She howled with pain as the intruder said, “Poppy? Is that you?”
“What the…” Hopping around on one foot, Poppy bumped into Ashlee and sent them both toppling onto the nearby sofa. Sofa bed. Which was currently a bed with a body-shaped indent where her best friend had just been.
“Why are you sleeping here?”
Ashlee glanced at the sofa bed and Poppy knew her best friend well enough to imagine her trying to come up with a fast excuse. “Would you believe Craig’s place has rodents?”
Poppy shook her head. “Try again.”
“How about an infestation of bed bugs?”
“Nope, still not buying it.”
Ashlee sighed and sank onto the mattress. “We broke up.”
“What?” Poppy collapsed beside her. She hadn’t thought anything could snap her out of her own misery tonight. She’d thought wrong. “I can’t believe this.”
“Believe it,” Ashlee spat out, her fiery retort belied by the hurt in her eyes. “Apparently my rat bastard ex-fiancé is going through some kind of mid-life crisis twenty years too early.”
“I don’t understand…”
“Neither do I.” Tears filled Ashlee’s eyes and spilled down her cheeks. “One minute we’re choosing flower arrangements for the church, the next he’s telling me he needs space.” She held up a shaky hand and ticked off points. “Taking a trip to Hawaii. Changing his job. Buying a new car.”
Poppy didn’t want to ask, but it was the obvious question. “Another woman?”
Ashlee shrugged. “Who knows? Not like he’d admit it.”
“I’ll kill him.” Poppy draped an arm across Ashlee’s shoulders and squeezed. “Say the word and I’ll put a hit out.”
Ashlee’s wobbly smile cut through her tears. “Thanks, but then he won’t get to see me moving on with some hot stud with a bigger…” She wiggled her pinkie and Poppy hugged her harder.
“Could’ve been worse,” Poppy said.
“You think?”
“You could’ve found out after the wedding.”
“Yeah, but then I would’ve had a bunch of sensational toasters and tea kettles to comfort me.”
“You’re cracking jokes. That’s a good sign.”
Ashlee plucked at the hem of her T-shirt. “Want to know the worst part?”
“Does it involve Craig wearing women’s underwear?”
Ashlee snorted. “I never want to picture that jerk naked again, let alone in satin panties.”
Poppy winced. “Sorry. Just trying to lighten the mood. What were you going to say?”
“The worst part of our breakup?” Ashlee’s gaze shifted. “I’m more upset about moving out of his cool apartment than losing him.”
Wow. Poppy had always thought Ashlee and Craig were great together. He could be a little anal at times, but he balanced her bubbly friend nicely. They complemented each other and she hadn’t been surprised when they’d moved in together after six months and got engaged twelve weeks after that.
To learn that a relationship she assumed rock-solid wasn’t only reinforced what she already knew: love sucked.
“Can’t believe I’ve become one of those cliché fiancées, more in love with love itself than the guy I was about to pledge my life to.” Ashlee’s bitter laugh ended on a sob. “What a sap.”
“Hey, you two were great while it lasted. Focus on the good stuff.”
“I guess.” Ashlee sniffled and Poppy plucked a tissue from a box on the table and handed it to her. “You don’t mind me crashing here, ‘til I find a new place?”
“‘Course not. Though you could’ve told me.”
“And interrupt your Vegas honeymoon?”
Vegas. Honeymoon. What a joke. “I’m your BFF. You should’ve…”
Realization struck. When Ashlee had pulled out of Lou’s divorce party, deep down Poppy had sensed something was off beyond the migraine excuse. But she hadn’t pushed, too wrapped up in her own euphoria.
Selfish. Just like her parents. The two people she’d sworn to never be like.
Maybe that’s what love did to people. Made them so egocentric and focused on the object of desire, never mind anybody else.
“What’s wrong?” As if noticing her for the first time, Ashlee pointed at her dress. “And why are you wearing that?”
Poppy knew once Ashlee got on a roll she wouldn’t stop.
“Hang on, why are you even here? It’s three in the morning.”
When Poppy clamped her lips shut and didn’t respond, Ashlee threw her hands up in disgust. “Not you, too. Let me guess, you and The Hottie broke up.”