How I know, I’m not sure, but I just feel it.
I wish she believed in herself enough to tell me what’s truly on her mind, but I guess considering the events of the day, she might be a little gun shy. So, I don’t push.
Smiling at her, I do my best to look proud of myself—polishing my nails on my chest. “Well, whenever you’re ready, I’ll share more of my brilliant ideas.”
When she sighs, I don’t even pretend that it’s about the book.
“Do you think they’re going to catch up with Roxie?”
“I think it’s a long shot. We have no idea how much of a jump start Roxie had and if she’s going to stop at the same place. I mean…she left on a whim, so you know the dogs weren’t ready. If they cry, she’s going to stop.”
“Hopefully that means they’ll find her sooner rather than later and convince her to come back.”
“Somehow, I don’t think she’s going to. There were so many things said, and she was already feeling left out…if it were me, I wouldn’t want to come back here.”
“And Loren?” The look she gives me speaks volumes, but my curiosity gets the better of me. “Do you think she’ll come back?”
“Definitely.” She’s confident in that declaration, but there’s a hint of sarcasm there. “The running away thing? Typical.”
“But she packed up and left.”
“Did she? Mike said half her stuff was gone. So this was all a way to draw attention away from her destructive behavior and a play for sympathy, because she knows she screwed up big time. It was childish. Plus, she totally overpacked for this trip and there was no way she was going to get all of that stuff out of here without anyone noticing. No, she packed just enough so Mike or whoever went looking for her upstairs would know she was gone—and not just for a walk on the beach.”
Yikes.
“That’s…wow. Okay.”
“Here’s the thing—I love Loren. I do. We’ve been friends since middle school. That doesn’t mean I don’t see her flaws. And trust me, she sees mine too. For whatever reason, we somehow opened Pandora’s box, and it was like the perfect storm. Maybe we’ve all been tiptoeing around each other for too long, I don’t know.” She shakes her head. “I’m all for being open and honest, but I won’t tolerate being mean. There are ways you can convey your feelings without deliberately hurting someone.”
“It’s not like that for guys,” I say, even though I know it’s not particularly helpful.
“You’re just not confrontational. Even I can tell that about you.”
“I’m an only child. Growing up, I was the quiet kid. The nerdy kid. The one who actually enjoyed getting homework. I didn’t have a lot of friends until college.”
“Until Matt,” she states, and I agree.
“So I had no idea what to do with these people who were loud and obnoxious who just did the dumbest things.” I chuckle as so many examples play through my mind like a slideshow. “No one respected my privacy or personal space. There were always people coming into our room at all hours of the night and I hated it, but I never said anything.”
“For what it’s worth, it wouldn’t have mattered. Matt would have talked you down from the ledge and you would have ended up apologizing to him. Trust me. I’ve seen it happen too many times to count.”
She’s not wrong.
“Basically, I’ve just never had people in my life for as long as you have. Maybe if I did, I’d have some of those feelings built up. Mike and Zayne are the closest I have to that, and we rarely argue.”
“They’re both nice guys. Not as nice as you, but close,” she says with a wink. “And they’re both non-confrontational too, so I don’t see you arguing with them.”
“We tease and make fun of each other, but it’s all good-natured. I can’t even imagine saying something to them just for the sake of inflicting pain.”
“Women can be bitchy,” she says with a smirk.
“How do you see the rest of this day playing out? Is everyone coming back? Are we all going to pack up and go home?”
“Hmm…good question. If I have to guess, I’m going to say that Vanessa and Zayne aren’t going to convince Roxie to come back. At least not yet. She’ll go home and cool off and maybe come back after you and the guys are gone.”
“Damn. I hate that we made her that uncomfortable.”
“It’s not you. Or Mike or Zayne. Roxie’s just having a hard time in general right now. It’s nothing you or anyone did. Except Loren,” she adds.
