Best friend's Baby Sister [END]

BFBS : 33

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Chapter 14
REBECCA

I've shaved every unwanted hair from my body. I've plucked and tweezed, put on makeup only to take it off and put it on again, and curled my hair three times.

But I'm not trying to look good for Freen Sarocha.

She saw me in my natural element yesterday at work, wearing office clothes and my hair in a ponytail. And then she saw me last night in all kinds of ways, and it's not like I woke up looking like an Instagram model or anything.

I take my sunglasses off my head and my hair gets stuck. I pull it free, put it on, and pay my fare as I get out of the cab. It's nice out today, a little breezier than yesterday, but the air is humid and the wind is welcome.

Freen texted me a little while ago and said the convention was over, but the medical director of a major hospital invited her for a drink at the hotel bar. She didn't think it would take long and it was too good an opportunity to pass up. I've encouraged her to go because this hospital happens to be in Chicago, and for selfish reasons I'd like her to get a job in the city.

I look through the crowd and somehow see her right away. She looks up at the same time and smiles as soon as our eyes meet.

"Hey," I say as we meet. She stops just inches from me and takes me in her arms, leaning back a little for a kiss.

"Hey to you too." She runs her hands down my arms. "What's this?"

"Oh, I got you something."

"You did?"

"I got it on a whim. I saw it at a market I was walking through and thought, "Well, just look at it and you'll see.

She takes the shopping bag from me, opens it, and pulls out a wool fedora. Looking at it, I'm afraid she won't get it.

"Is it an Indiana Jones hat?" she asks.

"Yes!"

"I like it." She smiles and puts it on, and even Harrison Ford would be jealous.

She pulls me in and kisses me again. "Wait, there's an Indiana Jones market?"

"No, just some weird guy at a pop-up selling hats. He told me I had beautiful feet.

She chuckles. "I guess so, though it's hard to look past your tits in that dress."

I shimmy and wiggle my eyebrows. "That's the point of a push-up bra." We break up and Freen takes my hand and walks down the sidewalk. "Are you hungry?"

"Starving."

"I figured. We can get the famous Chicago pizza you like. Oh! Or try fried rice with cheese. What do you feel like?"

"Other than you? Pizza."

"I knew it. And good, because I made us a reservation."

I grab my soda, slide it in front of me, and take a sip. Even with the wind, the walk from the hotel to the restaurant was warm. I'm sitting across from her, waiting for our pizza to arrive. Neither of us said much, and the conversation stopped halfway through.

I don't get it.

We were so great before. Even better afterwards. And now...it's weird again, like neither of us knows what to say. Probably because we don't want to, and trying to talk about it is going to be really awkward. She lives in Indy. I live here. Eastwood is in the middle, and while I have a good reason to make the trip as often as I want, she doesn't.

She and Heng keep in touch, but they don't hang out like they used to. And Freen works so much.

"Have you and Heng started planning the bachelor party?" I ask, needing to say something before things get worse.

"We tossed around a few ideas. Vegas was one of them."

"That sounds fun."

"What about the bachelorette party?"

"I'm not sure if I'm invited. I like Nam and I think it's mutual. What's not to like, right?" I joke and Freen laughs. "But she's down there and I'm up here. Besides, I don't know her friends."

"I thought people in small towns knew everybody."

"Oh, I know who they are. They're older than me, so we never talked in high school or anything. And then I left and never came back."

"You said you liked it here, didn't you?"

I nod. "I do. Despite the high crime rate, it's progressive and fun, and I've made some really good friends here."

"That's good."

I sip my soda again, wondering how long it's been since we ordered that pizza. She leans back in the booth and looks out the window.

"If you go to Eastwood, you'll have to, uh, let me know."

"Yeah. I will." She puts one hand on the table, drumming her fingers. She wants to say something, but she is nervous. It's kind of cute. "I'm not sure when it'll be, though."

"I thought you might. I know you're super busy with work and you haven't come up in what, years?"

"It's been a while."

"It's nice that you are still friends. Not many people stay friends that long."

Freen's brow furrows. "Yeah. He was a good friend." She looks at me, takes a breath, and opens her mouth to speak. I know the words that are about to come out will hurt. I brace myself, expecting her to remind me that I'm Heng's little sister and that she regrets everything that happened last night and that we can never talk about it again.

— TBC 🐻