“Under guard. This will be a combo birthday celebrationandfreedom party,” Ana said with a grin and a shake of her head. “Come on, I know you need this. You haven’t been the same since you got back. I want my Quinnie back, and this will do the trick.”
“Do you have some magic potion somewhere I don’t know about?”
“I can add some alcohol to our lemonades, and we can day drink like the Babes.”
That comment brought a laugh because while she’d known the Boardwalk Babes her entire life and met them at various social functions over the years around the area, she hadn’t seen the Babes “unleashed” until today. “We need to make that a life goal,” she said to Ana. “When we are their age, I certainly hope we’re having as much fun as they do.”
Ana lifted her glass and clinked it with Quinley’s. “Amen to that. Now, why’d you run away from the party? And don’t say you didn’t.”
Quinley rolled her eyes and carried her drink with her to the couch, curling up in the corner and grabbing a pillow to hug as well as use as a drink holder. “Because I saw Rhys and Elias talking to each other. It was weird—and totally obvious that they were talking aboutme.”
“You don’t think that’s being a bit paranoid?”
Quinley glared at Ana.
“Fine, so what if they were discussing you? That doesn’t mean you had to leave.”
Quinley looked down and stared at the yellow haze inside her glass. “Am I a bad person? Be honest.”
“Quinley.”
“I mean it,” she said, forcing herself to meet her best friend’s gaze once more. “I hurt Rhys, but I know I did the right thing. Still, even though I did the right thing, it feels like I’m being punished.”
“Why do you say that? Why do youthinkthat?”
She braced herself for the truth Ana would undoubtedly impart once the words left Quinley’s lips. “Because Elias wantsnothingto do with me.”
Ana bit her lip as though she bit back words, and when Quinley saw that Ana wasn’t going to speak, she continued, “I’m not even sure when it happened—obviously at the cabin or when he brought me soup and took care of me. But I didn’t feel this way about Rhys and that says everything, doesn’t it? That there’s such a difference, and Ifeelit. Not that it matters.”
“Elias brought you soup? When was this? Why am I just now hearing about this?”
Quinley replayed the last week or so in her head and realized that while she and Ana had texted daily, they hadn’t discussed much other than Quinley starting her new business or Ana asking if Quinley had seen her mom at the charity event. And after not getting a response from Elias postsoup, well, she was too upset to talk about it.
Quinley explained how Elias had heard she was sick and shown up with soup, how he’d cared for her and then ghosted her.
“You’ve been through a lot, Quinnie,” Ana said.
“Iknow. And I know given the way Elias and I met that he’s gun-shy and with good reason. Maybe I’m crazy and it’s much too soon to even think about dating again, but there’s just something about him. Not that he feels the same way.”
“Thereissomething about him. Elias is a good guy,” Ana said gently. “And like you said, he knows what you’ve been through, but with time…”
“It’s been weeks. I don’t think time is the answer. He didn’t evenspeakto me at the party today, Ana. Rhys did, but Elias was right there, and he didn’t say awordto me. Not one.”
Ana’s expression turned pensive and a small smile lurked on her lips, drawing Quinley’s attention and a frown. “What’s that look for?”
“You’re right about things being different with Elias. I’ve never seen you like this,” Ana murmured.
“You know what they say about karma,” Quinley said, frowning at her glass. “Ofcoursethe man who interests meisn’tinterested. It’s payback for what I did to Rhys.”
“No, it’s not. Stop it with that nonsense. I mean it. This isn’t you, Quinley. Get up. Come on, up,” Ana said, obviously not taking no for an answer. “You are not going to sit here all evening brooding over Elias. We’re going into that beautiful store you call your closet, finding the perfect dress and going out with Mia and the others.”
“I’m not going to get out of that, am I?”
Ana cocked her head to one side and moved to the kitchen. “Where’s the Babe juice?”
“You’re day drinking? Ana the Ever Responsible is gonna get lit in the afternoon?” Quinley couldn’t hide her surprise. That was a definitive Boardwalk Babe trait if she ever saw one.
“We are merely having a cocktail while you model your closet. Come on, it’s time you turned that frown upside down,” Ana said with a grin.
