Amy’s POV

When Amy had opened the door for Vivian, she had expected maybe a verbal hello or a hug.

She had even expected to find her friend holding a bottle of wine and wanting to celebrate the end of the work day with some alcohol and snacks.

But instead she had gotten an armful of a crying Vivian Rose.

And that was currently what she was dealing with. Holding her best friend close as Vivian continued to sob. Amy guided them both to the couch, and maneuvered them until they were both seated. All the while she did not stop running soothing circles over Vivian’s quivering back in an effort to calm her.

"It’s alright, it’s alright," Amy said softly as she began to rock back and forth trying to soothe her friend. But it was not working. Instead of the sobbing dying down, it instead picked up. Vivian’s entire frame shaking with the force of her cries.

"It is not, nothing can ever be alright," Vivian managed to voice before being consumed by her tears again. Holding the inconsolable woman, Amy began to feel real fear seeping into her bones.

What could be causing her friend to lose it like this?

Had Vivian been attacked, was that why she was crying so hard? Had someone touched her. Anger making her see red, Amy had to take a breath to stop herself from acting out. If Vivian really had been attacked. Amy reacting in anger instead of compassion would not help matters. She would only be adding fuel to fire if she did that. What Vivian needed was for Amy to be calm, to be the soothing voice of reason.

Pulling away from her still crying friend

Amy held her at arm’s length and in the gentlest home that she could master, she brought up a possible way forward for Vivian.

"Viv, do we need to head to the police station?"

Taking a shuddering breath, Vivian wiped her tears away, red rimmed grey eyes fixing on Amy.

"No," She began. Having no idea how much of Amy’s stress she instantly halved with just that one word. If she had been attacked Vivian would have said yes.

As Amy watched, Vivian cleared her throat before carrying on in a much stronger tone.

"No, there’s no need to do that. I am just being ridiculous," Amy shook her head.

"No, you are not. You are one of the strongest people I know. For you to lose it like this, it has to have been something major. What happened?"

Vivian gave a hiccupping laugh that ended up being a little sob.

Wiping at her tears again, she smiled sadly.

"Bryce sent me a bouquet of flowers and a card.

***

Bryce was back in the picture.

The thought rang around in Amy’s head as she processed Vivian’s words.

Flowers and a card.

How unoriginal. Looking over at her friend, Amy did her best not to let any of what she was feeling show.

One of the ways in which she had endured watching her friend suffer in her toxic relationship with Bryce had been by keeping as much emotional distance as possible. What Vivian and that leech had going was incredibly toxic, but Amy was not willing to lose her one true friend to such an awful man.

So over the years, she had learned to bite her tongue as much as possible.

But just because she was not saying anything out loud, it did not mean that her mind was silent.

In fact, in that very moment, she was calling Bryce every name under the sun. Cursing the man with every insult that she could find, some of them even in foreign languages.

While saying all of those words in the safety of her mind. Amy was once again gearing herself up for yet another awful episode of Bryce and Vivian.

But in the next instant, all of that was obliterated when Vivian began to speak.

"He sent me flowers like it actually meant something. Have I really always been so easy for that man that he throws little bones my way after treating me like trash, and expects me to welcome him with open arms?"

What?

Amy blinked, that was not at all what she had been expecting.

She had been expecting Vivian to say something along the lines of Bryce deserving another chance because he was trying.

"What did you do with the flowers?" Amy asked, a strange sort of hope building in her chest.

Still crying, though doing it silently now, Vivian wiped at her tears before answering.

"I threw them in the bin, then I tore the card to pieces and threw it in as well,"

Amy wanted to jump to her feet and start cheering like a sports fanatic.

Finally, finally! Vivian was beginning to recognize that she deserved better than Bryce. How wonderful! She did not say any of that though. Amy simply leaned forward and drew Vivian into a hug.

"I am so glad that you chose yourself," She told her friend.

"How do you feel about having some ice cream?"

Whether they were celebrating or soothing all their wounds Amy had no idea. But what she did know was that the ice cream tasted extra good now that she knew she would not be dealing with Bryce.

Looking over at her friend and watching her quietly enjoying her treat. Amy came to a realization.

This newfound strength to push back against Bryce did not just come out of nowhere.

It had a whole lot to do with Ryan Terrell.

The arrangement that the billionaire and Amy’s best friend had going had definitely played a huge part. It could not lead to anything good if it kept going for too long. But for the time being it was having positive results on Vivian. Being in constant contact with a man who was not Bryce was helping Vivian regain herself confidence. And Amy was glad for that.