• Rose In The Dark • (GxG)

Chapter Seventeen

Milan

"Perhaps I should be rethinking my life choices right about now, I could've at least gone out for coffee with some people, good God-"

Stifling laughter while pushing the cart around Trader Joes,' I imagined an eye roll with her words, finding the serious dilemma in her tone hilarious.

"Baby, I don't have many friends either so it's okay, we're in this together."

"Yeah but you have your sister, and all I have is idiot Darryl-" There was definitely an eye roll with that one.

"I'm sure Darryl would make a great bridesmaid honey."

"Milann-"

"Baby I can't crap on your brother, he's your brother," I giggled while picking up the specific bread that she likes. "I'm only trying to cheer you up my love- Plus you have Lisa, who we both adoree," I offered with an optimistic smile in my voice.

"I know I knoww," she whined, widening my smile against the phone. "But I need someone else, since there's also Aspen for you."

Sipping on my iced coffee as I strolled, I gasped to myself with an 'o' forming in my mouth. "Oh what about Judge Reese- what's her name again? Charlotte?"

"Yeah her name's Charlotte," Noah sighed softly. "And she is pretty decent, she's probably one of the handful of colleagues that I don't find irritating."

"You two had lunch once didn't you?"

"Yes, it was nice," she replied, letting me know she already figured what I was about to say next.

"Maybe you should ask her this time babe-" At her immediate groan in response, I laughed while getting into the checkout line. "I'm sure she'd love to and I think you two would be great friends."

"Having friends is so much work thoughh," she said, leaving me to imagine an adorable pout on her lips. "They're so needy with my time and attention, and the constantly poking in my business-"

"Baby the ones you told me about in the past that did that weren't truly your friends. They're what you call fake," I told her while offering a kind smile to the male cashier. "True friends respect your boundaries and cherish you for you, they shouldn't require any more or any less. Friendships aren't supposed to drain you, love, they're supposed to support and uplift you."

Silence fell and I could tell that she was thinking on my words, possibly pursing her lips with a glance downward.

"I don't think I've had a friend in a very long time then..." my fiancé muttered softly, causing my eyebrows to draw just the same. "Besides you, but you hardly count-"

Playfully hanging my mouth open as I disbursed our groceries into the car, I cracked a humorous smile. "I consider you my best friend, Noah Jackson, I'll have you know."

"And you're mine, but baby that's also the problem," she chuckled, as did I. "Because you're my fiancé and a friend is probably the last on the list of things that you are to me, love."

The coo of her words spurred a pout in my bottom lip as I started the car, wishing that we were in person instead of on the phone. "I miss you..."

A pause followed my words before she whispered, "I miss you too..." And the depth of her tone made me nibble at my lip with a sheepish sigh. She did the same just moments after. "Ugh- You're supposed to be talking me up to keep working, not making me wanna go home."