"Sorry, I'm getting my fingers all in there..." Gia smiles unapologetically.

"Me too, it's so good!" Shushan giggles, licking her thumb. "Mm, my God! What is this?"

"It's aged cheddar on a dried apricot." I try not to laugh at their pornographic expressions.

They came over two hours after that brief phone call. Now, both are on my couch and I'm on the love seat across from them.

I made a humongous cheese platter with all sorts of goodies — fruits, jams, nuts, crackers, breads. Cheeses from hard to soft, bottles of wine.

Shushan has a strict curfew so she's only here for an hour. And it was her first time meeting Gia and I was a little nervous. But it feels like we've all been friends for years.

"You should take this to your business meetings and make the clients kiss your feet." Shushan says, going for her millionth one. "I'd sleep with you if you bribed me with this."

"Alright..." Gia smirks, dipping her chin down at her. "I see you, kinky Tinker Bell." She turns to me, pointing at Shushan with her thumb. "Where have you been hiding this one?"

"We met recently..." I chuckle.

"Yeah, Luc—" Shushan shuts up, eyes wide on the cheese platter with puffy cheeks. "Sorry."

"It's fine." I smile for her sake, shaking my head. "He's family to you, Shush. I get it."

"Lucas?" Gia warily asks me, voice quieter. "Dude, what happened between you two?"

"I don't want to talk about it." I grimace, starting to fidget. "Sorry..."

"No, no, it's fine!" She waves me off. "You don't have to apologize. It's just... Friday was intense." She raises her eyebrows.

"What happened?" Shush asks. Gia gives me a questioning gaze and I nod at her to continue.

"Well, Layla walked out for... reasons you already know." She says and Shush sinks in her seat. "I wasn't eavesdropping or anything, but I mean, everyone heard Lucas and Grant arguing. They were talking about Layla."

"But you didn't hear what they were saying?" Shush asks, then notices me staring. "I mean, it's none of my business..."

"Guys, stop tip toeing." I scoff. "I'm fine. I'm totally fine."

"You watch Friends, right?" Gia points at me and I nod. "Okay, because you sound like Ross right now when he makes fajitas for his double date with Joey and Rachel."

Shushan falls back, laughing, then picks up her glass of wine and narrows her eyes. "L... is for love, because... what is life without love?"

Gia and I laugh at her Ross impersonation and proceed to finish the lines of the scene.

"What were we talking about?" Shush sways forward, squinting. "Oh... the argument."

"Yeah, anyway." Gia scoots closer on the couch, making us lean forward too. "Then, Lucas storms out and I'm like holy shit he's about to break something, and he charges right at me!" She holds her chest. "The guy is huge! I'm thinking, I did something wrong and try to remember what it might be, but he's already in my face!"

"Lucas?" Shushan snorts, crossing one leg over the other. "Please, my dogs are scarier than him."

"He's vicious at work." I roll my eyes, remember how he was with Ashton's niece. I quickly regret for reliving that memory and pour myself another glass.

"He is! So he looks at me and he goes..." Gia deepens her voice and growls. "Gia—"

Shush and I burst out laughing. Both of these girls love impersonations too much.

"Gia." She continues, now even more in the role. She stands up and puffs her chest, which is comical in her polka dot romper. "I'm leaving." She growls. "Tell Layla I'm not here when she's back."

I scowl and Shushan is confused. Gia squeezes her shoulders and opens her palms.

"I'm like... okay, do you mind giving me some context mister, because I am confusion here." Then she sobers up, as if remembering that the next part isn't funny. She looks at me and speaks with a normal voice. "And he just says that he fucked up and walks away."

"Oh, wow..." Shush drawls. "That's... dramatic."

"Like a telenovela." Gia points a finger.

"Lucas and Layla... the tale of..." Shush tilts her head, waving her hands as if to grasp the right word. "Tale of what?"

"Control." I mutter. "Tale of lies, doubt, and trust issues."

Gia sits back down, tucking her legs under her. "No... it wasn't like that... you guys were so happy every time I'd see you."

"That's true." Shush jumps in. "I mean, I only met you once, but you guys had obvious and insane chemistry. You can't fake that."

"Well, apparently you can." I can't hide the hurt from my voice and fill my wine glass to the rim just to keep myself busy.

"Men suck." Gia raises her voice. "I said it. We're the better gender."

"Oh, of course." Shush says. "They don't know how to talk or act. I feel bad for us." Some loud, high-pitch ringtone plays on her phone and she jumps to her feet with a giddy shrill. "It's Lev!" She shushes us and picks up. "Hi honey!"

Gia deadpans and I stifle my laugh as Shushan waltzes away from the couch to the nearby window, doing long strides with her short legs.

She then freezes and drops her phone then squats down to pick it up, eyes bulging.

"Get out." She stares intensely into nothing as Lev says something, then jolts up like a little meerkat, listening some more. She opens her palm like she's bracing herself. "Get out."

"What's wrong?" I whisper and she kicks the air to shut me up.

"Are you serious?" Her voice gets small and her eyes tear up. "Oh my God..."

"What's going on, is Lev dying?" Gia whispers to me and I scowl. "Pregnant?"

"Oh my God!" Shushan screams and I send a mental apology to my neighbors. "Yes! Yes! Of course! Yes! Yes! Yes!" She hops like a bunny, out of breath. "Okay, okay, talk to you soon!"

I open my mouth to ask what's going on but she's squealing again with a face-splitting grin.

"I'm getting married!" She runs to my front door and yanks it open, dashing out with a victory scream. Gia and I stare after her, stunned as her voice grows distant, then gets loud again as she runs back in. "Phew, that was too much cardio. I'm good." She holds onto her side. "No, I'm not."

"Can you tell us what's going on so we can scream too?" I close my ears as she shrills and does weird arm moves that are either aircraft directions or a TikTok dance.

"Sorry to say his name again, but." She moonwalks, bobbing her head like a pigeon. "But Lucas just called Lev and told him we can use his restaurant to get married. For free."

My heart drops to my stomach.

"What?" I ask.

"Yeah!" She does an Egyptian twist.

"Congratulations?" Gia sheepishly smiles, probably feeling my awkward energy.

"Thank you!" Shushan throws herself at Gia, knocking her back on the couch and landing on top of her. "Oh my God, Gia I've been waiting to wear my wedding dress for so long! I can finally live with Lev! We can have babies!"

Gia squeals with her, wiggling her legs since Shushan is tackling the rest.

I try to bury this sudden sadness inside, mentally scolding myself for being so selfish.

But overwhelming tightness snakes around my chest while I try to smile as much as I can.

"Congrats, Shush... I'm so happy for you."

Shush lifts her head, frowning at me with Gia, silently concerned and sympathetic.

"I'm fine..." I force a chuckle.

"Come." Gia opens her arm that's not wrapped around Shush. "Group hug."

"There's no space."

"Are you calling us fat?" Shush chides, opening her available arm too. "Get in here."

I laugh tearfully at their affection, but most of all their ridiculous position. Lying on the couch with Shushan on top of Gia, their heads turned towards me with arms wide open.

I get up and walk around the coffee table until I'm next to them, Shush twists her back on the headrest, leaving half of Gia open. I lie on my side and spoon her, throwing my arm over Shush. She hugs me back and Gia wraps her arm around my shoulder.

"I feel like we're pickles in a jar right now." Shush giggles after a minute.

"Ooh, sexy." Gia purrs, making me laugh.

"It's gettin' hot in here..." Shush sings, humping Gia. "So take off all your clothes."

"I am gettin' so hot..." Gia sings, voice terrible. "I wanna take my clothes off..."

~

I hate to admit it, but it sucks that Lucas stopped calling after Saturday.

Was that all I was worth? A lousy single day of a fight?

Not that it'd change anything, but it'd make the feeling of missing him a little less shitty if I knew that he was suffering too.

I have no clue what's going on. He quit and is now throwing Lev a wedding. Sounds like everything is going a million miles an hour.

I'm on the same boat though. I enrolled for an online entrepreneurship class and created a to-do list of everything the business will need.

Shush and Gia offered to help and I said no at first. Not only because Shush needs to plan her wedding, but because if they take things off my plate, then I'll have time to think about him.

But they insisted. Gia had already planned her own wedding, which is three months away, so she offered to help Shush with hers if Shush volunteered her face for Gia to practice new makeup on. I ended up with the same duty in exchange for Gia to design my business cards.

So, that's why we're sipping on margaritas at Gia's studio apartment on a Tuesday night. Shush is on her laptop with orange feathers for eyelashes and gold glitter under her eyes. I'm doing the same, but with a skeleton makeup and rhinestones above my eyebrows.

"Best business meeting in the world or what?" Gia smirks, taking a picture of Shush and me. "Going straight on my Instagram."

I ignore the little jump my heart does that Luc— nobody — might see that post.

But I extend my legs on the coffee table to elongate them anyway.

Tilt my chin up a bit too, but make sure it looks like I'm just stretching my tired neck.

For Gia's IG reputation.

Why hasn't he called?

"Is it weird that he hasn't called?" I snap, tired from keeping it in. Shush and Gia give me a look. "I mean... isn't it weird?" I repeat, this time defeated.

Both hesitate, lowering their eyes.

'Who Let The Dogs Out' blasts on Shush's phone that's on the table, flashing Lucas's name.

Must be a different Lucas.

Shush groans at the screen, then freezes as she realizes she's not alone in the room. She keeps her scared eyes on me and declines the call.

"He's probably looking for Lev..." She types something on her phone. "I'll let Lev know."

'I Feel Pretty' rings next and my eyes travel to Gia's phone that was next to Shushan's.

"What..." I furrow my eyebrows as I see Lucas's name again.

"Oh God..." Gia leans forward on her knees, grabbing her phone.

"Do you guys have something to tell me?" I try to mask my irritation, sitting still.

"He calls... a lot." Gia mutters, declining the call. "Asking about you."

"What?"

"Yeah..." Shush admits sheepishly. "Sorry, I didn't want to bring it up, because... I didn't want to make you think about him if you're hurting... but he calls me too."

"Okay, and what do you guys talk about?" I cross my arms, showing my anger now.

"Nothing! I swear to God I keep it super short and boring!" Shush raises her hands.

Gia opens her mouth to answer but her phone rings again. She clicks her tongue and takes a deep breath. She brings her finger to her lips, telling us to be quiet, and puts him on speaker.

"Hey, Lucas..." She drawls sarcastically. "What do you want now?"

"How is she?" His deep voice is quiet and soft, and doubles my pulse. I don't breathe nor move, torn between aching and yearning. It's like he's suddenly here in the room.

"You saw my IG, didn't you?" She chides, smirking at me under her lashes. "You know I'm with her, boy. Why are you calling?"

"I know...I just... I just need to know."

"She's doing fine. Don't worry."

"You sure?" Lucas asks. "Because she can act fine but not be."

"Come on." Gia scoffs, glancing at me. "You think I don't know how to talk to my friend?"

"It's not you... she's just... she can feel guilty. She won't want to burden you. Just... just get ice cream or hug her if you notice it."

Shush looks at me like a puppy and I shift in my seat. The instinct to make myself smaller tenses me head to toe as his voice drapes over me, inside and out with unbearable longing.

"I will..." Gia tries to sound positive. "I hope you're taking care of yourself too."

He's silent for a moment. "Do you have a minute?"

Gia stares at me to ask if I'm okay and I nod. She takes him off speaker and goes to my bedroom. Shush and I busy ourselves with work.

Not really. We're both trying to eavesdrop.

"What do you think he wants?" Shush asks me and I shrug. "What if he's planning something?"

"Like what?"

Gia comes back to the living room and takes a seat. She notices our questioning eyes.

"Work related. He's finishing some projects that he promised to Grant. Was just asking about the shoot schedule for tomorrow's commercial."

"What commercial?" I ask.

"Hershey's. Anniversary theme with lava cakes."

"Sexy!" Shush gasps.

~ A/N~
There's so many weird things happening, huh? Anyone has predictions? Oh, Lucas is making an appearance in the next chapter, I'm curious, how do you guys feel about him right now?