Delia laughs and shrugs. “What can I say? I got the best wrong number ever.”
“And you,” Allie says to me, “can hush. There was no ‘accusing’ going on. Iknowit’s true—you’re full-blown in love with him. It’s like high school all over again.”
“High school? But you and Monty didn’t move out here until college.” Delia’s looking at me, brows creased and confusion covering her face.
“Oh, you didn’t know? Those two met in high school and fell in love when they lived over two thousand miles apart.”
“You’re shitting me.”
“Nope,” Allie continues. “Shep used to pretend to date this other chick all throughout high school, but he and Denny were busy swooning over one another. I followed AJ out here for college and she claims she followed me, but I know she came for Shep. Then that prick dumped her the moment she got into town. God, I’m still so pissed at him for that,” she adds.
“Huh. This is all very…enlightening. What happened?”
“He dumped her.”
“We were never dating,” I interject.
Allie rolls her eyes. “You were practically dating.”
“But not officially.”
“Are you two dating now?” Delia asks.
“We’re…taking things slow.”
“As slow as two people who bang as often as possible can,” Allie says. “You love him.”
I drop my head to avoid Allie’s smirking face, staring into the drink I’m taking my sweet time with.
I never fucking stopped.
Shep’s words from our time in the closet ring through my head, because they’re the exact ones I want to use right now.
I’ve loved Shep from afar for years, even when I wanted to hate him so, so badly.
I peer up and catch Delia staring at me with the strangest look in her eye. It’s a mix of uncertainty and hope and something I can’t quite place my finger on.
I lift a brow at her in a silent question.
“I would just…be careful with Shep. He’s—”
“A total fucking asshat,” Zoe interrupts.
“Zoe! You made it!” Allie throws her arms around her friend’s neck and squeezes tight. “Thank you so much for coming.”
“Like I’d miss your wedding. Stop it.”
It’s crazy that I never met Zoe in college, her being Delia’s best friend, but we finally met when Robbie and Monty were doing their dance around one another and I mistook her for Robbie’s date. We’ve been friends since.
In fact, it was my idea that AJ and Caleb get together to coach a little league team. Zoe, Allie, and I have had plenty of opportunity to bond over the season, so I’m a little surprised this is the first time I’m hearing Zoe talk about Shep.
“Do you know Shep well?”
“Know him well?” Zoe groans. “Ugh. Don’t remind me of that mistake. He wined and dined me and then banged and dashed—his signature move.”
I know Shep wasn’t perfect in college. He had quite the reputation, but so did I. I never expected him to be celibate.
“Whatever, though. I didn’t expect anything different fromtheShep Clark.” Zoe points to Delia. “But I did expect a lot more out of him than what he did to my best friend.”
