Free Pretty Pink Ribbons by K. L. Grayson

sleepy—you’ll go home and crash, get a good night’s sleep and you’ll wake up refreshed and alert. And somewhere along the way, you might catch a glimpse of Levi.”
    Mia doesn’t know about the ultimatum Levi gave me eight years ago. All she knows is that I left him. She thinks I chose school over him and walked away . . . which is what I did. But it’s not the whole story. I don’t want her to know the whole story because I don’t want her to think poorly of Levi.
    Yes, he gave the ultimatum, but I pulled the trigger. I made the choice, and if she is going to think poorly of anyone, I want it to be me. However, this is Mia and she’ll never think poorly of me. She just tells me I was young and stupid, and if I really want him back in my life, I need to do a little groveling. Which I’m prepared to do . . . if he ever shows his face and gives me the chance.
    “Fine,” I concede, knowing it’s much easier to comply with her. “What are you going to do until I get off?” She tosses my shoes on the bed with the rest of my outfit and starts digging through her suitcase.
    “I’m probably going to hang with Benny.” Her head pops up over the edge of my bed. “Maybe I can get him to come out with us.” She looks hopeful so I really don’t want to burst her bubble, but Benny doesn’t go out. If he does, he sure as hell wouldn’t go to Blue. Benny isn’t a ‘club’ kind of guy.
    “Good luck with that,” I mumble, slipping on my shoes. “I’ll text you when I get off.”
    “Sounds good,” she says, her head once again buried in her suitcase. Shirts are flying left and right, and I duck when a sandal flies at my head.
    “And you’ll bring my outfit so I can change when you get there?” I ask.
    “Yup.” I duck again but not soon enough, and I take a red lace bra to the face.
    “Mia, how many clothes did you bring?” I toss the bra on the floor at the same time she pops back up with a black scrap of material clutched in her hand.
    “Got it!” She wiggles her hips in excitement and waves the silky shirt in front of her. “Benny is going to shit when he sees me in this.”
    Well, that catches my attention. A cat-ate-the-canary grin slips into place at the thought of my two friends hooking up. “You have a thing for Benny,” I taunt, resulting in a stink eye from Mia.
    “Do not,” she huffs. “I just think it’s fun to mess with him”—she shrugs—“and he’s sort of hot so . . .” She trails off and I shake my head.
    “Please don’t play games with him. He’s been through a lot,” I say, no longer joking. She looks up at me and I half expect her to ask me what all he has been through, but she doesn’t. I’m glad because it’s not my story to tell.
    “I won’t play games with him, Lane,” she says, her face sober. “I really like Ben. He’s a great guy.” Ben? Since when does she call him Ben?
    “So he’s Ben, huh?” I tease . . . sort of. I really want to know what that’s about.
    “I don’t know.” She sits on the bed again and fiddles with the hem of her shirt. “We’ve been hanging out the past couple of days that you’ve been at work and we’ve had a lot of fun together. I enjoy spending time with him.”
    Mia hasn’t always had the best luck with men and most of the guys that she associates with aren’t so ‘great,’ so I’m sure she appreciates being around someone as kind and attentive as Benny. Even if he calls her every princess name known to mankind.
    I pat her leg and she looks at me. I’m not sure what I see floating around in her eyes, but it almost looks like she wants my approval.
    “Have fun tonight,” I say with a wink, reaching for my purse. She follows me through the house, and I stop to grab my recipe book then shove it in my purse. Just as I reach for the door, it opens and Benny walks in. I give him a knowing smile and push past him. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” I throw over my shoulder as I walk to my car. I swear I