She grinned. "And? Was ithot?"
I sighed and put my drink down. "I was kind of nervous with Marv—to be honest, I was a little nervous with all of them. I'm not a virgin anymore, but each time with them it's still like my first time. I care about them all so much, I don't want to do anything that might drive them away, youknow?"
"Oh, babe. I highly doubt you could. I've seen the way those guys look atyou."
"How'sthat?"
Lizzie lifted an eyebrow and put her latte to her lips, taking a long sip before she replied. "Are you serious? They look at you like you hung the fucking moon, girl. Those boys are in L-O-V-E, love, with you. There's no denying it, and there’s no doubt in my mind that if they like it so much, they’re gonna try to put a ring onit."
"I'm kinda in love with them too," I admitted, ignoring her ring comment—I wasn’t sure if we were ready for that just yet. We had to get through Teddifirst.
"I should hope so," shesaid.
I smiled and drank my Frappuccino as she started talking about her and Kelsey becoming roommates and possibly moving off campus next year. It was nice to be with another girlfriend for a change. It reminded me of Erika in a way that made me sad she was gone but also resigned. Not all friends were forever. I had come to accept that fact, and while I hoped Lizzie would last, if it came down to it, I’d appreciate what time I did have withher.
The thought of short-lasting friendships however concerned me. It made me wonder—if the guys and I didn’t fix this thing with Teddi, would we last? What if Teddididend up tearing us apart? Texas seemed okay, but I knew that Knix was worried. Grayson and Marv were as well. And Bellamy had to be at least somewhat concerned. Though they seemed to get along now, I knew that they did so for mysake.
“Hey.” Lizzie’s voice drew me out of my thoughts, and I jerked my head up realizing that I was sucking hard on my straw, which was now stuck in an empty drink. “Thinking pretty hard there, aren’t you?” She grinned my way, not the least bit offended that I hadn’t been listening toher.
“Sorry,” I said, setting the drink to the side. “I’m just worried aboutsomething.”
I should have known better than to even hint at it. Lizzie’s eyes gleamed with interest and she, too, set her now empty drink to the side as she leans forward and cupped a hand around her chin, propping it up with an elbow on the table top. “Care to share with the class?” sheprompted.
I blanched, looking away. “It’scomplicated.”
Lizzie reached up and flicked my ear. I squealed, reeling on her and cupping a hand over the side of my head belatedly. Across the shop, the barista eyed me and I blushed. “What was that for?” I hissed at Lizzie as heat rose to mycheeks.
She shrugged. “For you being stubborn. You mentioned it. Now you have to tell me,” she said. “Them's the rules, babe. Spill your guts before I spill them foryou.”
I rubbed my ear and glared at her. “I don’t even know what that’s supposed to mean,” Isaid.
“I’ll bring out the tickle hands and tickle you until you pee—right here. Right now—in front of that judgmental barista and the patrons of this shop unless you tellme.”
“You wouldn’t.” I narrowed my eyes onher.
She grinned. “Try.Me.”
We sat there, eyeballing each other for several moments before I caved. There was no use. I doubted she would actually tickle me until I peed—at least, not in public—but she was the only friend on the outside that I had at the moment, and I needed advice on this, advice I wasn’t one hundred percent comfortable going to my momabout.
I sighed and began to lay it all out. I told her about Grayson’s mom, how she’d followed me and had me followed. How I was worried about my mom. About the night with Knix’s mother showing up. About being with the guys but feeling like Grayson’s mom was ruiningeverything.
“Wow,” she finally said after I was done and through with it all. “She sounds like a piece of work, this Teddiperson.”
I sat back in my seat. “Oh, believe me,” I replied, “sheis.”
“What are you going to do? Kick herass?”
“I wish I could,” I said, rolling my eyes before adding, “I have the feeling just walking up to her and punching her in her custom-made nose job won’t get the results I want,though.”
“What are the results that you want, then?” Lizzie asked. “Startthere.”
I blinked. “Well, uh…I guess I just want her to leave us alone. I’d like for me and the guys to just…be left alone. Yeah, I want to have this relationship with them and not worry about them being followed or their business or work being messed with. I just want to live a normal life—preferably with them and with her out of the equation. I’m...” I swallowed around an unusually thick throat, “I’m just scared that if things don’t get better, the guys won’t want to be around me anymore. That they might think it’s easier to just call this relationship off. It’s already going to be hard. It’s not every day a girl dates severalguys.”
Lizzie tilted her head to the side. “Babe,” she finally relented after several moments of quiet contemplation, “the guys love you. Normal guys wouldn’t even consider this kind ofrelationship.”
“You don’t thinkso?”
She snorted. “Of course not.” Lizzie waved her hand as though it were obvious, but I wasn’t objective here. I was firmly sequestered in my situation, surrounded by the guys. I couldn’t see things like she could, damn it. “Normal guys would just accuse you of not loving them enough and walk away. Normal guys would insist that you choose. Havethey?”