Hannah shakes her head and says no, she wants to stay in, and pizza sounds great. She then turns and walks to her bedroom.
The second she’s gone, Lainey picks up Hannah’s phone, enters her passcode, and starts looking through her texts.
“Uh, what are you doing?” I ask.
“Nothing.”
She keeps scrolling, then takes a photo of Hannah’s screen with her own phone.
“Lainey! Get out of there.”
“I’m just getting Grady’s number.”
“Why?”
“I have some follow-up bidness,” she says.
“Have you ever heard the expression ‘Quit while you’re ahead’?”
“Have you ever heard the expression ‘Nevertheless, she persisted’?” she fires back at me. “I know what I’m doing here. Just order our pizza.”
When Hannah returns to the living room, she’s in pajamas. Her eye makeup is gone, her face red and blotchy. It’s clear she’s been crying.
“Do you want to talk about it?” I gently ask her.
She shakes her head. “No. Can we just talk about something else? Will you distract me?”
I nod, give her a smile, and say, “Okay. So, funny story. You’re not the only one who broke up this weekend.”
Hannah looks back at me, wide-eyed. “You and Nicole broke up?”
“Yep.”
“When?” she asks.
“Last night.”
She gives me a worried look. “Why have you waited to tell us?”
“Because we had bigger fish to fry,” I say.
“Gosh, Tyson. I’m so sorry,” Hannah says.
“Who did it?” Lainey asks.
I tell them it was mutual—that we have different priorities—hoping that they won’t press me on the details.
Of course Lainey does, and I finally just admit what happened. “She didn’t approve of my decision to quit my job.”
“Oh my God!” Hannah says. “You quit your job and broke up with Nicole? What on earth is going on?”
I shrug and say, “It was time to make a change.”
Hannah stares at me, wringing her hands. “Did either thing have to do with you coming here?”
“Not really,” I say. “I mean, the trip may have been a catalyst, but both things needed to happen—”
“Shit. I knew it,” Hannah says, shaking her head. “I feel awful.”
“Well, I feel liberated.”
“Congratulations on your newfound freedom!” Lainey says. “This is great news! Now you can come on our trip!”
“And what trip might that be?” I ask.
“The trip Hannah and I are taking. In lieu of her honeymoon.”
I glance at Hannah, and she shrugs, giving me a look that says, Just humor her.
“Oh yeah?” I say. “Where are you guys headed?”
“We haven’t decided. Maybe Bora-Bora or the Maldives,” Lainey says.
“Terrific,” I deadpan.
Her eyes light up. “Yay! So you’re in?”
“Nah. I don’t like the beach,” I say.
