Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20

PETE

Eddie’s metal watch band clicked against the oak table, a small, precise sound in the otherwise silent room where he sat across from Pete. If she cared about this guy's feelings, she'd pity him for the obvious hurt and dejection in his expression.

So, this was Eddie. Dentist Eddie. He looked so normal in real life, though he had an air about him that screamed privilege. He'd probably grown up in an upper-middle class home, maybe he attended private school, and he dressed as though he could potentially be yacht-adjacent at any moment.

Izzy sat on the couch scrolling through her phone, pretending not to outwardly seethe after they'd ripped Kiera to shreds for inviting Eddie. Kiera had claimed that she was just trying to look out for her friend, but Pete wasn't buying it.

Maggie walked in the front door and paused in the entryway, seeing Eddie at the table. Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened. Thankfully, Eddie's back was to her as Maggie over exaggeratedly mouthed, " Is that Eddie? "

Pete gave her a panicked look, nodding. Kiera had off-handedly mentioned Maggie had gone shopping after lunch, but Pete knew Meddling Maggie was going to be sorely disappointed she missed so much drama.

Maggie glanced from Eddie to Izzy, then back to Pete, as if to ask where Danica was. Suddenly, Kiera's muffled voice raised enough to travel down the hallway. "You lied to me!"

Maggie's gawked, mouth falling open and she dropped her shopping bags and scurried off down the hallway. Pete was right behind her, trying to quietly hurry to listen at the door. She turned at the sound of more footsteps, expecting Izzy, but it was Eddie. She couldn't very well tell him to fuck off, not if she wanted to hear what was happening, so she instead didn't give him any room to listen at the door. The three of them lined up, crowding one another as Pete took the tallest spot, Maggie wedged between them, Eddie crouching lowest.

The two women inside of the room weren't exactly whispering, so it was easy to make out what they were saying. Eddie’s entire body winced as Danica reiterated that she didn't want to be with him, and Eddie made a small oof sound, like he'd just stubbed his toe on the sharp corner of rejection. Pete almost felt bad for the guy.

Could she and Danica have finally gotten it right this time? She wasn't joking about the future with Danica earlier that morning on Galloping Goose — well, looking at the mansions and chalets, pretending they were shopping for real estate was certainly a joke — but she really did like the idea of a future where she and Danica could be together. She could work out of any city with an international airport, and?—

“I’m not dumb. I know that Pete and I don’t have a future.”

Danica's words hit her like she'd just been clotheslined by a tree branch and knocked her to the ground. Embarrassment made her chest ache and tears sting at the edges of her eyes.

Maggie tensed beside her, and before Pete could say anything, Maggie stood with a hiss as they heard footsteps approach the door. Pete spun around, trying to look like she hadn't just been listening to their conversation, panic blunting her rational thinking skills. Art. There was art. She was just admiring the artwork on the wall directly outside of Kiera's room. Half a second later, the door swung open to reveal Kiera's blotchy face, and further in, Danica sitting on the edge of the bed looking very small and upset.

"Where are you going?" Maggie asked, alarmed, as they saw Kiera's packed suitcase.

"I'm leaving," Kiera said with dramatic despair, the luggage wheels abrasive and loud on the hardwood floor as she headed toward the doorway.

Maggie went to follow Kiera just as a car pulled up in front of the condo, but Pete turned back to Danica, only to find that Eddie had started into the room. "Oh no, you don't," Pete said, grabbing Eddie's arm. "Go get in your Uber, man."

To his credit, Eddie barely put up a fight before turning and walking back toward the front door. He'd probably envisioned sweeping Danica off her feet, a romantic notion that now seemed pathetic, and she felt a pang of sympathy for his loss of such an amazing woman.

Now she, too, was now losing that incredible woman, the reality hitting her with the force of a physical blow. Pete wasn't some Eddie-type. Danica had said she didn't see a future with Pete, and that stung. But it didn't mean that Pete could just stop caring about her, and she didn’t want to. And it didn't mean they had to give up the present, either. She exhaled, then stretched, hooking her hands on top of the door frame as she watched Danica. "You okay?"

"No," Danica said, wiping at her eyes.

"What do you need?" Pete asked, swallowing the lump lodged in her throat. "Company? Alone time? Tea? Wine? A time machine?"

Danica laughed while sniffling. "A time machine does sound nice." She cleared her throat. "Did you... did you overhear us?"

Pete shrugged, stretching her shoulders as she rocked back and forth on her heels, still holding the door frame. "Not much," she lied. "I was mainly body-guarding Eddie from shoving through the door and bursting into song to win you back."

There was a tiny smile on Danica's lips as she rolled her eyes and wiped at her nose again. "Listen, I?—"

"Nah, don't worry about it," Pete said. "So, company or alone time?"

Danica pressed her lips together, looking around the empty room. "I think alone time. And maybe a bath before dinner, I guess."

"You got it. We can order in if you'd like.” Pete used every bit of self-control to suppress the profound hurt echoing through her chest in rhythm with her heart.

Danica kept her gaze down, standing from Kiera's bed. "Thanks," she murmured, and Pete moved to let Danica past her, walking into her own room. Danica's bright blue eyes shone with tears as she glanced up at Pete before closing the door.

Pete took a deep breath, attempting to steady herself, and walked back into the main room to find Izzy still on the couch, scrolling on her phone. She'd tucked herself into a ball, her thick socks pulled up over leggings, nearly eclipsed by a massive fleece jacket that made her look like a teddy bear. Izzy glanced up as Pete walked back into the room and sat beside her on the couch.

"Did you know that crocodiles can regenerate their teeth if they lose one?" Izzy asked after a beat of silence.

Pete let her head fall to the back of the couch. "Huh. That's convenient."

"They can have up to 4,000 teeth in their lifetime," Izzy continued.

Pete's eyes closed and she took a deep cleansing breath. "How many do they have at one time?"

"Looks like anywhere from sixty to over a hundred," Izzy answered.

Pete let her head loll to the side to look at Izzy. "That's a lot of teeth."

"They have the strongest bite of any animal in the world," Izzy continued.

Pete frowned. "Are you doing like, a metaphor thing?"

Izzy's eyes flicked up to Pete's and she gave a half-smile. "You think I'm trying to make a metaphor for your feelings with crocodile teeth?"

Pete scrutinized her friend. "Are you?"

Izzy shrugged. "I just think crocodiles are cool."

"I think I wouldn't mind my head inside of a crocodile's mouth right now," Pete said, rubbing at her face.

"Their bite is ten times stronger than a great white shark," Izzy said casually.

Pete couldn't help but grin. "Did you know they eat rocks to help them sink to the bottom?"

Izzy's eyes widened with delight and her thumbs flew across her phone screen. "Apparently that's true. How'd you know that?"

Pete was grateful for the distraction. "I had an unfortunate run-in with one in the Philippines once. It didn't attack or anything, but it was a closer call than I'd have preferred. I did some research after and that one fact really stuck in my brain, because what kind of animal eats rocks for a good reason?"

Izzy furrowed her brow. "I'm so jealous that you've been to all of these incredible places. Hire me so I can travel, too." Her tone was joking, but it gave Pete an idea.

Pete brightened. "Alright."

Izzy snorted in amusement. "I was kidding."

"I'm not," Pete said, lifting her head to look at Izzy. "If bartending long term isn’t your dream, and you want a job with the foundation, you've got it."

"Don't you have like, a board or something?" Izzy asked.

"No," Pete said. "Though lately I've been thinking I should. Want to be on the board?"

Izzy laughed. "No. That sounds awful."

"It does, doesn't it?" Pete agreed. "But I am serious. If I want to continue to grow Second Star, I need to be able to have people I can trust by my side. And I trust you more than anyone."

"I have no experience," Izzy said, looking slightly flustered.

"You're a good person. You can learn the rest," Pete said. "I'll talk to my lawyer when I get back to Seattle. I can call you and we can talk about options."

"Are you being rash because feelings are a little heightened?" Izzy asked, her tone soft.

"I mean, maybe, but I've been considering it for a while." Pete knew Izzy had been struggling with work, but she was sharp and personable. Pete had no doubt Izzy would be a great fit for Second Star.

"And you're not just saying this because Danica clearly did something to upset you?" Izzy asked, and Pete questioned for a moment if Izzy could read her mind. “You had that look when you came back from your embarrassingly conspicuous spy mission.”

Pete rubbed at the back of her neck. “I overheard her say to Kiera that she didn’t want a future with me,” Pete said, dropping her voice to a near-whisper as hurt strangled her words.

Izzy grimaced. “And what did she say about that when you asked her?” Pete must have made another face because she watched Izzy’s eyes grow larger with realization. “You didn’t say anything?”

“What am I supposed to do? Pour my heart out?” Pete asked.

Izzy’s brows rose and she blinked slowly as if she was talking to a small child. “Yes,” she over-enunciated.

Pete slouched. “I tried that before. Then we didn’t talk for fifteen years.”

Izzy put a hand on Pete’s arm. “What I’m about to say comes from a place of love…”

Pete didn’t like the sound of that intro.

“Stop being a fucking idiot. Just go talk to her. You probably misheard what she said, or heard something out of context,” Izzy said, slowly and clearly again.

Pete batted away Izzy’s hand. “You don’t know that."

Izzy leveled her with a long look.

"Okay, okay. I'll talk to her. I can't promise it will go well, though. It might just be graduation night 2.0." Pete relented, but she wasn't happy about the idea. Trying to have a serious talk with Danica about their future had gone so poorly before. The agonizing embarrassment of incorrectly assuming that Danica wanted a future after all... now that would haunt her.

Izzy squeezed Pete's arm again. "Why do you look like you're about to throw up?"

“I haven’t heard enough crocodile facts.” Pete let her head fall back against the couch cushions.

Just then, Maggie stomped back into the foyer and Pete glanced toward her to find that she was alone. Apparently, she hadn't been successful in her efforts to get Kiera to stay, if that was what she had been trying to do.

"Where'd Kiera go?" Izzy asked, glancing over her shoulder.

Maggie shrugged, walking into the kitchen and grabbing a bottle of red wine. All three women were silent as she uncorked the bottle and brought it into the living room.

"Don't you need a gl— oh, wow, you're really just drinking that straight from the bottle," Izzy said, watching as Maggie slumped into the chair near the couch.

"What a fucking mess," Maggie groaned, taking another long swig from the bottle before pointing it toward Izzy and Pete in offering.

Pete took the bottle, holding the cool glass against her cheek after taking a large drink. "What a fucking mess, indeed," Pete echoed.

"Did Kiera say where she was going?" Izzy took the bottle from Pete.

Maggie shook her head. "I think she was going to stay in a hotel nearby tonight. Not the same one where Eddie is going. That man is even more helpless than I remember. No wonder Danica loved him at first."

Pete's whipped her head sideways to look at Maggie. "What does that mean?"

"She loves being the competent one. She's the one with the spreadsheets and the plans and the control," Maggie said. "We love her for it, don't get me wrong."

Pete furrowed her brow. She didn't see Danica that way at all. She thought Danica liked being needed, more than anything. It was as though she was continually trying to prove her place, to prove that she was a good friend who deserved to be invited. Around just her, though, Danica was far more relaxed. Playful, even. Fun.

"Glad I never suggested those matching tattoos." Izzy grimaced.

"I should go talk to her," Pete said.

"Obviously," Izzy agreed.

But at the same time, Maggie shook her head. "Not yet."

Pete glanced between the two women. "But you heard her, Mags. She said she didn't see a future with me. Don't you think I need to go talk to her before I lose her forever?"

"Kiera just blew up their friendship. Give Danica some time to process that before she has to consider your feelings, too," Maggie said, taking the wine bottle back from Izzy. "She needs friends right now, not..." Maggie gestured toward Pete, "whatever you two are."

Maggie had a point, but it made Pete feel restless. "You're the one who thought this was all a good idea in the first place." Pete crossed her arms with indignation.

"Yeah, because you're good together. To be honest, I thought if she realized how happy she was with you, she might finally leave Eddie. That guy was such a wet blanket." Maggie sighed, digging her thumb into her temple. "And then when we found out that she and Eddie had already broken up... You two were already pretty cozy, and she seemed excited about it. She seemed like the old Danica, you know? So, I encouraged her, too."

Izzy sighed. "You're all such meddling teenagers."

"Oh, I don't want to hear it, Ms. I-Kissed-Kiera-Once-And-Still-Stare-At-Her-Longingly-When-I-Think-No-One-Is-Watching."

Izzy's cheeks flushed. "I do not."

Pete's mouth dropped open in surprise as she turned to look at Izzy. "Are you in love with Kiera?"

"No," Izzy's eyes were wide as saucers. "I'm not."

Both Pete and Maggie stared at her and Pete could see how uncomfortable she was growing under their intense scrutiny.

"She's married ," Izzy said.

"Her husband is cheating on her," Maggie said with a hint of boredom.

Pete nearly leapt off the couch, but Izzy froze. "He is?" Izzy asked, her voice strained.

"Yeah, and she's still staying with him for some reason," Maggie said, shrugging her shoulders. "It's so weird to me. Who would do that to themselves?"

"That's so sad," Pete commented, aware her words didn't fully capture the complexity.

Izzy tapped her fingers on the wine bottle, which they had continued to pass around. "No wonder she got so upset thinking that Danica was cheating on Eddie. She knows how it feels." Like a narrator of a Greek tragedy, her voice dripped with sorrow as she described the event, making no effort to explain their friend's despicable act.

Maggie sat up straighter, pulling a bag of candy out of her hoodie pocket. "Hey, I forgot I put these in here," she said, holding up a bag of weed gummies. "Should we get high and order Taco Bell for delivery?"

"Fuck yes," a voice chimed in from the other side of the living room, and Pete turned with surprise to find Danica standing in her pajamas, her hair tied up in a bun. A few pieces had fallen around the nape of her neck and her face, curled from the steam of the bath.

A nervous flutter filled Pete's stomach as she saw Danica. Danica’s tear-stained face, though heartbreaking, only amplified her inherent loveliness. She watched as Danica sat on the floor near the coffee table and inspected the bag thoroughly, then grabbed out a handful of gummies and popped them in her mouth.

"Oh my god, Wendell! You don't even know how strong they are," Pete said with surprise, taking one.

Danica looked at her like she was being ridiculous. "Come on. They're basically just candy; how strong can they be?"