by Jaye Ripley
“You gonna tell me why you’re in my bed and not sexing up your hottie?” Golden locks cascade around my face.
“Leave it alone, Bee.” Laying my head back down, my arm covers my face and shuts her out.
She lifts up my arm. “As if. I gave you two the run of the place so you could rut like wild beasts.” The bed bounces under her excitement. “I figured I was gonna come home to a CSI scene of debauchery. Instead, I find you in my bed, your room empty, and no sign of your sexy singer. Where’d he go, out to fetch some food?”
I whip the sheets off of me and leap out of bed. “He’s gone?”
Her face changes from teasing to concerned. “You didn’t know?”
When I shake my head no, she narrows her eyes at me. “What happened last night?”
My fingers attempt to run through my hair, but get tangled in the leftover mess from not blow-drying it after last night’s shower. “I did something stupid.”
“Like sleeping in another bed.”
“Like picking a fight with him.” Grabbing my phone, I call his number, hoping to hear it ring. The call goes straight to voicemail.
I hurry out of Bethany’s room and into mine. No sign of him. No sign of anyone sleeping in my bed with the cover pulled up and the pillows tidied on top.
My best friend follows me. “Why the fuck did you pick a fight with him? He drove umpteen miles to see you, girl. And you fought with him? Over what? What did the perfect man do to deserve that? More stupid pics?”
“Yes, in fact.” Screw her indignation.
“Mel, didn’t you guys come to an understanding? That the shit on the internet’s fake as hell? Isn’t it some bitch who’s doing it? What’s-her-name. Something Ass-like.”
“Aislynn,” I correct her. “And they fired her. Maybe because of that, a story leaked that Hunter’s dating Stacia Rollins.”
My fingers fly on my phone. “Where are you? We need to talk. Call me, please.”
“Now I know you’re smart enough to know that’s not true.” Bethany snatches my phone away. “So start spilling, or I won’t give this back to you.”
Before I can yell at her, tears spring in my eyes. “I truly fucked things up, Bee.”
She sits me down on my bed and listens to me, holding my hands. When I tell her about Gemma, she grips too hard, and declares that she will come up with some devious plan of revenge. I cringe when I tell her the worst part about kissing Trey. Instead of yelling at me, she rises on her knees and hugs me tight to her chest.
“Yeah, you fucked up, sweetie.”
I nod into her boobs.
“But I gotta say, I’m not surprised with you and Trey.”
Leaning back, I swipe my nose with the back of my hand. “What do you mean?”
“You two were good together. But you couldn’t get past your own issues to give that man what he needed. And now that you broke free with Hunter, some of the old feelings must have surfaced.” Bethany sits back on her heels.
“They did a little for me. For a second, it felt like old times with us. I guess too much like old times. You know how Trey sees right through me. He knew I’d told Hunter I loved him. And Trey said he loved me. Loves me. Present tense. That he’s jealous of Hunter.”
Her eyebrows lift. “Well, look at you having not one but two hunky dudes after her.”
“Bee, it’s not a joke.” I push her, and she collapses on my bed. “I don’t know what was wrong with me. One minute, I’m there to ask him to give me time off to go surprise my boyfriend, and the next minute—”
“You’re kissing your ex. Man, the full moon must have been out last night. Two exes, two problems.”
I bury my head in my hands. “Oh, fuck me. I screwed up their friendship as well. Gemma was right. I am a fucking nightmare.”
Bethany pulls my hands away from my face. “Don’t ever, ever say that bitch was right. And she was screwing with you. She said PR disaster. You do realize you gave her everything she wanted. To ruin you and Hunter.”
My breath blows out of me. “Why did I kiss Trey?”
“Because you wanted to break your relationship before it broke you. Simple. Well, not simple. But I can kind of understand why.”
“It’s no excuse.”
“Oh, I’m not excusing your ass. I’m just saying I understand. Now you have to figure out how to fix shit. Starting with tracking down your lost boyfriend.” She hands me back my phone.
His voicemail answers my call. I mouth that to Bethany, and she kicks me, telling me to say something.
“Uh, Hunter. Hey. I know I fucked things up, but can you call me back? Or at least text me to let me know where you are? I’m worried and all. Although I know you don’t think I have a right to worry about you, but I do. Because you know that I really—” The beep cuts me off.
Bethany stares at me. “Smooth.”
“Shut up.”
“Okay, let’s assume he’s still around since he’d endanger himself by driving back exhausted. We can give him a little space while we fuel you with some coffee and food. While we do that, you and I will come up with a plan of tracking him down and groveling until you get him back. Put some clean clothes on.” She bounces off my bed and exits my room.
Finding a pair of jeans that are more or less clean, I shimmy them on. “I’m not going to beg him. He can either listen to me or not,” I yell at her.
Her head pops into my doorway. “Gro-vel-ing.” She emphasizes every syllable. “On your knees as a bonus.” She wiggles her eyebrows and disappears again.
* * *
Bee fixes me eggs-in-the-hole toast. She hasn’t made that for me in ages. We argue over the name. The internet provides many options. Egg in the basket. Toad in the hole. Cowboy Eggs. Of course. My appetite falters.
“Why don’t you stop by his parents’ house?”
My coffee mug hangs in the air mid-sip. “And say what? ‘Hi, I screwed up my relationship with your son by kissing another man. Is he here? I’d like to come in and talk to him to see if I can piece together his broken heart.’ Yeah, that’s a plan.”
She throws her napkin at me. “You don’t have to be so melodramatic about it. You can simply ask if he’s there. If he is, I’ll bet he’ll talk to you.”
I shake my head. “Can’t. I may be many things, but I’m not brave enough to go to his parents’ place.”
We sit in silence while she eats and I drink more coffee. The quiet allows guilt and regret to set up camp in my stomach.
“How about calling one of the boys. Like maybe Mac?”
I groan. “Seriously, how stupid am I going to look? And maybe he hasn’t told them, so then I create unnecessary chaos.”
“Well, you can’t just sit here or drive around looking for his truck.” She takes a large swallow of coffee and almost spits it out. “Shit. Call EJ’s grandma. I bet that woman knows something.”
My finger hovers over my phone. One press, and it dials Nana. “What if she’s pissed at me?”
“Nah. She’s rooting for the two of you.”
“But I screwed up. Big time.”
Bethany shrugs. “Who doesn’t? Call her. Or I will.”
Hitting Nana’s number, I wait. Since it’s a regular landline, no voicemail picks up. After numerous rings, my hope sinks.
“Hello?”
“Ms. Eugenia? It’s Mel. Hunter’s girl…uh, Hunter’s friend.”
She chuckles. “You sure about that?”
“EJ called you.” My cheeks redden.
“Yeah. Sounds like there’s trouble. My grandson had to talk your boy out of driving back to Nashville right away. He’s worried about him.”
Hope and guilt mix in my gut. “So he’s still around.”
“Don’t know for sure. Called Carol and Hunter, Sr. He’s not over there, but he told them he’s in town. For now.”
I close my eyes. Great. Now his parents know what a bitch I am.
“Any ideas of where he might be?”
“Nope. He�
�s laying low.”
“So EJ told you everything. And I’m sure Hunter told his parents everything,” I breathe out.
“None of them know shit. They guess that something went wrong since he’s not with you. But he hasn’t said anything definitive. Betting he doesn’t want them thinking ill of you. Also guessing that there might be something worth being irritated about.”
Bethany kicks me, and mouths for me to put it on speaker. Might as well at this point.
“Ms. Eugenia, I screwed up.”
“Well, that’s the first step to fixing things. Taking responsibility.” Her voice echoes in our living room. “How bad is it? Did you say something you shouldn’t have?”
“Yes.”
“Do something?”
No way do I want to tell her about Trey and me. “Kind of.”
“Well, either you did or you didn’t.”
Bethany leans in. “Ms. Eugenia, it’s Bethany. Mel told me what happened, and while it’s bad enough, I think if she could talk to Hunter before too long, things might be salvageable.”
Silence answers us on the other end. Bethany and I look at each other and wait.
“Honey, in relationships, men do stupid things. Women do stupid things. We’re all human. But the stupidest thing of all is letting go. It ain’t gonna be easy, but your friend there is right. If you really want to, you’re gonna have to fight to keep him, and fight hard.”
My gut clenches. She’s right, but enough doubt still looms inside that questions whether or not I should fight.
“Do you love him, yes or no?” The simple question from the sweet woman demands a clear answer.
“Yes.”
“Would you fight somebody for him?”
“Yes.” The answer flies out of my mouth.
“Then go get him. And if you run out of fight, then you call me back, sugar.”
“If she runs out of fight, then I’ll kick her ass. Sorry, her butt, ma’am,” Bethany adds.
“Ass, butt, just make sure she keeps going until he comes back to her. Call me with any updates.”
Nana gives me laughter to battle my doubt and courage to fight for Hunter. “I will. And if you hear of where he might be, would you let me know?”
“Of course. Told you that you were one of mine. And I’ll always help out my family. Bye, hon. Good luck.”
Bethany and I stare at the phone long after Nana hangs up. Her words bolster me to do whatever I need to do to make things right.
“I love that woman. I really do.” Bethany gets up to pour more coffee.
The doorbell rings, and someone knocks on our door. My stomach flips at the possibility of who wants in. Bethany holds up her hand for me to stay while she gets it.
Please let it be Hunter. Please let it be Hunter.
The door opens, and he walks in.
“We need to talk,” says Trey.
40
Mel
“We did enough last night, you and me.” Standing up, I turn to face him.
Bethany stands in between us, her arms crossed, staring Trey down. “What the hell were you thinking?”
“Stay out of things this time, Bethany.” Trey straightens up to full height, towering over her tiny frame.
“Or what? You’ll fire me?” She walks up in front of him, her head hinged back to look him in the eyes. “You crossed a huge line last night. Business and friendship. Not sure I want you crossing any more with her.”
Trey drops his head. “Yeah, I know. That’s why we need to talk.” He rubs the back of his neck and looks up at me. “And nobody’s fired.”
She stands her ground in front of him, not letting him take one step further into our place. “It’s your call,” she says to me over her shoulder.
Trey looks like how I feel—like shit. The face tells more than his normal clothes of navy blue T-shirt and jeans. The red in his eyes matches mine, although I doubt his comes from tears. We’re both covered in shame and regret.
“Let him by.” I love her for looking out for me at the expense of her own health. Then again, I’ve yet to see anybody take her on when she challenges them like that. “Get him a coffee.”
She walks past me and into the kitchen. “He doesn’t deserve it.”
“Then neither do I. There were two of us there last night, Bee.”
Trey walks in and sits down in a chair opposite me on the couch. He takes off his baseball cap and runs his fingers through his mess of hair. When Bethany hands him a cup of hot coffee, she asks him if he wants sugar or milk. He thanks her and takes it black. She takes my cup and brings it back fixed how I take it. She sits cross-legged on the couch next to me and waits.
“Thanks, Bee.” My eyes motion between her and the hall toward the bedrooms a couple of times.
“Oh sure. Send me to my room.” She pushes off the couch. “Can I trust you two alone?” Her finger wags between the two of us.
“Yes,” both Trey and I respond.
“Fine. Good luck. Keep your mouths to yourselves,” she singsongs on her way out. I flip her the bird.
Clutching my coffee cup, I search for the right words to start the most awkward conversation. Well, the second-most awkward conversation after last night.
“I’m sorry, Mel.” Trey leans forward in the chair. “Last night. That’s on me.”
A rueful smile spreads on my face. “Wish you had been the one surprised last night and told Hunter that. Might have saved me a lot of trouble.”
“Yeah, he texted me.”
“He did? When? This morning? Do you know where he is?” The questions spill out of my mouth in quick succession.
Trey holds up his hand. “He texted me last night while I think he was waiting on you. Told me he was in town. I didn’t respond. Didn’t know what to say.”
“Well, I picked a fight with him because I didn’t know what to say. I think saying nothing might have been better.” Setting the mug down on the coffee table, I rub my eyes with my hands.
“You told him?”
“Yep. Didn’t go to well. Not that it should have.” Trey’s eyes bore into me as I talk. “But the blame’s not all on you. It takes two pairs of lips to tango.”
His finger traces over his bottom lip. “I pushed things. And I should have known better. And now—”
“And now, I’ve fucked things up between us and between you and Hunter.”
He shakes his head. “It’s not Hunter and me I’m worried about. It’s the two of you.”
With a long groan, I lean back into the couch, my hands behind my head. “I don’t think there’s a ‘two’ anymore. Only two individuals.”
“There doesn’t have to be. He’ll come back to you. And when he does, you can explain my part in it. Make him see that it wasn’t all on you.”
I close my eyes. “Sharing the blame won’t help. Your fault. My fault. Our fault. Does it matter when the kiss happened?” When I open them, Trey’s slumped over with his head in his hands.
He looks up at me, and smiles a bit. “I’m sorry that it happened, and that it caused trouble. I’m not sorry that you told me what you did. That you loved me. And that’s really why I’m here.”
“Oh shit, Trey. Please don’t tell me you want to get back together. That is the last thing I need right now.”
He stands up and moves to sit next to me on the couch. Sure that we can’t do any more harm to my love life, I gesture for him to take a seat. He does at the opposite end from me. A million women would kill for the muscled sight in front of me. Yet all I want is for someone else to be in his place.
“What we had, I know it’s over. I wasn’t lying when I told you that letting go of you was my biggest regret. But I didn’t know how to break you from your past. Somehow, Hunter did.”
My fingernails become something important for me to look at other than Trey’s eyes. “He didn’t do anything really.”
“Then that just confirms that you need to fight for him. I tried and tried to push you to accept my love and
for you to love me back. And that drove you away. He falls in love with you, and you follow right behind without struggling.”
My eyes snap back to him. “It wasn’t that easy.”
“Love never is. If it were, then we wouldn’t value it.”
When did Trey become a guru of love? Then again, I never really valued it when he offered his heart to me all those years ago. I threw him away like I might be doing now with Hunter.
“I still hear her voice in my head. Like now, telling me that it’s better to let him go.”
Trey reaches out his hand. With gentleness, he takes mine. “What does your heart say?”
Although I appreciate the act of caring from him, I need to reinforce the wall we tore down last night. I squeeze him and let his hand go. “That I’m talking to the wrong guy right now.”
His pained smile cuts me. Trey stands up and walks to the door. I walk behind him, keeping a cautious distance between us.
“Don’t worry about your shift tonight. I’ll get someone to cover it.”
“If I don’t hear anything from Hunter, I might as well work. It’ll help me to keep my mind off of things.”
He nods. His body fidgets, and I can tell he’s at war with himself, wanting to give me a hug and knowing it’s a bad idea. With my hand, I reach out and squeeze his arm. “Thanks for coming over.”
He clears his throat and nods again. Opening the door, he stops and turns around. “I’ll let you know if I hear from him, although I’m probably one of the last people he wants to talk to right now.”
“Get in line behind me,” I scoff.
He looks at me one last time. “I want you to be happy, Mel. And if it’s with him, then you’ve got my support.”
The door closes behind him, and I hug my arms around me, stripped bare to my emotional bones.
* * *
No news. Despite my incessant calling to my limited acceptable sources, Hunter can’t be found anywhere. Even on a sneaky drive by his parents’ house, Bethany and I didn’t see his truck. Ms. Eugenia says to be patient. Nothing like a guilty conscience to kill patience.
