“How are you so put together?” I ask.
“I didn’t drink half a bottle of tequila by myself, babe. You took two shots to our every one.”
I groan. “I hate past me.”
She chuckles. “It’ll all be okay.”
Maggie brings me my coffee, then sits on my other side.
“Here, take these.” Aspen holds out ibuprofen from the table side.
I swallow the pills, then sip my coffee.
“Thanks.”
“Anytime,” Aspen says.
“Do you want to talk about it now?” Maggie asks.
“Didn’t I complain enough last night?”
Aspen gives me this look. “Not exactly. You mostly complained about Ridge and listed all of his worst qualities over and over again.”
I try to think back to last night. I did spend quite a bit of time talking poorly of the man. I thought he wasn’t so bad after he took care of me after my father died. Now I realize it was all part of the plan. He is the worst person to have ever lived.
“I’m supposed to marry him, and I don’t even like him,” I admit.
“Let me ask you this. Is marrying him that bad? You don’t have to have sex with him. You could live your separate lives and be married,” Aspen says.
“I never wanted to be married, and I definitely don’t want to marry someone I hate. I don’t know. The inheritance doesn’t mean that much to me.”
Maggie nods. “Then you do what’s best for you, and we will support you.”
I feel guilty now. If I do what I planned to do, I will never see either of these women again. Here they are being good friends to me, and I’m already planning my exit strategy.
I clear my throat. “I’m going to go shower.”
“You can shower here,” Maggie offers.
“No. My things are in my car at the clubhouse, and no one will be out this early. I’ll shower there. Thank you, guys, for hanging out with me last night.”
“No thanks needed,” Maggie says.
“It’s what friends do,” Aspen adds.
I leave them there, hating the guilt that settles deeper.
The entire walk back to the clubhouse, I think about what my original plan was. I had hoped to get into my truck and pick a random dot on the map to relocate to. If I didn’t like the place, I would do the same until I found a place to settle. I wasn’t even planning on money from Dad. I have my own little savings that would have lasted me a year or two if I were able to get quick work wherever I ended up.
I can still do that, but it feels wrong now. I thought I would have nothing left here, but Aspen and Maggie proved that wrong last night.
Maybe I can keep in touch with them when I go.
Quietly, I sneak into the room that was once my dad’s. All of his things are still here, as are mine. Without dwelling on it too long, I grab a change of clothes and head to the bathroom down the hall.
Showering doesn’t take long, but I stand under the spray until I no longer feel like the walking dead. After drying and changing, I head out of the bathroom only to bump smack dab in the middle of someone’s chest.
“Ow,” I mumble, my head not enjoying the jolt.