“I can’t get it off,” she grumbles.
“Kade making you work late again?”
“Always,” she says. Her voice raises, and I know he must be close by. “He’s such a demanding little dick.”
“Nothing little about it,” Kade calls back. I can picture Clara rolling her eyes.
“Are you going to quit soon?” I ask her, and she sighs.
“I don’t know. I like this place, and the work is fun when I’m not scrambling to meet a million different deadlines.”
“So go work for a different law office.”
“I’m trying. I’ve been putting in my resume at a few places, but I haven’t heard anything back yet.”
“You will,” I promise her.
“Back to Kai.”
“What do you want me to do?” I ask her.
“Go with him,” she says easily. It’s simultaneously the one thing I was hoping for and dreading that she would say.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” I hedge.
“Why not? I thought you liked Kai,” she says, a touch of worry in her voice.
“What?” I half shriek.
Maybe I wasn’t as discreet with my crush as I thought.
“I mean, I know you haven’t seen each other in a while, but I thought you were friends,” Clara says. I sag back against my bed.
“Oh, yeah, we’re friends,” I say, trying to smooth over my little freak-out. I stumble over the word friends, though I hope she didn’t hear it. The idea of being Kai’sfriendwhile he moves on with his life and eventually meets some stunning woman, marries her, and has a big, beautiful family makes me sick to my stomach.
“Great. Then go with him. It’s tomorrow night, and you’d be back Saturday morning.”
“I don’t know…”
“Please, Oak? It’s just for a few hours,” she begs.
Clara has always looked after her brothers and I’m not surprised that she’s doing the same for Kai now.
She also knows that I would do anything for her. I sigh, knowing I’m going to cave, but wanting her to sweat it out a bit more.
“Come on, Oaky Smoky!”
“You know I hate that nickname,” I grumble.
“I’ll never call you it again if you say yes.”
“Really? Somehow I doubt that.”
“Fine, I’ll reserve it for special occasions and holidays.”
“Deal.” I laugh while she lets out a relieved breath.
“Yay! Okay, he’s leaving tomorrow afternoon at two. The wedding is on this little island, so it’s a bit of a drive, and then I think a ferry ride or something.”