Healing Haven - Book 2 in Haven Series [Complete]

17| Who runs the world? Girls!

"Men!" Furious, Alyssa slammed her front door with a snarl, turned to glare at Cleo, perched atop the couch back. She blinked up at her with bemused green eyes, as if to say, 'Tell me about it. Who needs em?'

"Damn straight," she said, stooping to kiss Cleo's head and scratch behind her ears. "Who needs the bastards, eh?"

If only the rest of her felt as strongly. Two years. Two god damn years without a man, to go unloved, unwanted, untouched was torture. She'd made the mistake the first few instances of putting herself out there, to mention the cancer battle head on. At first she'd thought it was the smart thing to do—to be honest. Until she'd watched the colour bleed from their faces, the inane babble of platitudes before they took off into the ether, like centipedes when the lights flicker on. Never to be seen or heard from again unless it was to pass on some useless, pat on the back.

She'd heard just about every variation of 'It's not you it's me' in existence. Problem is, when it happened over and over and over again, it was virtually impossible not to take it personally. And after her little rant in the kitchen where she'd dropped the C-bomb in Ethan's lap, of course he'd reject her too. Just like all the others.

Plucking up Cleo's lithe, purring body, Alyssa sat down on the couch and soaked up that affection. She'd gone to the precinct, hoping to prove herself wrong. And, supposed more or less she had. It wasn't the cancer, though his reasons were no less asinine.

"I should be used to this by now," she whispered against Cleo's neck, her soft fur tickling her nose.

Only Indy had stuck by her, through thick and thin. Never faltering or wavering once. She'd picked Alyssa up every time she crumbled and broke apart. She alone had glued back the pieces and helped Alyssa find herself among the charred remains of her life. Indy was the reason Alyssa had never given up.

She'd lost more than a few because of the drama surrounding her sister as they either sided with Nate for losing his girls, or formed a strong, negative opinion towards Eva. When Alyssa had gone into competitive fitness following the cancer, even more had dropped, claiming she was vain or that her fitness lifestyle was an obsession and an attention seeking cry for help after Sebastian had walked out on her.

Done with the negativity and drama, Alyssa had shed more than body fat that year. And was fine with it. Knowing that certain individuals had formed such horribly low opinions of her or Eva were not the sort of people she cared to know.

Sayonara and good riddance to dead weight.

But a woman needed girl friends and she hadn't realized how much she'd missed that buzzing female energy until touching down on Haven. Drawing out her phone, Alyssa stroked a thumb across the screen, thought about calling her best friend when a knock at the door stilled her. And was surprised when she opened it to find Eva standing on her front steps with Jenelle and a pretty blonde with shy green eyes, each holding paper bags with foil topped bottles.

Except the blonde carted a large flat box with something that smelled a lot like pizza wafting from inside.

"Hey," she widened the door letting them inside, "what's all this?"

"Girls night," Jenelle beamed, wiggling her parcel. "With the gallery closed for reno's we're playing hooky and I thought they should have a proper girl's night. We've got champagne and double fudge gelato. And the best margarita pizza you've ever had."

Shutting the door against the brisk slap of cold air, Alyssa stroked her hands over her arms. A girl's night? She couldn't recall the last time she'd had one. And that right there was freaking pathetic.