a
part of your life for a long time. It’s only natural you’d feel a
little weird about him moving on.”
Moments like
that, Jasmine was grateful she had a twin. Den just understood her
in a way no one else did, not even Eli or Nellie. She used to think
Eli knew her even better than Den, but if that was true, he would
have known she was treading into dangerous territory with him last
night as she questioned everything she’d once believed about their
friendship.
If he was just
a friend, the thought of him with someone else wouldn’t reduce her
to tears. Drunk or not, those tears had been real, and the morning
after, she still felt like crying. In a few short months, she could
be grieving his engagement to a woman smart enough to appreciate a
great guy when she had him. Unlike Jasmine.
“What’s wrong
with me?” she asked, hiding her face in her arms. “Why do I feel
this way? I love Eli. He’s one of my best friends. I should want
him to be happy; he deserves to be happy.”
“The way you’re
feeling is perfectly normal,” Den said, sliding over to put his arm
around her. “You’ll get used to the idea of Eli having a
girlfriend. Just give it a little time.” He rested his cheek
against her head when she leaned on his shoulder. “Sure, your
relationship may change a little, but just ‘cause he has a
girlfriend doesn’t mean y’all can’t be friends.”
“What if I
don’t want our relationship to change?” That wasn’t true, she did
want their relationship to change, but it didn’t seem fair to tell
Eli that when he was on the verge of finding his happy ending with
someone else. She’d had her chance and she blew it.
“It will,
honey. That’s inevitable. Everything changes eventually.”
Jasmine closed
her eyes, wishing she could go back to bed and pull the covers over
her head.
“The folks
expect you out at the house tonight for dinner. Don’t even think
about making an excuse. You missed last week.” He glanced at his
watch. “Mama said she’d be expecting you at church this morning
too.”
Jasmine groaned
and leaned forward, covering her face with her hands. She’d been
avoiding her parents for weeks. They were always trying to fix her
up with one of the nice boys from church or the son of one
of their friends. She was convinced they were doing their level
best to fix her up with every dull guy they knew so she’d finally
see Eli for the catch he was. They’d gotten their wish… a day too
late. “Do I have to?”
Den laughed and
patted her back. “I went last week. It’s your turn.”
“You suck!”
Jasmine punched him in the thigh with as much strength as she could
muster.
“Grab a bottle
of water, a pain reliever, and hit the shower, girl,” he said,
getting to his feet with a wide grin. “Don’t forget your big girl
panties.”
Jasmine tossed
a pillow at him as he headed for the door. “Get out of here before
I can lay my hands on something heavier.”
He winked at
her. “You be nice now. Mama’s never gonna be able to find you a
husband if you keep up that attitude.”
She reached for
a vase and he leapt for the door. Jasmine couldn’t hide her smile
when she heard him laughing on the other side. Her brother was
always good for a laugh, even when it was at her expense.
Chapter
Three
Eli was nervous about
introducing Belinda to his family. They would make her feel
welcome, that’s just the kind of people they were, but the only
other girl he’d ever brought home was Jamie. He’d naively believed
there’d never be another. Even while she lived in Los Angeles and
he played hockey in New Jersey, he’d believed they would eventually
find their way back to each other. When they returned home no
closer to crossing the friend line, he started to give up on
that dream.
Belinda smelled
the bouquet she’d brought. “I hope your mom will like these.”
Eli turned the
music down when he realized he’d been lost in his thoughts.