She nods. “Absolutely.”
With that, I bid her goodbye and head back out to my car.
At least one positive thing, I’d managed to fit all of my boxes into my own car and hadn’t needed to rent a moving van. So at least I don’t have to worry about extra rental fees for that. I could deal with a few nights in a hotel. Hell, maybe it will be better, giving me a little rest after the trip before I have to start unpacking.
The address isn’t too far from here, and I make my way there in just a few minutes. I check in and get a room key, and in just a few more minutes, I’m settling into a comfortable room. I dig my phone charger out of my suitcase and bring the poor dead thing back to life.
Once it powers back on, I can see the slew of missed calls from the leasing office, and when I check my voicemail, I recognize Emily’s increasingly desperate voice on each one.
And I have a text waiting. I smile to myself. I knew they’d be in touch. Two of my three best friends, Mason Evans, and Trent Mitchell. The main reason this place feels so much like home.
My other best friend, River Sokol, is also a local, and unlike the guys, she actually knows I’m moving back here. But unfortunately, she’s out of town to be a bridesmaid in a cousin’s wedding and wouldn’t be back until next week.
I’d decided to keep my big move a secret from them, though, and that had honestly been the hardest thing about this move. I can’t wait to spill the beans, but I also know that it’ll be worth it for the looks on their faces when I surprise them.
Originally, I’d been planning to stop by their place tomorrow, intending to spend today unloading my car and starting to unpack. But since that obviously isn’t going to happen, maybe I can go see them early.
The idea definitely perks me up, but I decide to shower and clean myself up before I do, feeling a bit rumpled and stale-smelling from all the time in the car. So I dig some clean clothes out and hop in the hotel shower.
My excitement mounts. I haven’t seen them in way too long, and I’ve missed them. The three of us have a group chat where we talk every day, but it’s not the same.
We all met in college; the two of them were roommates and I lived in the dorm across the hall, and after finding out I had classes with both of them, I’d just sort of put together a study group that had turned into a lifelong friendship. Even when I moved away, they stayed in touch, and even when my ex chased the majority of my friends out of my life, it was those two and River who stuck with me.
I rinse myself clean and grab a towel, hastily drying off. I towel-dry my long, blonde hair and twist the still-damp locks into a loose braid, then throw on the clean outfit. Most of my makeup is packed up, but I have a tube of mascara and some lip gloss in my purse, so that’ll have to be enough.
After a quick application, I give my reflection one last appraisal. It’s certainly not the best I’ve ever looked, but it’s definitely not bad, either. I remind myself that I don’t have to impress them, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to.
I’d had crushes on both of them all through college, though I never acted on it, for a multitude of reasons.
But we’re adults now, I tell myself, surely I’m over that. And if I’m not…well, I’ll just have to cross that bridge when I come to it. I check the charge on my phone and see that it’s made it to a whopping 80 percent, so I unplug it and stuff it into my purse. I make sure I’ve got the room key for the hotel, then head down to my car, fishing my keys from my purse as I walk.
One of the biggest selling points of the apartment I’d chosen was that its location was its proximity to both the house the guys share, and River’s apartment. So, it doesn’t take me much time before I’m turning onto their street, my heart racing. I park in front of their place and step out.
Both of their cars are parked in the driveway, and I smile at the sight of Mason’s beat-up little Honda. There had been a lot of late-night adventures in that car, the three of us going on late night caffeine runs for cram sessions, or munchies after an incident involving some pot brownies. The surge of happy memories is just one more reminder that I’m really home.
I make my way up their porch and take a deep breath before hitting the bell.