Melanie’s mouth felt dry as she asked, “Are you moving in with Janet?”
Rob’s silence spoke volumes. They sat in the uncomfortable silence for a few minutes, each seemingly processing what all had just happened.
“This doesn’t mean we have to stop being friends,” Rob smiled shyly at her. “If you want that. I’d understand if not.”
“Can divorced people be friends?”
“I think so, yes.” Rob’s smile dropped ever so slightly. “You deserve to be happy, Mel. So do I. And I think we both know that we don’t make each other happy. Not like we used to.”
Melanie couldn’t deny that what Rob was saying was true. She didn’t like admitting it, but it was true. A part of her was even thankful he’d brought up the subject of divorce first. She’d been talking herself out of bringing it up for weeks but now that Rob had, she felt freer than she had in months.
They talked for a while longer about what their next steps were and decided to contact their lawyers. Melanie was beyond tired as she called to make an appointment with Blaire the next week to begin the filings. She hoped it would be as easy as Rob said it would be.
As Melanie sat up in her bed with Hank and Lucy asleep on either side of her, she scrolled through apartments for rent in the Cove.Being divorced would be a whole new world for her, but nomatter what the next phase of her life held, Melanie had to admit she was excited to experience it.
With Cameron.
“What?” Melanie asked aloud in the empty room, shocked by her own musings. Hank and Lucy looked up at her, both tilting their heads in equal concern. “I don’t know, babies.”
As Melanie pet their heads, she didn’t have to think too hard about why her subconscious immediately went to Cameron. Cameron was her best friend, yes, but there was something more between them now. The kiss had changed things, for better or for worse. She’d need to talk to Cameron, and soon, about the kiss and the divorce.
That kiss.
Melanie kicked herself for leaving without an explanation as to why she’d kissed Cameron. Granted, Melanie didn’t fully know why she did. Something had just come over her that made it impossible to resist kissing her. And judging by the way Cameron had leaned into the kiss, Melanie knew the feeling was mutual. After years of wondering if her feelings for Cameron were mutual, Melanie finally had her answer.
There had always been something different about Cameron. From the moment Vera had introduced them, they had been the best of friends. They were like sisters from another mister; soulmates even. At least on some level. Cameron completed Melanie in ways she didn’t know she needed. She could put Melanie’s broken pieces back together better than Rob ever could.
And now, with any luck, they might have the chance to finally explore a relationship.
Sinking into her bed, Melanie sighed dreamily. Thoughts of Cameron filled her mind as she turned on an episode ofI Love Lucyand drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 7
Cameron
Girls’ night couldn’t have arrived any slower if it had been a turtle walking through peanut butter. Cameron desperately needed a girls’ night and had been counting down the hours until she could meet up with her three best friends for drinks and chatting.
Especially with Melanie.
Her best friend had been uncharacteristically quiet for the last two days. Well, three days if she went back to the night of the kiss. She’d responded to texts with few words and even fewer emojis, which was also out of character for Melanie. Melanie loved emojis more than anyone Cameron knew. Cameron could almost convince herself that Melanie did it to annoy all of them. Especially Isla, who never could decipher Melanie’s hieroglyphics.
As Cameron pulled open the wooden door to Olive or Twist, she looked around for any sight of her friends. They had agreed upon seven p.m., so at seven-twenty she’d expected to find all three of them already waiting on her. Instead, she only found Isla and Vera sitting at a high-top table toward the back of the bar.
“No Mel yet?” Cameron asked as she put her bag onto the back of an empty chair by Vera and quickly hugged her friend.
“Are we chopped liver?” Isla groaned as Cameron made her way over to hug her as well.
“No, I love you both. But it’s weird Mel’s not here yet.” Taking her seat by Vera, Cameron pulled out her phone. “Have you heard from her?”
“No,” Vera shook her head. “We honestly assumed you two were together.”
Cameron nervously laughed as she fumbled her phone onto the table with a loud crash.
“Why—why would you say that? Mel and I aren’t together. Why would we be together? I haven’t heard from her. Well, today I haven’t. Not really. Only in our group text, but you both are in that too.”
Oh, my god, Cam. Shut up.
Snatching a piece of cheese off the charcuterie board Isla and Vera had ordered, Cameron popped it into her mouth in an effort to make herself stop talking. What she didn’t realize in the dimly lit room was that it was blue cheese, which Cameron mostdefinitelyhated.
