“Sorry,” I tell her. “I pawned the last two off on Evelyn.”
“She wants to surprise Nolan.” Katie looks at me as though I’ve lost a few marbles.
“I think it’s sweet,” Hannah says.
“Sweeter if he wasn’t my brother.”
“Isn’t it kind of nice though?” Hannah asks. “You like your brother’s girlfriend. You know she’s not a psycho, and that her intentions are all good.”
Katie drums her fingers across the counter. “Camden was not my first choice. I chose to come here because my best friend who was dating Nolan wanted to come here so she could be with him.”
Hannah winces, while surprise has me turning my full attention to Katie, recognizing the similarities in Nolan’s ex and me. How I’d picked the college I attended for a boy, just as she had.
“Does she attend Camden?” My heart thrums nervously, feeling a level of jealousy and anger toward the stranger that doesn’t seem plausible or rational.
Katie shakes her head. “She took a year off and then applied to a local university.”
“Do you guys still talk?” Hannah asks.
I recall Katie telling me about the bonfire in her driveway as she shakes her head, glancing in my direction.
“That sucks,” I tell her. “Breaking up with a friend hurts just as much—sometimes more—than breaking up with a guy.”
Katie’s eyes turn pleading. “Exactly. That’s why as much as I want to support you and your decision to be with Nolan, it freaks me the fuck out. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I don’t have many friends, and I really hate change.”
“You? Hate change?” Hannah throws a hand across her chest. “I’m shocked.”
Katie rolls her eyes.
“I promise, nothing will change between us,” I tell her.
She nods. “I hope so. We’ll see what happens come June.”
“June?” I ask, as validation and approval from her slide into my thoughts, chased too closely by doubt. “What’s in June.”
“When Nolan moves. Assuming he gets drafted.”
Moves.
The word is a hatchet to my chest—to my perfect week. I haven’t spent much time thinking past Thanksgiving, but June suddenly seems like a heartbeat away.
“Can I keep this pie in my room?” Hannah asks as I subconsciously stir the filling.
I shake my head, hoping to rid the unwanted thoughts, but they cling like cobwebs. “We can keep it in a cooler in your room, and then put it in the fridge tomorrow since Nolan has an away game this week.”
She looks almost sad, as though mentioning football is a fresh reminder of Ethan being gone.
“Why don’t we cancel Friendsgiving brunch?” I suggest. “We can still have brunch here, the three of us. We’ll do it smaller and have it on Saturday before they get back.”
“No. Definitely not.” Hannah shakes her head. “Ethan took enough by drugging me and then moving without an apology call or text, there’s no way I’m going to let him take my friends away, too. I want waffles. I want brunch, dammit, and I want some chocolate pie. How long until it’s ready?”
I grin. “Two hours. But you can lick the spatula when I’m done.”
“Only if I get half,” Katie corrects.
I should be used to Nolan being gone, but yesterday and today seem to last an eternity even with finalizing my special occasion speech written about my future niece or nephew and making two more chocolate crème pies.
With them working to integrate the new plays Krueger has been working on with them into Peters’ old playbook, he’s continued to have long days and early mornings. We’re carving out time by me waking up early, him staying up late, and trying to find any and all gaps in our schedules where we can steal away time, even if it’s to grab coffee (tea for him).