ˢʷᵉᵉᵗ ʳᵉˡⁱᵉᶠ, ᶜᵃˡˡᵘᵐ ᵗᵘʳⁿᵉʳ

12

12 - who else hates tabloids?

CARMEN'S HOME
los angeles, california
march 12, 2024
wednesday
12pm

i was filling carmen, penny, ivy and daisy in on what happened between callum and i. carmen sat on her overstuffed couch, looking engrossed by my story. penny was sitting next to her, listening intently. ivy was lounging on an armchair, looking intrigued. and daisy was sprawled on the floor, sketching in her notebook, but she was clearly paying attention.

i sat in the center of the group, recounting the events of the past few weeks. "so, after we left the park," i said, pausing dramatically for effect.

carmen rolled her eyes, clearly used to my flair for drama. "come on, get to the good part," she huffed, clearly anticipating something juicy.

"well we took the kids for lunch and then after we went back to place and kylie picked up the kids and then he was about to leave and..." i looked at the girls.

they were all focused on me, clearly impatient for the details. penny leaned in slightly, her eyes wide. "and what happened?" she asked, sounding almost breathless.

i paused for a beat, building the suspense. i could feel the girls hanging on my every word. "well," i began, drawing out the moment. "he leaned in, and we kissed."

the girls all gasped, their eyes bugging out. "you kissed?!" carmen exclaimed. penny squealed, sounding excited. ivy raised an eyebrow, looking slightly impressed. and even daisy looked up from her sketchbook, clearly intrigued.

"and you're fully over jacob?" ivy asked wanting to make sure i was mentally and emotionally ready for what callum has to offer.

ivy's question snapped me back to reality. i knew she was just looking out for me, after the breakup. i took a moment to consider her words. "i think i am," i said finally, my voice sure. "jacob's in the past. callum is different. i feel so much more alive around him."

carmen smiled at me, looking satisfied with my response. "good," she said, giving me a firm nod. "callum seems like a solid guy. he's hot as hell too."

"oh, i know," i replied, feeling a little bashful.

penny nodded, looking eager for more details. "was it a good kiss?" she piped up, her eyes practically sparkling.

i chuckled, thinking back to the kiss. "it was a great kiss," i admitted, my cheeks heating up. "i could barely think straight afterwards."

"that's how it's supposed to be," carmen said, sagely. "a good kiss should make you forget your own name."

i nodded in agreement. "it definitely did that."

ivy was still looking at me intently, clearly analyzing my every word. "and you're sure callum isn't just a rebound?" she asked, her voice gentle but firm.

i appreciated ivy's concern. "no, he's not a rebound," i said, my voice certain. "jacob doesn't even cross my mind when i'm with callum. unless we talk about him."

carmen nodded approvingly. "good."

penny looked like she was about to combust with excitement. "so what happens now? are you guys together?" she asked, her eyes wide.

i shook my head, suddenly feeling nervous. "we haven't talked about it yet," i admitted. "we've just been hanging out and having fun. i think there's something there, but i don't know if he wants to pursue anything serious."

ivy gave me a sympathetic look. "just be careful," she said, her tone motherly. "don't let yourself get too attached if he's not on the same page as you."