Annihilate Me (Vol. 4) (The Annihilate Me Series) (9 page)

CHAPTER SIX

When
the elevator door opened, Lisa was there, waiting for me.
 
She threw her arms around me and gave me
one of the most meaningful hugs she
’
d
ever given me.
 
I melted into her,
told her how much I
’
d missed
her, and then we stood back and looked at each other.

“You
’
re tan!” she said.
 
“I
’
ve
never seen you so tan.”

“Those
French Canadian genes of mine apparently kicked in on the island.
 
Who knew that this was possible?
 
Because of the apparent damage I
’
ve done to my skin, Blackwell told me I need
an elixir and a serum.
 
Preferably
prescribed.
 
She also mentioned that
sandblasting was an option.
 
I
’
m expecting
voodoo.
”

“What
does she know?
 
You
’
re glowing.”

“And
not just from the sun.”

She
winked at me and took my hand, and we walked down the hallway toward our
apartment.
 
When we entered it, I
saw in the living room ahead of me at least a dozen silvery balloons that said
“Welcome home!” on them.

“Oh,
Lisa.”

“You
should have seen me walking down Fifth with those.
 
At one point, I thought I was going to
take off.”

“I
can imagine—they
’
re
bigger than you are.
 
There must be
a dozen of them.”

“Let
’
s just say there
were
a dozen of them
until a shot of wind robbed me of two.”

“Where
did you find them around here?”

“Some
stories should go untold.”
 
Her face
brightened.
 
“I
’
m making martinis,” she said.
 
“Go sit down and relax.
 
There might be a card for you on the
coffee table.
 
I
’
ll make us two icy-cold sassies and we
’
ll start catching up.
 
And I mean ‘start
’
.
 
I know you
’
re
tired.
 
But at least give me an
hour—that
’
s all I
ask.
 
And then you can go to
bed.
 
You don
’
t know how much I
’
ve missed you.”

“Don
’
t think you
’
re alone.
 
I
’
ve
been suffering from Twin Separation Anxiety Disorder since we left.”

“So,
there
is
a name for it.
 
I
’
m totally putting that in my next book, but
with a zombie twist.”
 
She went into
the kitchen and said almost as an aside, “Of course, I was lucky to have Tank
around while you were gone.”

That
stopped me.
 
While she pulled out
two chilled glasses and a bottle of vodka from the freezer, I said, “Oh,
really?”

“Really.”

“Do
tell.”

“What
do you want to know?”

“Everything.”

For
an instant, her smile seemed to falter before she turned away to get ice from
the freezer.
 
“Let
’
s talk about that later.
 
Go and sit down.
 
Open your card.
 
Let me make our drinks.
 
Then we
’
ll talk.”

I
went into the living room, pushed aside a few balloons, and looked around the
space.
 
Nothing had changed.
 
I
’
d
only spent a brief amount of time here before we left for the island, but I
’
d still missed it.
 

I
sat down on the sofa and found an envelope on the coffee table.
 
I opened it and pulled out the
card.
 
On the front were two young
girls around the age Lisa and I were when we first met.
 
They were sitting on a bench.
 
One was blonde, and the other was
brunette.
 
Their backs were to the
camera and they were holding hands.
 
Inside, there wasn
’
t some
canned message, but a personal note written by Lisa.
 
I read it to myself:
 

“Dear
Jennifer,” she wrote.
 
“Since we
were kids
, we
’
ve never been apart.
 
Not having you here for the past month
only underscores how much I value our friendship and how happy I am to have you
back in my life.
 
I love you like
the sister neither of us had.
 
Thank
you for making sure I could remain in the apartment, which I never could afford
on my own.
 
And thank you for being
the best friend a girl could have.
 
Love, Lisa.”

I
held the card to my chest and heard the sound of Lisa shaking our drinks.
 
I felt overwhelmed to be home, but I did
my best to keep my emotions in check because I wanted to keep things light when
she came into the room.
 
Lisa and I
had never been apart.
 
It only had
been a month, but when you love someone, as I did Lisa, who had seen me through
every rotten detail of my life with my parents, you don
’
t take that for granted.
 
I looked up at the balloons and felt
filled with gratitude that I had someone in my life, besides Alex, who loved me
for me.
 

“Who
needs a martini?”

I
raised my hand as she entered the room.
 
“Guilty.”
 
Earlier, I had
been tired.
 
But now, being here
with her, I felt recharged.

“First
thing
’
s first,” I said, taking
my drink from her.
 
“
Tank.
 
Spill.
”

She
sat opposite me and I could tell from her expression that all wasn
’
t well.
 
“Well, we
’
ve been
on four dates.
 
One each week since
you
’
ve been gone.
 
It
’
s
like clockwork, but then he
’
s former
military, so I get it.”
 
She lowered
her voice in an effort to mimic his.
 
“‘How about Wednesday?
 
How
about next Wednesday?
 
Are you free
on Wednesday?
’
 
That sort of thing.”

“What
have you done for fun?”

“We
’
ve gone out to dinner three times, and this
week, we did a dinner-movie thing, which suggests progress.
 
We
’
re
taking it slow, which is good, I guess.
 
You know what I went through with those two bastards I dated.
 
And Tank has been through his own share
of shit, which includes a major breakup of a five-year relationship with a
woman he thought was going to be his wife until he caught her cheating on him.”

“That
’
s awful.
 
Poor Tank.
 
How do you feel about him?”

“I
don’t know, Jennifer.
 
Conflicted.
 
But it
’
s on me, not him.
 
He
’
s
smart, kind, wittier than I expected, a great kisser, and an absolute
gentleman.
 
He
’
s perfect boyfriend material, so naturally,
the whole thing freaks me out because my past proves that I
’
m not a good judge when it comes to understanding
what ‘perfect boyfriend material
’
is.
 
You have your trust issues, and I have
mine.
 
So, my guard is starting to
go up just when it should be going down.
 
I can
’
t help it.
 
I
’
m
beginning to think that I should hang back and focus on my work.
 
Maybe give it another year before I dive
back into the dating game.
 
I
thought I was ready to see someone again, but now that I
’
m in it, I
’
m not sure.
 
I
’
m
at the point with Tank that my emotions are getting involved.
 
I could fall for him in a second, but I
don
’
t want to get hurt
again.
 
I know that
’
s unrealistic, but you know how bad the
other two breakups were.
 
I was in a
bad space for a long time.
 
I
’
m not sure if I
’
m ready to risk that again.”

“Obviously,
you’ll do what
’
s right
for you, and what
’
s fair to
Tank.
 
But I will say this.
 
You haven
’
t been in a relationship for years.
 
At some point, you have to trust again,
Lisa.
 
And that
’
s coming from someone who only recently
decided to trust someone, so I understand what
’
s at
stake here.
 
I get it.
 
That said, what I
’
ve learned is that there are a few gems out
there.”

“I
know there are.
 
And I know I
’
m being irrational and emotional.
 
The good news is that he
’
s not rushing me.
 
At least not yet.
 
It
’
s
only been a month.
 
But what happens
when three months pass?
 
Five
months?
 
Emotions will only
grow.
 
A commitment will be expected
at some point, and what if I can
’
t
commit?
 
Then I
’
ve just fucked him over, which I refuse to
do.
 
He deserves better than
that.
 
So, I need to make a decision
about this soon.
 
Tank could have
anyone he wants, and I don
’
t want
to get in the way of that.
 
He
’
s a good
man.
 
He
’
s already told me he
’
s ready to settle down.”

“That
’
s a pretty big admission.”

“And
one I’ve heard before.”

“From
a couple of immature idiots who didn
’
t
realize what they had in you.
 
Tank
is nothing like either of them.
 
He’s not a boy.
 
He’s a man.”

“I
agree with that.”

“You
know I never liked your other boyfriends.”

“That
’
s putting it lightly, but you were right
about them.”

“This
isn
’
t about who’s right and
who’s wrong.
 
This is about talking
it through.
 
I think you were years
beyond those boys who pretended to be men.
 
Tank is more on your level.
 
He’s got his shit together.”

“Agreed.”

She
sipped her martini and I could sense her vulnerability from where I sat.
 
My heart went out to her.
 
I thought things were going well between
them.
 
I thought she was in a good
space with her writing career and that she was ready to allow someone into her
life again.
 
I hadn
’
t expected this, but I certainly understood
it.
 
I knew how paralyzing it could
be to trust someone.
 
Still, I
’
d hate to see her miss out on Tank, whom I
knew was a good guy.

“How
can I help?” I asked.

“Just
by listening.”

“Is
there anything I can say?”

She
considered that for a moment, and then held out her martini.
 
“What
’
s your opinion of him?”

“I
like him very much.
 
I
’
ve had a good feeling about him since the
four of us went to dinner that night and I was able to watch you with him.
 
The chemistry between you two was off
the charts.
 
And I loved that he
paid for the meal when Alex was sitting there.
 
He didn
’
t just assume that Alex would pay because
Alex happens to have money.
 
That
spoke volumes to me.
 
While we were
on the island, we had many meetings via Skype.
 
He
’
s
sharp as hell.
 
And I
’
m about to put my life in his hands, which
shows how much I
’
ve come
to trust him.
 
But that
’
s just my impression of him.
 
Yours is the one that matters.”

She
furrowed her brow.
 
“What do you
mean you
’
re about to put your life
in his hands?”

“There
’
s a reason we
’
re back in New York, Lisa.”

“I
didn
’
t realize there was a
reason.
 
What
’
s the reason?”

I
told her all of it—every detail, every risk, every way it could go wrong,
and every way it might go right.
 
And then, with a look of fear in her eyes, she asked if I
’
d like another martini.
 
After my full admission of what I
’
d face tomorrow, and all that would come
after it, I happily obliged.