Second Lies (The Second Life Series) by Jessica Cruz Read Free Book Online

other every, single day.”
    She lifted her hand for me to stop and exhaled.  She wrapped me into a hug and just held me there.  Very few things in my life had ever felt so good.  She pulled away, and my skin tingled with her absence. “I’ve missed you, too.  I almost called you a hundred times.”
    I burst into tears.  Fuck, I felt like such a girl.  All these emotions roamed rampant inside of me.  It was like as soon as I confronted one, all the feelings from everything else poured out.  I hugged her again and whimpered, “Can we be friends again?”
    “Yes,” she cried back, and we just stayed there, crying and laughing like two idiots.  Finally, we pulled away from one another and wiped our tears. “Let’s do something tomorrow if you’re free.”
    This felt like it needed to be more complicated.  Our friendship was simple and easy, but there was still that hurdle we were dealing with.  Gloria loved me.  I didn’t want to hurt her again. “Should we talk about…?” My voice trailed off.
    “They were misplaced emotions,” she gazed at me with a weak smile on her face. “You made me realize that.” She started throwing some things in her purse. “I’m a lesbian, Adriana…Duh.” She laughed. “Zoe wasn’t my roommate.  She was my girlfriend.  We broke up just before I met you when things were at their worst.  That’s why she was never at the apartment and fucking me over with bills. You and I had fun together.  You made me smile again.  I thought I was in love with you because I was so angry with her, but then you gave me what I wanted…and snatched that all away from me with your next breath.” I ran a ha nd through my sweaty, oily hair, completely uncomfortable. “I’m glad you did it though.  You woke me up, forced me to get my shit together.” She watched me.  I felt like I was going to fall apart. “Thank you, love bug.”  There was a knock at the door.  She grinned. “And that would be my first real date in God only knows how long.”
    Gloria sauntered over to the door.  When she opened it, a tall, slender woman greeted her.  They gave each other a short kiss, and I gulped at the sight.  My nerves pricked.  Gloria took the woman by the hand and smiled, “This is my best friend, Adriana.  Adriana, this is my date, Vicki.”
    Vicki was pale white with bleached blonde hair that was shaved on one side and left choppy and long on the other.  She was dressed in baggy jeans and a t-shirt with a band logo I’d never seen before on it.  A vine tattoo wrapped itself around her arm.  If Zoe was Gloria’s ex, then she was looking for a complete change in looks with Vicki.
    “Hi,” Vicki put out her hand, and I shook it. “Good to meet you.”
    “Yes,” I looked back and forth between her Gloria.  I gulped, seeing my opportunity to exit. “I should let you guys get to your date.  It was great meeting you, Vicki.” I nodded at Gloria, thinking so many thoughts I couldn’t say out loud. “Call me tomorrow.  We should meet up.  Bye Gloria!  I’m glad we’re friends again!”
     
    “It was the most awkward moment of my life,” I groaned as Wes hovered over the stove, heating up ground meat. “How did I go all this time without knowing my best friend is a lesbian?  I mean, I have nothing against her lifestyle choices, but I just wish I knew.  She shouldn’t have kept me in the dark.”
    “And you kept me in the dark,” he seasoned and stabbed at the meat. “Why didn’t you tell me you and Gloria got into a fight?”
    “I didn’t want to talk about it,” I looked down at the granite slab that surfaced the island, tracing nonexistent circles with my index finger. “She was my best friend.  It felt so private.  It felt personal.”
    “You can tell me anything, private or not, no matter whom it involves,” Wes set the table with salsa, lettuce, sour cream and cheese.  He put two beers out for us and then began pouring the meat into hard shells.