How could you?

1- Best friends 4ever!!

Third-person pov

 As Lilly sat in the dark sipping her shot of apple brandy, she wondered to herself, "How in the hell did I get into this mess?" She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she tried to figure out what her next move should be? Clasping her drink, she slowly walked over to her floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the gated community that she called home and stared out into the night. Taking another sip of the sweet and burning liquid, she closed her eyes and let her mind wander back to the moments before everything in her world came crashing down!

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Lilly's pov

  I'm Lilliana Mckinney, chief financial officer at Mckinney, Knight, and Powers financial group, but everyone calls me Lilly for short. I live in the Bahamas with my dad, mom, and two younger siblings. Dad moved us here when I was around 5-years old because he got a new job and before you say how great that is, know that this big move wasn't discussed with me at all! I knew nothing except that we were moving to some fancy gated community and that I would have to attend a new school. That's right! I was the new kid on the block, and everyone knows that's a social death sentence! To this day, I still have nightmares about my first day in that hell-hole!

 Trust me, rich kids are the worst, especially when they feel that they're entitled to everything because of the size of their parent's bank accounts. Luckily for me, I met an angel named Carolyn Myers when a few of the boys thought it would be fun to pick on the new girl during recess.

"Stop it, guys, or I'm going to call Mr. Peters," a small voice yelled from behind the boys who were laughing as they poured sand in my hair. They quickly ran away as she helped me to my feet. "You must be new here? Don't mind Josh and his stupid friends! My name is Carolyn. Now come, let's get you cleaned up," she said while leading me away. "I think it would be best if you stayed with me from now on." I blinked in surprise, but I slowly nodded, just to let her know that I accepted her offer.

 It's true what people say about sandbox love. The two of us have been best friends since that day. We attended the same high school and college together, and it was there that we met Elizabeth, her brother Dashannon and her boyfriend, Anthony. Three of the nicest people in the world. When they joined our group, shit got real! We partied up and down the East and West coast, drank until we couldn't stand up, and smoked so much weed till all we wanted to do was lay down. We were everything to each other.

 By the time graduation day came, Dashannon had begun dating this light-skinned girl named Karlene. In all fairness, when I first met the girl, I thought she was way too bougie to be with a down-to-earth guy like Dashannon. I mean, she wore heels to a yard party and a full face of makeup at the gym! Now, would you pair that with a guy who goes commando when he feels too lazy to do his laundry? Of course, you wouldn't. As it turned out, she was the ying to his yang! She completed my boy. You would have to see them together to believe me. She was exactly what he needed all along. She came into his dull and lackadaisical life and cleaned him up. She made him more than he ever thought he could be. In return, he made her more down-to-earth and relatable to regular folks like us, grounding her. It was something amazing to see. And just like that, she was a part of the group.

 After college, we were forced to split up to pursue our individual careers. Of course, I came back to the Bahamas and began working for my father in the financial division of his company. Since I took up finance in college, it suited me. Elizabeth and Anthony went off to Harvard with hopes of becoming lawyers one day. Of course, Dashannon and Karlene followed. He said he wanted to pursue his business degree, but everyone knew that he just wanted to be near his little sister; in case she ever needed him. While at Harvard, Elizabeth met a girl named Ashaliah. She had a serious crush on a guy named Tre'sean. Now, I know people say college is the time and place to sew-your-wild-oats, so to speak, but from the moment Ashaliah laid eyes on Tre'sean, she was absolutely convinced that he was her soulmate. 

 Sympathizing with their new friend, both Anthony and Elizabeth agreed to help her snag the love of her life! It was a bit of a harrowing experience because Tre' is from a wealthy family, so he was a bit of a prude! When all was said and done, he realized that his life wasn't worth living without Ashaliah in it. Elizabeth introduced them to the group that Thanksgiving, and we immediately hit it off.

 Tre'sean eventually introduced us to his best friend Terrianno over Christmas break, and let me tell you something, that guy is hilarious! Not only did the group enjoy his company, but he also seemed to have caught the eye of my bestie, Carolyn. I have no idea why it took me so long to realize that she was completely smitten with him! Sure, I've seen her happy before, but I've never seen her like this with anyone. They hit it off great, and by the end of the two-week vacation, they were officially an item. It was great, and everyone was so happy for them! So, by the end of that first year, everyone had someone to love; except me.

 I wasn't that I was difficult or picky; up to that point, I just hadn't met anyone I wanted to take seriously. Sure, I had a few flings here and there, but they were nothing more than that. I was happily single and loving every moment of it! Sure, I got lonely sometimes, but that's what my friends were there for. I was welcomed to live vicariously through them and revel in their blossoming love lives. 

 The following year, during one of our many vacation trips, both Anthony and Dashannon decided that it was time to propose to both Elizabeth and Karlene. It was amazing! The guys spent the remainder of the vacation celebrating their upcoming nuptials while we ladies were already picking out our bridesmaid dresses. I couldn't stop congratulating them! They were so lucky to have found their soulmates!

 "Don't worry, Lilly. You'll meet someone someday. Someone worthy of you, ok!" Carolyn said as she draped her arms around my shoulders to hug me from behind.

 With a sad smile, I whispered, "I know. I'm just so happy for you guys that I can't help wondering... will this ever be me? Will I ever be this lucky?"

"Listen, God knows just how special you are, ok? So, he's just taking a little extra time to make sure that the man he made for you can actually handle you," Ashaliah said comfortingly.

"Your right! Because heaven knows I need a man who can handle all of this, " I said, smiling as I sprang to my feet to do a little spin. I felt the need to lighten the mood while showing off some of these curves my momma gave me, lol. The rest of the vacation was lovely, and we all became even better friends. No, we were more like family but closer. Or at least that's how I felt. It still shocks me how naive I was back then.

 I returned to work the following week feeling well-rested and ready to conquer the world! On my first morning back, my presence was requested at an early briefing with my dad and the other department heads. It was there that they informed me that while I was on vacation, they took the liberty of hiring a new broker to fill in for me. Something about my workload being so crazy and all that! They exclaimed that he did such great work; they now want to keep him on permanently! Worst than that, they want us to be partners moving forward. I tried to smile; I really did because I knew that it was a common practice for associates to team up; I just always thought I didn't need a partner because I was doing such great work on my own. I guess I was wrong. At the end of the meeting, I shook their hands on my way out, and I couldn't help but wonder about what this new partner would be like.

 Most of the men in this profession are self-absorbed pricks who believe that a woman's place is in the home, barefoot and pregnant, or as bed-warmers. Me? I'm neither, and I didn't care to be in the company of men who shared those types of values. As I made my way to my office, anyone who saw me would think I was taking my final walk to death row, but just as I placed my hand on my doorknob, I heard a deep, smug voice speak from behind me, "So you must be my esteemed partner? Good morning, mam."

 I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and spun around to face the clown I was being forced to work with for the foreseeable future.