“Honestly? I never planned to. But I was starting to get restless. Alex went back to school and Graham works, and the house is mostly done to our liking.” She shrugs. “I needed something to do, and he needed the help.”
“That’s nice of you,” Jane comments, then turns to me. “And how are things with Archer? Have things progressed since girls’ night?”
I blush and shrug. “I guess.”
“You guess?” Quinn asks, leaning into the table. “Have you two not talked about things?”
“I—” I cut myself off. “We haven’t really had time.”
Jane gives me a look. “You have to make time for those talks.”
I nod and bite my lip before blowing out a rough breath. “I know we should. I’m not under any allusions that we shouldn’t talk things out. But…”
Jane reaches over and gives my hand a squeeze. “Hey, you can talk to us. We won’t spill the beans to anyone.”
I study them both for a second, and Quinn nods her head in encouragement.
“Okay,” I concede. “The truth is that I’m terrified.”
“Terrified of what?” Quinn asks.
“Terrified that if I bring up the fact that I have this job and he doesn’t have to pretend to be my fiancé anymore that he’ll decide he doesn’t need to have anything to do with me at all, and he’ll… leave me.” I finish my mini rant in a whisper and the girls give me comforting looks.
“He won’t leave you.”
“You don’t know that,” I shoot back, grimacing at my sharp tone. “Sorry. I know you’re trying to help.”
“It’s okay,” Jane says and then studies me. “You really care for him, don’t you?”
“I…” I pause and think over what I should say, but I shrug helplessly then cover my face with my hands. “I think I love him.”
The table is silent, and when I look up at the girls, I see them both giving me shit-eating grins.
“What?” I demand.
“We knew you loved him. We just wanted you to admit you loved him.”
“How could you have possibly known?” I ask, my shoulders drooping.
Before they can answer, the server comes over with our food, and I perk up at the thought of carbs headed my way. We don’t start the conversation up again until the server leaves and each of us has taken a bite or two, then Quinn says, “Listen, I’ve known Archer for a while, and while I don’t see him as often as Jane does, I knew from the minute I saw him with you at the Christmas gala that something was there.”
“You did?” My voice is small and so unlike myself. But that’s what love does to my brain, apparently, makes me unsure.
“I did,” she confirms and turns to Jane.
“Me too,” Jane agrees and then continues. “When I came to my first game night, Warren and I both saw it.”
“You did?” I repeat, not able to form any other response.
“We did,” Quinn confirms again, a little smile on her face. “Archer is all for you, Viv. You two will be just fine, you just need to have a talk and everything will smooth itself out.”
I nod my head, my stomach in knots over it. What if it doesn’t “smooth itself out?”
“Anyway.” I shake my head and direct my attention to Quinn. “So, how are things with Graham?”
She shrugs and uses her fork to dig around in her food. “Everything seems okay. He took Alex on a little outing.”
Her smile has me guessing it was a fun thing to witness.