Friday Night Dinner's

15.

(Brittany's POV)

'Hey, I think we need to talk. I am back next week. Coffee?"

I haven't responded to Santana's message that she sent me almost a week ago now. I don't know how to, I have no idea what to say. I feel like I haven't seen her in forever, I mean it really hasn't been, it has been just under two weeks. But the last time I saw Santana was on that pier where both of our lives got flipped upside down, she told me she used to be in love with me but then didn't give me the chance to ask anything or express how it made me feel. She ran away into the dead of night with Gia, then she never came to the first Friday night dinner after that episode and she isn't going to be there tonight either as she isn't back from The Hamptons yet.

Mia is still pissed at me, she has barely looked at me, touched me or even spoken to me. She has spent as much time at work as possible as have I. Then by the time we are both home, we end up eating in silence and going to sleep. Mia decided to go to her parents for the weekend so she won't be there tonight either. And I can't lie, I am relieved. I can finally have one night to myself where I am with my friends and not worrying about Mia being upset and wondering what's going on in Santana's mind from being in the same room.

I apply the final touches of my makeup as I almost ready to head to Quinn and Rachel's. The usual gang will be there tonight, but Artie, Sam and Kitty have made the special trip out here to spend it with us too. It will be so nice seeing some of the old gang tonight too. I grab my purse, the wine and the dessert I picked up earlier and head out the door and climb into my Uber. We are stuck in a bit of traffic, I reach into my purse for my phone and open up my chat with Santana, her last message still there, just staring at me, waiting for my response. I am surprised Santana hasn't followed it up with any chasing messages, but Santana is prideful, she never chases anyone. I sit and ponder on a potential reply, but my mind draws a blank. Obviously I want to go, I want to see her, but I just don't know what to type back. There are so many things I want answers for now, not having to wait a few more days to get them. But I also know my best friend, if I am allowed to call her that anymore? She isn't going to do anything via text. I mean Quinn had to haul her ass out to The Hamptons to get even the most basic information out of her. I lock my phone and put it back in my purse as my driver pulls over on the opposite side of the road to my friend's apartment building.

I scramble everything together and carefully climb out, cautious of dropping the dessert. "Let me help you with that." I hear a familiar voice right behind me. "SAM!" I cry out in excitement. Sam takes the dessert from me and brings me in for a hug. "Wait, where are Kitty and Artie?" I ask, noticing he isn't with them. "They are already up there. Rachel sent me to the store for matches." Sam shakes a small pack of matches in front of me. "It's so great to see you." I smile, bringing my old friend in for a hug. "Nick coming tonight?" Sam asks me as we cross the street to our friends apartment. "Uh no, we actually broke up." I say with a small smile as he holds the door open for me to walk in. "Oh, sorry to hear that." he says, returning the same small smile. "So you're single?" his question catches me off guard a little. "Uh no actually..." I stutter. We step into the elevator to ride the several floors to the apartment. A silence fills us, no one outside the now immediate gang know I am dating a girl. "Who's the lucky guy?" There is a slightly resentful tone in Sam's voice. I think he has always had a soft spot for me, I kinda broke his heart a little in High School and he always jokes how he never got over it.

"...Actually, I am with a girl. Her name is Mia." I side eye him in anticipation of his reaction. "Oh...cool. Um, that's great! I-I didn't think you were...yanno?" he says getting all awkward and flustered. "Neither did I, but hey it's 2024 right!" I try to joke to lighten the mood. "Well as long as you're happy Britt." Sam gives me a genuine smile. I just smile and don't answer because the truth is I am fucking miserable right now. Finally the doors to the elevator ping open, Sam holds the doors for me to walk out first as he follows me to Quinn and Rachel's door, which I just open without knocking. "YO B!" Artie rolls himself over, with Kitty behind to come and say hello to me. "So good to see you guys!" I smile, giving my friends a hug. "Is that cheesecake?" Kitty observes the dessert in Sam's hands. "Uh yeah." I say. "Don't even think about it Abram's!" she lightly scolds her boyfriend, we all look between them for clarification. "Arthur here has been told he needs to loose a couple of pounds..." Kitty says eyeing her boyfriend. "By who...?" Quinn asks. "His suit maker..." Kitty says, looks like she is kind of smirking?"