I Blame Wattpad for My High Expectations of Men

Chapter 29 - Do you care about me?

~Flashback Continued~

~Monday, November 21, 2016 - Later that Evening~

"So, wait. You're telling me that Dylan had a lake house out in the Santa Ynez Mountains all this time, and we're just now hearing about this?" Kelsey shrugs her shoulders, slightly surprised by the information herself.

"Apparently," she responds. "Hayden says that he and the guys always throw a massive party the big weekend before Thanksgiving break. The only reason they're having it on a Monday this year is because Dylan couldn't get the keys from his parents until this morning, something about them needing to make a second copy or whatever. My point is, they're picking us up in half an hour, so get ready."

"Nah, it's cool. I'll just text Dylan to send me the address and I'll drive up there myself." Kelsey gives me a deadpan expression.

"Seriously, Lola?"

"What?" Kelsey sighs, plopping down onto my bed right next to me.

"How long are you going to keep up this 'avoiding Ace' facade? Alright, I get it. He said some shit that he shouldn't have but you yourself said that you know he didn't mean it. Also, that still doesn't justify the fact that you were still avoiding him before the janitor closet incident even happened. You were being unfair to him first before he was ever unfair to you." I sigh.

Kelsey was right, she was absolutely right but my fear was much stronger than anything at the time, even my sense of logic.

"I know." I look down to my laced fingers. "And I hate being like that. I miss my old carefree self, Kells. Not whoever this is that's letting some petty ass reason change entirely who she is."

"Well, first," she says, tilting my chin up for me to look at her, "it's not a petty ass reason. It's your first time falling for anyone, like ever, and that's not petty at all. If anything, it's beautiful. And second, if I sensed that even an ounce of my crazy ass best friend was gone, I wouldn't be sitting here still calling her my best friend." She smiles, reaching for my hand to put it in between hers. "You're still you, girl. You're just a bit out of it after everything that you've discovered lately, but believe it or not, you're still hanging in there like the badass you are. Do you know many people would have cried if they were put in your situation back in that janitor's closet? Yet you still stood your ground 'cause you're Lola FUCKING Dino, the girl that lets nothing faze her besides her commitment fear, which I have a pretty good feeling will also be vanishing someday soon. You're fucking amazing, Lola and I'm sorry if I don't tell you that enough but then again, neither one of us have ever been the sappy type, so...," she trails off, making me chuckle at how true that last statement is.

I then look at Kelsey Ramona Fayer, completely astonished for two different reasons: one, what in the name of Sour Patch Kids did I ever do to deserve someone as amazing as her for a best friend; and two, why hasn't she dumped my sorry ass a long time ago? I don't deserve her in my life, I honestly don't, yet here I am still lucky enough to hug the shit out of her right now.

"I love you, Kells. Seriously, I do. I don't tell you that enough, but I swear I do." She chuckles in my hair, hugging me back just as tight.

"I know you do and I love you too, which is why no matter what, you and I will always have each other's backs. Crazy or not, single or not, we'll always have each other," she says, and I know she means every word 'cause I mean it, too.