To Sharon’s surprise, Kate wasn’t quite as sympathetic as she’d thought her bestie would be. After Sharon managed to stifle her initial tears and was done pouring out everything that had happened and the fight she and Jake had on the ride home, her best friend hesitated before responding.

“Do you want the supportive bestie or the tough love right now, sweetie?”

The fact that there was even an option made Sharon feel defensive.

“I want the supportive bestie.” She was going to ask what Kate meant by the tough love eventually, and they both knew it, because she wouldn’t be able to contain her curiosity, but Sharon didn’t want to hear it right now.

“I love you, Jake was a total asshat, and he sucks big balls.” There was total sincerity in Kate’s voice, but Sharon had to ask.

“What’s the tough love version?”

“You were also a royal bitch.” It was said sympathetically, but also matter-of-factly.

“I kind of was, wasn’t I?” Sharon asked morosely.

That was the truth she hadn’t wanted to face in the car. Jake had made several good points about how she’d treated him tonight.

“You know I love you, but you do have a tendency to react poorly if people do anything other than accept you immediately. I get why it pushes your buttons, but you tend to go on the offensive when you feel at all defensive.”

“I did what I had to with Aunt Lorraine but…” Sharon sighed. “I didn’t need to drag Jake into it. I did that because he pissed me off in the moment.”

She made a face and got up from where she’d been laying on the bed, starting to undress so she could be more comfortable while she and Kate talked. Pajama pants and a soft tank top first and then she started on taking the pins out of her hair.

“Granted, he could be a lot more sympathetic to your position,” Kate said. “But you could be a lot more sympathetic to his too. He’s meeting your family for the first time, wants to make a good impression, and you… Well, you were intentionally being obnoxious. It makes sense that he found you so too.”

“Ugh. Why do you have to go and bring logic into this?” Sharon asked irritably.

But she was honestly already feeling a little better. Maybe crying had helped her vent her feelings a little – and holy crap she needed to take care of her makeup situation, she realized as she glanced in the mirror over her vanity – or because she was on the phone with her bestie, but she didn’t feel like she was about to explode with emotions anymore. She tended to be an emotional person and she was fine with herself that way, but sometimes she did need someone to help ground her.

Kate was a grounded person. So was Jake for that matter.