odds at the moment are in favor of you and Brooks not sticking together. Sounds like I could win,” Rex chortled.
My jaw dropped, and I sort of playfully slapped his chest. He jerked back.
“What? It’s just a harmless wager. My friends and I bet on things all the time.”
“You’re not helping, honey,” I admonished him, and his grin disappeared. He turned his face toward the window as if that’d help remove him from this conversation.
“Maisy, I’m sure, given time, the two of you will come to see this was just a passing fling,” I said, my voice sounding a bit too much like our mother’s soothingthis too shall passspeech.
“Or she could marry him after she comes back,” Sophie blurted, and Maisy jabbed her in the ribs.
I shook my head. “What are you talking about?”
“Brooks asked her to marry him and stay here instead of leaving.”
“Sophie, I swear you cannot keep your damn mouth shut. Driver, take us back to the apartment, please.” Maisy crossed her arms and clammed up.
My eyebrows hit my hairline, and even Rex appeared surprised. I almost shrieked. “I hope she said no?”
“She said she did, but I’ve heard her crying every night this week in bed, and she won’t talk about it.” Sophie’s headshaking caused her pretty dark curls to wave around her shoulders as we continued to talk over my sister.
“Ugh, you two are the worst,” Maisy spat, and launched out of the car in front of her apartment, leaving me completely devoid of any meaningful, deep conversation with my sibling. I’d chase her inside, but I knew she was done with me for the night and I wouldn’t get another word out of her.
I hugged Sophie and made plans for her to come see me at the deli to chat more about things.
While we waited and watched, making sure they got into the building before the car pulled away, Rex’s voice soothed.
“Are you sure you don’t want to go in and speak more with Maisy?” Those were his words, but his arms encircling me tight and his fingers threading with mine said he was glad I didn’t run inside after them.
“There are always two paths, aren’t there? Go one way and your life turns out just so. Go a different way and who knows what you get? Maisy could stay and be with Brooks or go off on a once in a lifetime adventure.”
