Candice kissed her on the cheek, climbed into her Explorer, anddrove off. Dex went back inside the bar and called her sister. She was in noshape to drive.
* * *
Dex picked up the pizza box from the seat as she slid into thecar. “Sausage and mushroom?”
Juni nodded. “I thought you might need a little food chaser withthat alcohol. Tough day?”
She nodded. “I just couldn’t stand to listen to Grace go on abouthow wonderful her honeymoon was. Plus she showed me hundreds of pictures of herabsolute bliss.”
“So, you thought you’d go tie one on again?”
“No. I thought I’d have a drink. Maybe meet someone new.”
“Did you?”
“Actually, I did.”
“Then why am I picking you up?”
“She was really nice and all. I just wasn’t in the mood to put onmy sparkling personality.” She didn’t want to tell Juni the whole story. Shewouldn’t be judgmental, but she would be disappointed in her for having randomsex in a parking lot. Dex was doing a good enough job of being disappointed inherself on her own. Thinking about Grace while she was fucking other womenwouldn’t get Grace out of her head any faster. It would just cement her furtherinto it.
“Seriously? She probably could’ve helped you purge Grace from yourheart. If not that, at least your mind for a night.”
Definitelydidn’t help. “What if I’m not ready to do that?”
“Dex.” Juni let out a heavy sigh, the kind she always gave Dexwhen she was about to tell her what she should be doing instead of what she wasactually doing. “When are you going to stop pining after her? That ship hasclearly sailed out of the harbor and into the deep, blue sea of Brent.”
FuckBrent. “I need you to be supportive, Juni. This is really hard forme.”
“I’ll support you in anything you want except your obsession withGrace.” Juni pulled into the driveway and threw the car into park. “I’m noteven sure what the hell you see in her. I get that she’s pretty, but come on,Dex. She’s way too self-absorbed.” She shifted sideways in her seat. “She’sback for just one day, and look at what she’s done to you already.”
She wasa fucking mess, for sure. “She brought me a gift,” she said softly as shestared at the pizza box in her lap. “A sculpture. She actually went to agallery and bought it. She hates art, but she went there for me.”
“Dex.” Another sigh. Juni shook her head slowly. “Please don’tmake anything out of that.” She took her hand. “She told you who she wants.”
“Don’t you think I fucking know that?” She yanked on the doorhandle and got out of the car. “I’ve relived it in my head a thousand timessince that happened. I can’t just cut her out of my life, Juni. She’s alwaysbeen a big part of it.” She slammed the door and took off toward the house.
When she was a child, Dex had endured endless teasing about hername, thanks to her unconventional parents. She’d been branded by her cruelclassmates after a show about a forensic pathologist turned good-natured serialkiller. Then Grace had moved to town. Grace was cool, sweet, and beautiful. Sheremembered the spring day vividly, just as though it had happened onlyyesterday. Grace wore a pink-flowered dress covered by a white cardigansweater. Dex had been instantly captivated by her, as were so many of the otherkids at school. They listened when Grace talked. Grace had told them Dex was anawesome name, and no one, not even the popular kids, challenged her. From thatday on, Dex and Grace had been best friends for life, even after Dex haddiscovered she loved Grace, and Grace had discovered she loved boys.
Juni killed the engine, jumped out of the car, and followed her.“You’re not kids anymore, Dex. She’s moved on, and you need to as well.” Juniblocked the doorway to get her attention. “You need to start doing what youwant instead of whatever the hell Grace thinks is important at the moment. Youcan’t keep putting yourself on the back burner for her or anyone else. You needto be happy.” They stood for a few minutes in silence until Juni reached overand squeezed Dex’s arm. “Come on. Let’s go inside and eat. I’m sure there’ssomething on Netflix we can binge-watch.”
* * *
In light of the late hour Dex and Juni had gone to bed last night,and with the science-fiction borderline horror show they’d been binge-watching,Dex had thought she might have nightmares. To the contrary, the dream she waswrapped up in this morning sent warm feelings through her, and it had nothingto do with Grace. It revolved around a beautiful woman with dark hair,beautiful silvery-blue eyes, and a deep, throaty voice. It seemed the girlshe’d met at the wedding was playing a vivid role in her unconscious thoughts.She still couldn’t make out her face clearly, but her eyes sparkled as shelaughed and smiled at her like Dex was the most entertaining girl in theuniverse. For a short time during the dream, Dex had actually felt like she wasthat girl. She lay in bed with her eyes closed, trying to remember more aboutthe mystery woman. Then Candice from the night before at the bar popped intoher head, and she felt miserable again. The evening had all been good until thelast part, when Dex had let her imagination get the best of her.
“Good morning, princess.” Dex opened her eyes to see Juni cominginto the room grinning. “How are you feeling today?” She flopped onto the edgeof the bed.
“Like I’ve been thrown in front of a bullet train and then draggeda thousand feet under it.” That was putting it lightly.
“Well, I guess the pizza wasn’t enough to absorb all thatalcohol.” Juni chuckled and handed Dex the cup of coffee in her hand. “I madescrambled eggs and toast.” She popped up and headed to the doorway. “Come on,before they get cold.”
Dex pulled on her jeans and sweater, then went to the bathroom.She
