Meeting Mr. Wright Read Free Page A

breath and stretch out my arms, sinking back against the cab of the truck. “It was better than good. It was…amazing.” I know that’s not the right word to describe it, but I can’t think of another one that will do it justice. Maybe there isn’t a word that will do it justice.
    “Who was it?”
    “Just some guy I met,” I tell her.
    “So you just said goodbye and that was that?”
    I can tell that Gabby is having difficulty grasping the fact that I’ve done something like this. Truthfully, that it stuns her makes me proud in an odd sort of way. It makes me feel less predictable, like maybe I’m not as boring as I think I am, not boring enough to push Ethan to look for entertainment elsewhere.
    “I actually didn’t say goodbye to him,” I admit. “I kind of left while he was sleeping.”
    “That is so not like you,” she says. She almost sounds proud.
    “I know.” I don’t tell her that I regret leaving the way that I did, that I wish I had gotten his number. No good can come from that admission. “I’m just moving on, I guess.” That part is true.
    “Really?” She takes a sip of her hot chocolate. “In that case, I need to tell you something, too.”
    I know by the tone of her voice that this ’something’ is going to be a thing that I don’t want to hear. She says the words slowly and deliberately, like she’s defusing a bomb.
    “Doesn’t the sky look like a watercolor?” I look up, mainly to avoid Gabby’s gaze. I’m an expert avoider.
    “Callie.”
    “You know, I’ve been thinking. Maybe I should move out here. I like the country, and it’s as pretty as Texas but more temperate. It doesn’t feel like we’ve walked through the gates of Hell when we step outside here.”
    “Callie,” Gabby says again, still sounding so patient. She lets me work through things in my own way, in my own time. It’s one of the things that I love most about her.
    I stop talking and stare straight ahead. I prefer not to look at the bullet when it’s coming straight at me. I’m pretty sure I know what this one is anyway.
    “He’s bringing someone.”
    Despite my efforts to avoid it, it hits me right in the chest. In the heart. But the thing is, I thought the words would hurt more than they do. They sting, it’s true, but it’s not the gut-wrenching pain I was expecting. Still, I sigh, looking to my right across the hilltops, hating myself for telling Gabby and Ben that I wouldn’t mind if they invited Ethan to the wedding. Ethan and Ben have known each other for years, though. How could I have said no?
    “It’s not her is it?” I’m not sure I could handle him bringing the girl he cheated on me with. I would be surprised if Ethan did something that tacky, but I never thought he’d cheat on me, either.
    “No, it’s someone else. Someone new.”
    That makes me feel marginally better, despite the fact that he’s obviously moving on quickly. “Okay.”
    “I’m sorry,” Gabby says, her eyes full of sadness. “I shouldn’t have invited him.”
    “It’s okay,” I say, smiling. And it is okay. “He’s Ben’s best friend. Him not being invited would be like me not being invited, which would be completely unacceptable.”
    Gabby smiles, and I decide then and there not to let Ethan’s presence bother me. For her sake.
    “When’s he coming?” I ask.
    “Tonight. I don’t think he plans on hanging out with us very much. He wanted to bring someone with him so he wouldn’t be-”
    “I don’t need to know.” I sigh and hold up my thermos. “Why didn’t you bring something to spike this with? I’m going to need something a lot stronger than hot chocolate if I’m going to make it through the next week.”
    “Oh, I think you’ll be all right,” she replies playfully. “I’ve got something planned for you to take your mind off things.”
    I can see the mischievous glint in her eyes, and I know better than to ask her what’s coming. Besides, it’s much too beautiful of a