“We’re not twelve anymore, Grace. You can’t do that to people.Especially people who are important to me.”
Grace gave her a strange look. “You just started dating a monthago. How can she be more important to you than me?” She clomped off the ice.“Who was it that hung out in jail with you after that protest because yourparents weren’t there to bail you out…or planned and threw yourcollege-graduation party…or kept you sane when Ranny had that car accident?”Her voice trailed off. She sank onto the bench.
Dex took in a deep breath, knowing the last one had been hard forGrace as well. “You’ve always been there.” Grace might be rich and spoiled, butshe hadalways been there for Dex. Even in the most difficult times.
“You’re damn right I have. I’ll always be here to take care ofyou, Dex. You’ll never be as close to her as you are to me.”
“I don’t have to choose, do I, Grace?” Grace didn’t respond. “Ireally like her. Aren’t you closer to Brent now than you are to me?”
Grace shook her head. “No. You don’t have to choose.” She closedher eyes momentarily. “But honestly? I think I’m closer to you than anyone,including Brent. I mean I’m intimate with Brent, but that’s different from ourfriendship.” She sat on the bench. “He’s not very emotional, doesn’t alwayscare what I want to do. He would never come here with me. He’d rather hang outwith his buddies.”
Dex sat next to her. “Did you know that before you got married?”
“Pretty much, but I’m working on him.”
Dex blew out a breath. “That’s a big fucking problem to be workingon.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be fine.” Grace bolted up. “Worryabout your own problem.”
“What’s that?”
Grace handed Dex her skates and then slipped out onto the ice. “Ifyour girlfriendcan’t take a little shit from me, she’s certainly not going to hang around forthe hard stuff.”
“You need to be nicer to her, Grace.”
“Okay. Got it. I promise to be nicer,” she shouted as she turnedaround and skated backward away from her. “Now, hurry up.” Whether she would ornot was yet to be seen.
Dex had done something she knew she shouldn’t have. She’d let Emmaleave and hadn’t followed her. But Emma was really pissed, and she wanted tolet her calm down before talking to her. So, instead of leaving and followingher home, Dex put on the skates and went out onto the ice. If Emma couldn’t getpast her friendship with Grace, it wasn’t going to get any easier.
Chapter Twenty-One
Dex sat across from Juni at her kitchen table telling herwhat a mess the night had turned into. She and Grace had skated for over anhour before she’d gotten off the ice and changed into her boots. It hadn’t beenfun this year. She’d fallen a number of times because all she could think aboutwas Emma. When they were done skating, Grace had bought them each a cup of hotchocolate and sat down next to her to watch the better skaters, like theyusually did. The hot chocolate even tasted bad, and she loved the hot chocolateat the rink. She’d made the wrong decision letting Emma leave without her. Notthat she’d really had a choice. And when they’d arrived at Grace’s house, she’dflashed her a sweet smile and asked Dex to come in for another cup of hotchocolate, and she’d done it. Another stupid decision.
“What did I do wrong?”
“You let Grace hijack your date again, and you didn’t do anythingto stop it.”
“The first time wasn’t really my fault. We were going to the market,and Grace and I always did that together. I felt bad, so I invited her andBrent to come along. Brent was kind of doing his own thing, and Grace was kindof lost, so she pretty much clung to us the whole time.”
“You really think that’s how it all played out?” Juni raised aneyebrow. “I’ve never seen Grace lost in my life. She knew exactly what she wasdoing. You’ve grown up together, and she has no respect for you, at least notthe kind you deserve.”
Dex closed her eyes and shook her head. “I hate to think that, butshe did kind of enjoy pissing off Emma.”
“There you go. And yesterday, she just showed up and guilted youinto staying and skating.”
She got up and paced the room. “Why is she doing it?”
“Oh, Dex.” Juni shook her head. “It’s obvious to anyone who’s everknown you how in love you are with her.”
“That’s changed since I met Emma.” But had it really? Dex wasn’tsure. She still had lingering feelings deep in her heart, and she sure as hellwasn’t going to tell her sister that.
“Then stop letting Grace control you.” The irritation in Juni’svoice surprised Dex. “Last night was certainly intentional on her part, and youstayed with Graceinstead of leaving with Emma. Yourgirlfriend. Damn it, Dex. Don’t you see the problem here?”
She flopped into the couch. “What should I do?”
“Stop being so fucking nice to Grace.” Juni’s voice softened. “Youhave to make the break, or she’s going to continue to ruin whatever chance youhave at anything with Emma. You’re on the ledge, Dex. You just need to let go.Take the leap into the unknown. Have faith that life will be good with Emma.”Juni rubbed her back. “You’ve been playing it safe, waiting for someone youknow you can’t have.”
“You want me to let go of the only woman I’ve ever loved. Let goof my dreams.”
“They’re not her dreams, honey. You need to make new ones withsomeone else. And I think we both know that someone is Emma.”
Even though Juni was right, Dex was petrified to move on. Gracemight be rich and spoiled, but she’d always been there when Dex needed her.
Juni went into the kitchen and came back with the coffee decanter.“Grace will never stop unless you make it clear to her you’re in love withsomeone else now.” She filled their cups and went back into the kitchen. “Youshould’ve gone after Emma last night.”
At this point Dex was so confused, she didn’t know
