“Are you kidding me? I’d love to have you stay forever.”
“Thanks, Betsy,” I said. “You’re a good friend.”
As I thought about it in the days that followed, a few more warning signs that maybe Nate wasn’t such a nice guy started to come back to me. They were little things, things that didn’t seem important at the time. Like when I had said something offhand about an ex-boyfriend and he got angry and jealous about it. But I guessed it didn’t matter much now. He and I were through, and hopefully he’d forget about me while I was staying at Betsy’s and that would be that.
The day after our trip to the beach, I was pretty much dying with excitement to see Hunter. He had gotten me all worked up while we were swimming together, and I had kind of been hoping he would come home with me that night. But he made me wait, which put even more pressure on me as I got ready for his fight. I finally had the opportunity for Hunter to see me wearing something other than yoga pants, and I didn’t want to waste it.
Betsy and I had gone shopping earlier and bought a few new outfits, one of which was a short, strappy blue sundress I thought he would like. I had just put it on when Betsy popped her head into the guest room to check on me.
“Damn, girl,” she said with a smile. “I can’t remember the last time I got all hot and dressed up for Ted. I’m glad you’re here so I can live vicariously through you.”
“I’d be happy to watch Avery for you so you can live non-vicariously,” I offered.
“Oh sure, maybe someday. It’s more fun to watch you get ready, though. To tell you the truth, I’m a little bit lazy,” she confessed.
“That works for me,” I said. “You can help me get ready.”
“With pleasure,” she agreed. “What do you need?”
“Hunter is going to be here any minute. How should I wear my hair? Up?”
Betsy scrutinized me for a minute, then walked up to me and piled all my hair on top of my head. She stood there looking at me, screwing up her eyes and saying nothing. I was starting to feel a little self-conscious.
“I’m going to say down,” she said at last. “But you look hot no matter what. So it doesn’t really matter.”
“Thanks, Bets. Wearing it down is easier anyway,” I said, and ran a comb through my hair. I wasn’t sure I looked as amazing as I wanted, but it was a lot better than my workout clothes, so Hunter should be happy. I didn’t have much choice, however, even if I’d wanted to change, because just then we heard a knock at the door.
“I’ll get it!” Betsy offered, while I was putting the finishing touches on my eye makeup. Just a little eyeliner to make them stand out, and that was it.
“Have you told him yet about your ex showing up?” she asked.
“No, not yet,” I admitted. “I guess I should tell him tonight. I didn’t want him to get all mad and flip out. But I guess he wouldn’t know where to find the guy, anyway.”
“Yeah, you should tell him. He’s got to be wondering why you’re staying here. Anyway, he’s waiting. I’ll go get him.”
Soon I heard Hunter and Betsy greet each other enthusiastically, and it made me smile that my best friend and my boyfriend got along so well. Boyfriend, or whatever he was, anyway.
I gave one last glance in the mirror and decided I was ready, turned off the light and headed to the living room to meet up with Hunter. The butterflies were already working up a storm in my stomach, anticipating everything that would happen after the fight.
I couldn’t help but notice Hunter’s eyes light up when I walked into the room. He stood up with a sweet smile and reached for me, giving me an old, familiar feeing in the pit of my stomach. It was a warm feeling, a kind of certainty about another person that I hadn’t felt in a long time.
“Anna,” he breathed. “You look...” Hunter stopped, unable to find the right words.
“Hot?” Betsy offered, and Hunter burst out laughing.
“Hot is
“Thanks, Betsy,” I said. “You’re a good friend.”
As I thought about it in the days that followed, a few more warning signs that maybe Nate wasn’t such a nice guy started to come back to me. They were little things, things that didn’t seem important at the time. Like when I had said something offhand about an ex-boyfriend and he got angry and jealous about it. But I guessed it didn’t matter much now. He and I were through, and hopefully he’d forget about me while I was staying at Betsy’s and that would be that.
The day after our trip to the beach, I was pretty much dying with excitement to see Hunter. He had gotten me all worked up while we were swimming together, and I had kind of been hoping he would come home with me that night. But he made me wait, which put even more pressure on me as I got ready for his fight. I finally had the opportunity for Hunter to see me wearing something other than yoga pants, and I didn’t want to waste it.
Betsy and I had gone shopping earlier and bought a few new outfits, one of which was a short, strappy blue sundress I thought he would like. I had just put it on when Betsy popped her head into the guest room to check on me.
“Damn, girl,” she said with a smile. “I can’t remember the last time I got all hot and dressed up for Ted. I’m glad you’re here so I can live vicariously through you.”
“I’d be happy to watch Avery for you so you can live non-vicariously,” I offered.
“Oh sure, maybe someday. It’s more fun to watch you get ready, though. To tell you the truth, I’m a little bit lazy,” she confessed.
“That works for me,” I said. “You can help me get ready.”
“With pleasure,” she agreed. “What do you need?”
“Hunter is going to be here any minute. How should I wear my hair? Up?”
Betsy scrutinized me for a minute, then walked up to me and piled all my hair on top of my head. She stood there looking at me, screwing up her eyes and saying nothing. I was starting to feel a little self-conscious.
“I’m going to say down,” she said at last. “But you look hot no matter what. So it doesn’t really matter.”
“Thanks, Bets. Wearing it down is easier anyway,” I said, and ran a comb through my hair. I wasn’t sure I looked as amazing as I wanted, but it was a lot better than my workout clothes, so Hunter should be happy. I didn’t have much choice, however, even if I’d wanted to change, because just then we heard a knock at the door.
“I’ll get it!” Betsy offered, while I was putting the finishing touches on my eye makeup. Just a little eyeliner to make them stand out, and that was it.
“Have you told him yet about your ex showing up?” she asked.
“No, not yet,” I admitted. “I guess I should tell him tonight. I didn’t want him to get all mad and flip out. But I guess he wouldn’t know where to find the guy, anyway.”
“Yeah, you should tell him. He’s got to be wondering why you’re staying here. Anyway, he’s waiting. I’ll go get him.”
Soon I heard Hunter and Betsy greet each other enthusiastically, and it made me smile that my best friend and my boyfriend got along so well. Boyfriend, or whatever he was, anyway.
I gave one last glance in the mirror and decided I was ready, turned off the light and headed to the living room to meet up with Hunter. The butterflies were already working up a storm in my stomach, anticipating everything that would happen after the fight.
I couldn’t help but notice Hunter’s eyes light up when I walked into the room. He stood up with a sweet smile and reached for me, giving me an old, familiar feeing in the pit of my stomach. It was a warm feeling, a kind of certainty about another person that I hadn’t felt in a long time.
“Anna,” he breathed. “You look...” Hunter stopped, unable to find the right words.
“Hot?” Betsy offered, and Hunter burst out laughing.
“Hot is
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