that?”
“Then bend over right now and shove your tits in the fucking camera.”
“Or what?”
“You’ll be very, very, sorry.”
EIGHT
I don’t know whether the idea was for me to come or just him. But I couldn’t. Everything about it repulsed me. I peer out my bedroom window, watching as the rain splatters onto the old, cracked pane. The light is fading now too—it must be almost dinnertime. I should get myself something to eat before Mel gets back. Eat in my room, get some studying done, and go to sleep. I know it’s not very social, but I can’t face her right now. I can’t deal with her judgment. I can hardly deal with my own. I wrap my robe around my body and shuffle out into the hallway.
“Hey, girl.”
“Oh,” I pause, “I didn’t think you were home.”
“I got in about twenty minutes ago. You okay? I heard a few yells.”
I nod, pulling my robe tighter across my breasts. “Yeah, we’re fine. Just trying to iron out a few crinkles, I guess you could say.”
“Crinkles?”
“Issues or whatever you wanna call them.” I purse my lips together, trying to fake a smile, but my soul is as broken as the window in my room.
“Do you wanna talk about it, babe?”
I shrug, pulling a boxed dinner meal out of the freezer. “Not really. I know how you feel about him, so it’s probably best if we keep him out of the conversation.”
She pulls a face, exhaling into her cup of coffee. “I’m sorry about how I’ve been lately. I know I’ve been cold.”
I raise my eyebrow. Talk about the understatement of the year. She’s been colder than my dinner from the moment she saw his ring. “I know you don’t understand it, Mel.”
“I guess I don’t have to.”
I turn and look back at her as I lean against the kitchen counter. “Serious?”
“Yeah. It’s none of my business. And I know what I said, but I love you to pieces, and if you wanna be with Hugo, and he makes you happy, then I’m gonna stay out of it.”
“You are?”
“Yup,” she sighs again, “because no matter what you do, I don’t wanna lose you or our friendship. I know it’s not biological, but you’re like family to me, and I love you with all my heart.”
Tears rush to my eyes. “Thank you,” I whisper.
“I’m really sorry for hurting you and not supporting you. I mean, really, what would I know about being in a relationship? The closest thing I’ve got to seeing a guy on a regular basis is Mark.”
I drop my head to one side. “Who?”
“You know.” She giggles.
“What? The pizza delivery guy?”
“Yeah,” she laughs, “and the only reason he comes around is because of your love for pineapple and cheese.”
I giggle. “Thanks, Mel. I know it’s hard to understand, but trust me, I’m doing the right thing for everyone. And even though it doesn’t feel like it at the moment, sooner or later, everything will work out.”
Her eyes narrow. “That’s a bit beauty pageant, isn’t it?”
“You’re just going to have to trust me on this.”
“I do.” She smiles weakly. “And I know how much you love him. You always did.”
I nod, wishing I still felt the same way. “So anyway, how’s things with you? Dating anyone?”
“Funny you should ask.” She smiles. “‘Cause I wanted to ask you something, and I didn’t know how to bring it up.”
Ding .
“There’s my dinner,” I laugh, pulling it out from the microwave and sliding it onto one of her bright green dinner plates. “Sorry—go on.”
“Ash.”
“Yeah?” My eyes narrow. “What about him?”
“Well, you’re obviously not interested in him anymore now that you’re marrying Smit.”
“So?”
“So,” she pauses, twisting her hair around her finger “I was wondering if …”
“If what?” I lean forward. “Spit it out.”
“If you’d mind giving
“Then bend over right now and shove your tits in the fucking camera.”
“Or what?”
“You’ll be very, very, sorry.”
EIGHT
I don’t know whether the idea was for me to come or just him. But I couldn’t. Everything about it repulsed me. I peer out my bedroom window, watching as the rain splatters onto the old, cracked pane. The light is fading now too—it must be almost dinnertime. I should get myself something to eat before Mel gets back. Eat in my room, get some studying done, and go to sleep. I know it’s not very social, but I can’t face her right now. I can’t deal with her judgment. I can hardly deal with my own. I wrap my robe around my body and shuffle out into the hallway.
“Hey, girl.”
“Oh,” I pause, “I didn’t think you were home.”
“I got in about twenty minutes ago. You okay? I heard a few yells.”
I nod, pulling my robe tighter across my breasts. “Yeah, we’re fine. Just trying to iron out a few crinkles, I guess you could say.”
“Crinkles?”
“Issues or whatever you wanna call them.” I purse my lips together, trying to fake a smile, but my soul is as broken as the window in my room.
“Do you wanna talk about it, babe?”
I shrug, pulling a boxed dinner meal out of the freezer. “Not really. I know how you feel about him, so it’s probably best if we keep him out of the conversation.”
She pulls a face, exhaling into her cup of coffee. “I’m sorry about how I’ve been lately. I know I’ve been cold.”
I raise my eyebrow. Talk about the understatement of the year. She’s been colder than my dinner from the moment she saw his ring. “I know you don’t understand it, Mel.”
“I guess I don’t have to.”
I turn and look back at her as I lean against the kitchen counter. “Serious?”
“Yeah. It’s none of my business. And I know what I said, but I love you to pieces, and if you wanna be with Hugo, and he makes you happy, then I’m gonna stay out of it.”
“You are?”
“Yup,” she sighs again, “because no matter what you do, I don’t wanna lose you or our friendship. I know it’s not biological, but you’re like family to me, and I love you with all my heart.”
Tears rush to my eyes. “Thank you,” I whisper.
“I’m really sorry for hurting you and not supporting you. I mean, really, what would I know about being in a relationship? The closest thing I’ve got to seeing a guy on a regular basis is Mark.”
I drop my head to one side. “Who?”
“You know.” She giggles.
“What? The pizza delivery guy?”
“Yeah,” she laughs, “and the only reason he comes around is because of your love for pineapple and cheese.”
I giggle. “Thanks, Mel. I know it’s hard to understand, but trust me, I’m doing the right thing for everyone. And even though it doesn’t feel like it at the moment, sooner or later, everything will work out.”
Her eyes narrow. “That’s a bit beauty pageant, isn’t it?”
“You’re just going to have to trust me on this.”
“I do.” She smiles weakly. “And I know how much you love him. You always did.”
I nod, wishing I still felt the same way. “So anyway, how’s things with you? Dating anyone?”
“Funny you should ask.” She smiles. “‘Cause I wanted to ask you something, and I didn’t know how to bring it up.”
Ding .
“There’s my dinner,” I laugh, pulling it out from the microwave and sliding it onto one of her bright green dinner plates. “Sorry—go on.”
“Ash.”
“Yeah?” My eyes narrow. “What about him?”
“Well, you’re obviously not interested in him anymore now that you’re marrying Smit.”
“So?”
“So,” she pauses, twisting her hair around her finger “I was wondering if …”
“If what?” I lean forward. “Spit it out.”
“If you’d mind giving
Similar Books
