Home > Serves Me Wright (Wright #9)(10)

Serves Me Wright (Wright #9)(10)
Author: K.A. Linde

“Cado! Bakey!” I called again. I peered into the bushes, and two sets of eyes looked back at me. “There you two are. Come eat.”

As if they understood me, Avocado, an orange-and-white cat, and Bacon, a black cat, slunk out of the bushes and began to eat their breakfast. I stroked Cado and then Bacon before heading back inside and sitting at the dining room table to get to work.

Time moved at an unreasonable rate when I sat down to edit. Hours flew by without interruption. By the time the door opened, my eyes were bleary, and the sun was sinking.

“Annie?” I croaked.

“Hey!” she said. “How’s it going? Have you moved at all today?”

I looked around the room and shook my head to clear it. “I think I need some lunch.”

“It’s dinnertime.”

“Sure.” I rubbed my tired eyes. “I forgot to stop and eat.”

Annie rolled her eyes. “Emergency pizza it is.” She pulled out her phone and started to order. “By the way, we need to talk.”

“Are you breaking up with me?” I asked as I stood up. My body creaked from lack of use, and I stretched to try to release the tension.

Annie laughed. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

“Well, thank God.”

“Like, what would you even do without me?”

I shook my head. I remembered the first twenty years of my life without Annie Donoghue in it. We hadn’t become friends until I’d started taking care of Jason for Sutton. Annie and Sutton had been popular cheerleaders in high school. Annie was the captain, who always wore name-brand clothes and had more confidence than the rest of the school. I’d learned later that so much of it was a facade, but from the outside, looking in, I hadn’t known that.

I’d been a loser in high school. Annie and Sutton barely knew my name. I had been on yearbook and in the marching band. I didn’t play the flute anymore. The flute jokes in high school had been enough to make my anxiety peak at a young age. If my home life hadn’t done it. My parents were pull yourself up by your bootstraps people. They’d done it and expected it from their children. It had not gone well for me, especially with my undiagnosed dyslexia and anxiety.

Things were better now. Well, as long as I wasn’t dealing with my mom. Dad had lightened up some over the years. Annie, Sutton, and I had put our differences long behind us. I didn’t know what I would do without them now.

Once the pizza was here, Annie and I curled up on the couch and started a rewatch of Bridgerton. We watched it for the plot. Seriously. Not for the many shirtless Regency men.

“Okay, I have been left in suspense,” I told Annie. “Spill. What’s going on?”

She spun to face me. “Jordan asked me to move in with him.”

I screamed. “Oh my God! That’s so awesome! You said yes, right?”

“Well, I said that I had to check with you.”

“What? Of course you’re going to do it. You already practically live there.”

“Yeah, I know, but you’re my roommate. I wouldn’t want to abandon you without first figuring out our situation.”

“I appreciate it. Situation figured out.”

Annie laughed. “Well, I’m so excited. But what are you going to do? I don’t know anyone who is looking for a place. I’m sure you don’t want to pay rent all by yourself.”

Reality washed back over me. I’d been so happy for Annie that I hadn’t thought about what I was going to do. What was I going to do? I couldn’t afford this house alone. That was for sure. I made good money but not that good, especially after cutting back on the weddings.

Annie held her hands up. “Don’t stress!”

“Like that helps.”

“I don’t want you to have a panic attack. This is why I wanted to talk to you. We can figure it out together. I’m sure there is an easy solution. Even if it means I’m not moving.”

I laughed. “That’s not an option.”

“It is.”

I rolled my eyes at her. “Okay. Maybe we could find another roommate. I don’t know anyone either. Maybe Piper and Blaire do?”

Annie snapped her fingers. “Good idea. You know Piper has that unused third bedroom.”

My eyes widened. “You think she’d want another roommate?”

“Wouldn’t hurt to ask, right?”

“Yeah, for sure. It’s an option.” I smiled at her. “Though I’ll miss these nights.”

“I’m going to crash with y’all all the time.”

“No, you’re not. Not with that hot piece of Wright in your bed.”

Annie burst into laughter. “Did you just say hot piece of Wright?”

I snort-laughed. “I did.”

“Speaking of the other hot piece of Wright ass.”

I buried my face into my hands. “Stop.”

“You and Julian? Tell me the truth. You were being all weird about it yesterday before you disappeared.”

“That was really nothing.”

“And?”

I sighed and lifted my gaze. “He’s coming with me to my brother’s graduation.”

Annie’s eyes whipped wide, and she gasped. “Oh my God, like a date?”

“No,” I said quickly. “It’s not like that. We kind of…agreed to fake date.”

Annie looked skeptical. “Explain.”

“So, I have to go to my brother’s graduation, which my parents are being dumb about. You know how they are.”

She nodded. “Sure.”

She wasn’t around them much, but she’d heard the arguments.

“Anyway, he has a charity function that he planned with Ashleigh for the vineyard. And, well, Ashleigh was at the winery yesterday.”

“What?” Annie gasped.

“Uh, yeah…and Julian and I hid in his office to escape her. But she found us anyway, and he kissed me.”

“He kissed you?!”

“It was fake,” I said, waving her away.

“No. Way! He’s into you.”

“Shush! Let me finish. It made Ashleigh angry, and he thinks having a date there will do the same thing again. But he’s not ready to date, and I’m not dating either. So, we’re going to go as each other’s dates to help one about out.”

Annie crossed her arms and looked at me with a sly smile. “Remember how Jordan and I were all we’re not into each other and we just like sex? Friends with benefits? Blah, blah. That was a lie to get together.”

“This is not like you and Jordan. The two of you couldn’t keep your clothes on the first day you met each other.”

“Whatever.” Annie dismissed the idea so easily. “I will put money on it.”

“We’re not betting on my love life.”

“So, it is a love life?” Annie’s eyes twinkled.

“Sometimes I hate you.”

She cackled. “I know. I’m rooting for y’all.”

“Thanks. But seriously, we’re just friends.”

“You owe me a Coke if you turn out to be more.”

I shook my head. “I’ll give you a whole twelve-pack. He’s not into me.”

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