I consider her words, rolling them around in my head.
She rests her hand on my leg. “It’s okay to forgive him. I do.”
“You do?”
“Yes. I can’t hold on to all that anger forever. It’s not me. He made a mistake. He apologized. He’s my boyfriend’s brother. I can’t freeze him out forever.”
“You totally could,” Zoe interjects.
“But that’s not who I am, Zoe, and you know that. Hell, you should know that better than anyone. I mean, I did totally give you permission to date my ex-boyfriend.”
“And I love you for that, I really do. Caleb is…” She fans herself. “Gah, I can’t.”
“He is pretty cute,” Monty chimes in.
“I know! And that baseball cap.” Zoe practically swoons. “Okay, okay, I’m done.”
“Are you? Need a few minutes alone in Denny’s bathroom?”
“You arenotdoing that in my apartment!”
Zoe shrugs. “I’ll just wait until everyone’s asleep.”
“You’re all a bunch of horndogs,” I grumble, sinking lower onto the couch.
“You’re just jealous because we all have hot wieners at home waiting for us and you don’t.”
“Oh my god, way to rub it in my face, Montana!”
“Can I just say Robbie was right? You saying wiener is the funniest fucking thing I’ve heard in my entire life.” Zoe taps around on her phone and shoves it into Monty’s face. “Say it again. I want to record this shit.”
Monty’s face flames red. “N-No!” She shoves the phone away. “You are like the female Robbie. It’s so creepy.”
“Creepy or cute?” Zoe argues. “Say wiener!”
“No, you creep! Go away!”
Monty flies off the couch, darting down the hall with Zoe hot on her heels, teasing her the entire way.
Delia laughs and pulls herself up on the couch, making herself comfortable next to me.
“You know, I used to believe in love and fate and the universe. I thought they were pushing me toward Shep, but now…now I’m not so sure. I don’t know how any of that is possible knowing what he did.”
“Wanna know my theory?” she says after a few moments of silence.
“Shoot.”
“I think maybe the universe is pushing you toward Shep, and I think that’s because you make him a better person.”
“But do I, Delia? I mean, look what he did to you because of me. That doesn’t screamgood personto me.”
“I’m not going to be mad at you for loving Shep. It’s okay. You shouldn’t be basing your decision to be with him off me anyway. Even if he never apologized, I still wouldn’t judge you if you were with him.”
“Love?” I choke out. “Who said anything about love?”
She bumps her shoulder against mine. “You can’t fool me. I know what it’s like to love a Hastings/Clark family member. It’s exhausting and thrilling and that all-consuming kind of love. Even when you don’t want to love them, you do.”
I nod.
