Chapter 76

Besides, Bethany’s in New York, Dana assured herself. Not here. God, not here.

But when she walked into Denny’s, sure enough, there sat her former roommate and the only woman she’d ever loved, leaning over a menu in a booth off to her right. Dana stopped and stared, a deer in headlights, unsure of what to do. Part of her wanted to turn around and walk back out right this instance, just leave, but her stomach grumbled in protest at thatidea. Maybe she could duck into the bathroom, then, or sneak into a booth on the opposite side of the diner, out of sight, before Bethany looked up and noticed her standing there—

“Hey, honey,” a waitress drawled. “Sit anywhere you like. The usual?”

Bethany glanced up idly and saw Dana watching her, then did a double take. For a moment they studied each other warily like two alley cats, each unsure of what the other planned to do. Run,a voice inside Dana whispered. Now, while you still can. Just go…

But this was herhometown. Why should shebe the one to leave?

So instead she asked, “What are youdoing here?”

Folding up her menu, Bethany said simply, “Looking for you.”

“What?” Dana took a step towards her friend’s booth. When Bethany nodded at the empty seat across from her, Dana dropped into it without thinking. “How’d you know where to find me?”

“Your mother kept hanging up every time I called,” Bethany explained.

So she had called. The thought made Dana lightheaded with relief. Bethany hadn’t forgotten about her after all.

“The last time,” Bethany said, “she told me to stop bothering you. Not her—you. Which told me you were here after all, even though she’d said before that you weren’t.”

Dana scoffed. “Where the hell else would I be?”

“I know, right?” Bethany laughed, as if they were still friends. Despite what had happened, despite the time that had passed, they fell back into their friendship as easily as if it were a comfortable old sweater. Dana liked what that said about them. “I mean, hello? If Iwere the one who had just up and left, I’d have gone back to my parents’, too.”

With a shake of her head, Dana tried to clear her thoughts. “That’s all fine and good, but I meant…how’d you find me here? At Denny’s? At like, six in the fucking morning?”

“It’s almost seven,” Bethany said, defensive. “And I didn’t knowyou were going to be here specifically. Since I couldn’t get a hold of you on the phone, I thought I’d come down and see you in person. I drove all night.”

“You’re shitting me.” Dana didn’t know whether to be impressed at her loyalty or worried about her sanity. “From New York?”

Bethany shrugged. “I missed you,” she said simply.

Dana didn’t respond, just let the words sit for a moment so she could savor them. She wasn’t quite ready to admit she missed Bethany, too.

After a moment, the waitress appeared with a glass of grapefruit juice—Dana’s “usual”—and set it down on the table between them. “Here you are, honey,” she drawled. “You and your friend ready to order, yet?”

Dana and Bethany shared a look. Even though they hadn’t spoken in over a month, Dana could still read her friend well enough to know they weren’t finished talking yet. “Give us a minute, will you?” she asked.

With a nod, the waitress disappeared.

Bethany folded her hands over her menu and finished her story. “I got off the interstate and saw the Denny’s, and thought I’d stop in for a bite to eat. Remember we used to go to the one up by school all the time at like three in the morning? I’ve never actually been in one during the day. But I figured it was way too early to go by your house, so I’d—wait a minute, what are youdoing here so early?”

Dana rolled her eyes. “I just got off work. Long story. You don’t want to hear it, trust me.”

“That’s just it, I do.” Reaching across the table, she covered Dana’s hand with hers. “Look, I know things went bad between us, and I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I got so caught up at work, I didn’t realize—”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Dana pulled her hand out from beneath Bethany’s and held it up between them to stop her. “I’m the one who screwed things up between us. It should be me saying I’m sorry, not you. I should’ve never kissed you.”

A faint line furrowed between Bethany’s brows when she frowned. “Why? Didn’t you mean it?”

Dana sat back, surprised by the question. “I—well, I was drunk.”

“You said you loved me,” Bethany pressed. “Or don’t you remember?”

Oh, Dana remembered clearly; she hadn’t been thatdrunk.