Futures Part Eight

fiction
Futures Part Seven

Emily's phone buzzed. She looked at it then turned it face down and pushed it away.

"Olivia?"

"Yes. She's texted a few times. I just...it's been months."

Jacob nodded, "Yeah, it's been months. If she's reaching out it's probably important, right?"

"How can you be so calm about it? She believed Jayde over knowing you would never do anything like that."

"Jayde is her girlfriend. And she told you that she thought Jayde probably misinterpreted what was going on but that she needed to respect her feelings."

"She needed to stand up for you a little more."

"I'm fine. And honestly I figured that cutting ties with you completely would end up bugging her more than if I had gotten my back up and pushed back. I'd read the texts and see what's up if I were you. I think you'll regret it if you let this be the end of your friendship."

Emily sighed. "Fine."

"Oh, oh wow." Emily scrolled and read pages of text messages.

"What?"

"You know the Senator that was blocking the bill Olivia was working on with Senator James?"

"Yeah..."

"She's dead. Like some sort of really scandalous death too. Olivia is trying not to sound too excited, I mean the woman is dead, but I can tell from the texts that she's amped."

"And she's sending the messages to you?"

"Yeah, she said that she knew I'd understand how she's excited instead of pretending to mourn the woman. She said, 'Even when I'm an asshole I know you love me' and then 'and I've been an asshole' so I guess that's my apology? Though she really should have sent one to you."

"Well, she did. Sort of. She sent me a care package of jerky from Tillamook. She remembered how much I liked it when we visited back in school."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"I would have if you hadn't started answering her texts soon. But I wanted you to move before I pushed you."

"That's kind of sneaky."

"Only kind of though. I think of it more like not being manipulative. Olivia and I will have to have a talk, but it will be seperate from the one you two have to have. And I would assume we will all have to talk with Jayde as well. Which will be trickier. I mean, I don't want her to feel uncomfortable around me, but I also really don't know how to be her friend if I'm not allowed to ask her about herself. But that's probably something we need to ease into."

"I just sent Olivia a message asking if Jayde knows she reached out and where that stood with all of us."

"Or, yeah, you could jump right in with the conversation instead of easing."

"It's been months. She could have eased months ago. Now we jump."