Princess Charming (gxg)

Part 55

6 months later

"Did you get highlights? They look great."

I said this to Victoria as she walked into my apartment.

"I did." Victoria grinned at me, "I needed a little bit of a change."

"Well, it looks really nice". I said, "Come into the dining room, everyone is here."

Victoria followed me into the dining room- where Hallie, Felix, Cora, Larissa, and my niece- Zara.

Everyone greeted Victoria as we walked in, and Hallie came up to her and gave her a quick hug.

"Hey." she said, "Good to see you."

A month after Hallie and I got married- Victoria called me.

I had unblocked her number after seeing her on my birthday, and I was surprised when I saw her call me.

It was a Friday night, and I was walking out of the gym. I was almost at my car when I felt my phone vibrate in my hand. I did a double take when I saw it was Victoria.

I answered, "Hello?"

Right away I could hear in her voice that she was upset.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Alina. I just...I don't know. I'm kind of struggling."

As I sat in my car and spoke to her for over a half hour, it reminded me of the time when I had called her after I walked out of my job at Starbucks.

Victoria and her boyfriend, Dean, had broken up. She was hoping to move toward living together and getting engaged- and he just wasn't on the same page. Work was stressing her out. And her and Hallie's older sister, Leah, had moved to South Carolina, so she was feeling lonely without her.

Toward the end of the conversation, she asked me, "How is Hallie doing?"

"She's good." I said, "Um, we got married."

"Oh!" Victoria said- and I couldn't quite read her tone, "Congratulations. I'm happy for you."

The next night, we got dinner. It was a little weird at first- but slowly we slipped into conversation that felt natural. And by the end of dinner, we were getting along very well.

This was right before Hallie and I moved into our apartment. Much of the room was packed up, and Hallie asked me when I got home, "Did you have a good time?"

"It actually was nice, yes." I said, "Do you...mind? That I got dinner with Victoria?"

"I've told you before that I don't mind at all if you are friends with her. I just want to make sure you don't get hurt again. I know she said some pretty hurtful things to you." Hallie said.

"I know." I said, "I'm being cautious, believe me."

Victoria and I grew closer again- and the first time she came over to mine and Hallie's apartment- a two bedroom, two bathroom space that was very close to The Alcove- I could tell Hallie didn't want much to do with her.

I didn't blame her at all. I could tell that Victoria was trying to talk to her though.

After Victoria left, I said to Hallie, "She doesn't have to come over again if you're uncomfortable with it."

"No, no. It's not that I'm uncomfortable." Hallie said, "It's just...weird. I'm so used to her just always being cold with me. And thinking I'm annoying. So it was odd that she was trying to strike up conversation with me."'

"I understand." I said, "I'm not going to try to push you to talk to her."

"But I should be a little bit nicer?" Hallie sighed.