“That’s fine,” Georgia said, picking a loose thread off the couch.
Leesha paused what she was doing and turned around, hand on her hip, dip in her brow. “What’s wrong? You sound like I suggested a meal of cat eyeballs.”
“Sorry. It’s just hard for me to think about Christmas . . . it’s hard for me to think about Chicago.”
Leesha stared at her for a moment longer, then sighed. She tossed her notepad onto the coffee table and sat in the chair across from Georgia. “Is this about the neighbors?”
Georgia didn’t feel like having this conversation right now.
Leesha shook her head. “Oh, honey, you got attached, didn’t you?”
“Please don’t patronize me,” she said, irritated at her friend’s I-told-you-so tone.
Leesha flicked her dreads away from her face, a dead giveaway that she was trying to hold on to her patience. “I’m not patronizing you, Georgia. I’ve met the guys you got involved with. I get it. They’re good-looking and seem like nice enough men. But you can’t think to really stay here and be in a relationship with two people. I mean, I’m not one to judge what people like to do for fun. And I can see how with everything you’ve been through you needed a wild escape. But I know you.” She leaned forward in the chair. “Before everything went wrong with Phillip, when you dated men, you dated with the purpose of finding a partner—a husband. We both date with that in mind. We’re planners. You want to get married, have a family, do all those milestones we pin on that timeline in our heads. And neither of us is getting any younger. Hopping in bed with two guys is fine when you’re in your twenties and experimenting, but we’re grown-ups now. Come on, you know some three-way isn’t a sustainable relationship. Staying here longer is just going to mean wasting more time and getting your heart broken anyway. You’ve had enough heartbreak, honey. I don’t want to see you go through more.”
Georgia released a long breath, letting go of the retort that had jumped to her lips. She knew that Leesha had nothing but Georgia’s best interests at heart. And her friend wasn’t saying things that were untrue. Georgia had always wanted that neatly planned-out life. She liked the idea of having a relationship like her parents—a long-lasting love and close family. She’d felt safe and loved growing up, and she wanted to create that in her own life. But now when she tried to picture going about finding that, she couldn’t stop thinking about the two men next door.
“Maybe I just need some time to clear my head,” she said lamely.
Leesha’s face brightened with a smile. “Exactly. That’s the best medicine. We’ll get you back home and on your feet, and you’ll see how everything falls back into place.” She stood and came over to hug her. “God, I’ve missed you, girl.”
Georgia swallowed past the knot in her throat and hugged her friend back. She’d missed Leesha, too. But Georgia had a feeling when she got back to Chicago she’d miss something else much more.
Georgia’s phone buzzed from its spot on the coffee table. Leesha straightened and smiled. “Back to work for me.”
Georgia reached for the phone and hit the button to read the text message. One word appeared on the screen: Window?
Her heart leapt. She bit her lip and glanced over at Leesha, but her friend was already back to tagging and marking furniture. Georgia typed back OK and excused herself on the pretense of getting something from her bedroom. Her mind was still whirling about what to do, and she dreaded having to say good-bye to Colby and Keats in a few days, but she couldn’t hide from facing them any longer.
When Georgia walked into the guest bedroom, it was a little like stepping back in time. But like all the times before, her heart was pounding and her palms were damp. She didn’t know what she wanted to see on the other side of that curtain. Her head was spinning with so much right now. But she knew, if nothing else, she couldn’t walk away from this invitation.
She moved over to the window and pulled back the curtain. The sun was almost down, and the lights in Colby’s bedroom were glowing. On the other side of the glass, two men stood, waiting for her. They seemed so far away now.
She lifted her phone, expecting it to ring. But instead Colby bent down and came back up with what looked to be big squares of poster board. Keats took the one from the top and held it against the glass.
TOP 10 REASONS CHICAGO SUCKS
Keats dropped the sign and put up another one. Georgia leaned closer to the window, her lips curling upward.
10. IT’S FUCKING COLD
9. PUTTING TOMATOES ON HOT DOGS IS WRONG
She laughed, and Colby handed Keats another sign.
8. NO ONE SAYS “Y’ALL” OR CALLS YOU SUGAR
7. TWO BASEBALL TEAMS—HOW TO DECIDE???
6. THEY DON’T DEEP-FRY EVERYTHING—A TRAGEDY
Georgia smiled wider. Leave it to those two to try to make her laugh right now when she needed it most. Another sign went up.
5. WE WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY
4. AND WE WON’T PRESSURE YOU
She held her breath. Keats dropped the sign, and Colby stepped next to him. They both lifted their white poster boards and pressed them against the glass.