Chapter Eight
“I’m happy that you’re moving in, Shelby.” I hugged my best friend as she walked into the house with two suitcases. “This is going to be so much fun.”
“I think so as well. I was wondering if I’d be able to paint my bedroom?”
“Paint your bedroom?” I looked over at Hunter nervously. I wasn’t sure how he was going to react to that.
“You know, just make it my own.” She looked over at Hunter. “You wouldn’t mind, would you?”
He gave me a look which told me that he thought this was already a mistake, but what could I do?
“It’s fine,” he said eventually. “Feel free to do whatever you want in your room, Shelby. This is your home now, at least for the rest of the year, until you guys graduate and decide what you want to do next.”
“I think I want to move to New York City,” Shelby said with a grin. “You want to come with me, Nellie?”
“I’ve never thought about living in New York City, to be honest,” I replied. “I’m not really sure about a huge city like that. I was thinking maybe Charleston, maybe even Nashville.”
“Nashville would be cool.” Shelby looked thoughtful. “All those hot country music stars and musicians? Yeah, that would be cool.”
“Come, let me show you to your room,” I said, and we hurried down the hallway. As soon as we entered the bedroom, Shelby closed the door and grabbed my arm.
“Girl, what is going on?”
“What do you mean, going on with what?’“
“I haven’t heard any updates on grocery store guy!”
“Because there haven’t been any updates.” I shook my head. “I told you, we messaged back and forth, and that’s it.”
“What do you mean, ‘that’s it’? You never heard from him again?”
“Well …” I pause.
“What is it?”
“I don’t really know. I turned the phone off, and I never turned it back on. I was so infuriated by his messages.”
“What?! What do you mean, you never turned the phone back on? You didn’t want to see if he messaged you again—or called you even?”
“He wouldn’t call me, and no, I didn’t want to see his rude messages.”
“And you haven’t seen him at the grocery store?”
“To be honest, I haven’t been back.” I shrugged. “I just send Hunter to the grocery store if I’m feeling hungry.”
“Nellie, you can’t do that!”
“Why shouldn’t I?”
“You can’t just leave the guy hanging like that!”
“I didn’t leave anyone hanging. He was rude, and it was a mistake for me to send the letter. I’m done.”
“Get your phone,” she ordered.
“Why?”
“Just get your phone and give it to me.”
“I don’t need to get it. It’s here in my pocket.” I pulled out my cell phone and handed it to her.
“Not this phone. The other phone, the one that he’s been messaging you on.”
I looked at her through narrowed eyes. “Why do you want that phone?”
“Because I want to turn it on to see if he’s messaged you again.”
“Um, no, thank you.” I shook my head. “So what color are you thinking of painting the walls?” I walked over and touched the light gray walls. “It is a bit blah. Maybe I should do my room, too. Maybe I’ll get some paint as well, or maybe even some wallpaper and do my bedroom. That will be fun.”
“No changing the subject, Nellie. Go and get the phone.”
“I already said no.”
“What are you scared of?”
“What do you mean, what am I scared of? I’m not scared of anything.”
“So then why can’t I see if he’s messaged you again?”
“Because I don’t want to know, okay? He really hurt my feelings, and …”
“And what?” She looked at me now for a few seconds. “What’s going on?”
“Look, when he messaged me at first, he was really flirty, and that’s because he didn’t know it was me. As soon as he realized it was me, he became a jackass again. He doesn’t think I’m cute. He’s not interested, and I don’t need him to hurt my feelings anymore. He’s an asshole. He can go and hurt someone else’s feelings.”
“Oh, Nellie,” Shelby walked over to me and gave me a big hug. “Look at me, girlfriend.”
I looked at her. “What?”
“You’re beautiful. And I know I’m your best friend, and I have to say that, but you’re stunning. Like, literally stunning. Any guy would want you, and I’m sure he wants you too. He probably realizes that he doesn’t have a shot with someone like you. That’s why he’s being an asshole. No other reason.”
“Girl, he called me a Karen. He was rude and disrespectful. He doesn’t like me, and it’s not because he doesn’t think he can handle me.” I gave her a quick hug and then pulled away. “Thank you for saying that, but that’s totally not the reason why he dissed me.”
“Can I please see your phone, Nellie? Please, please, please?”
“Fine. Come on. Let’s go to my room and get it.” We went down the hallway toward my room.
“You girls want a pizza tonight?” Hunter shouted from the living room.
“Yeah,” I yelled back. “Pepperoni and ham! Oh, and get some Caesar salads as well, please.”
“Will do. You want anything special, Shelby?” he called out.
“No thanks, that’s good!” she yelled as she pulled me into my room. “Now, come on,” she whispered, “show me this phone!”
Shelby sat on my bed as I rummaged in the dresser for the phone. “Your brother is so amazing,” she sighed.
“Why do you say that?”
“Just because he is. He’s getting us pizza and he’s letting me stay here. I don’t know…” She looked dreamy. “If he wasn’t already engaged to Birdie, I would totally make a play for him.”
“Oh my gosh. That would be so weird if you dated my brother,” I shuddered. “Thank God he has Birdie.”
“But don’t you want to be my sister?” she pouted.
“Shel, we are sisters. You don’t have to be married to my brother for us to be sisters.”
“I know, but okay, I’ll make a deal with you.”
“What’s the deal?”
“You give me the phone.”
“Uh-huh.”
“And I’ll tell you about my guy.”
“What guy?” I thought for a second. “Oh wait, are there updates with your dad’s hot best friend? Oh my gosh, you have not been withholding information from me, have you?”
“There are no real updates, but I do have a photo to show you.”
“You have a photo?”
“Yeah,” she grinned. “He came over last night because my dad wanted to go over some files with him. I don’t know, business-related stuff. And I was over there having dinner because my parents wanted to talk to me about the responsibilities of living with you, la-di-dah, and anyway, I snuck a photo for you.” Her expression was a cross between embarrassed and excited. “Wait till you see how hot he is!”