Straight Laced

by Jessica Gunhammer

  “Thank you. That means a lot to me. I just wanted to talk to you before you went back up there because I didn’t want him to tell you and catch you off guard. The last thing I’d ever want to do is hurt your friendship.”

  “That’s another good thing about you. You’re always putting other people before yourself. It’s okay to be selfish sometimes, especially if it’s for something that you believe in and makes you happy.” I could hear footsteps creeping down the stairs behind me. “You know we can hear you, right, Tori?”

  Soon she popped around the corner. “How did you know it was me?”

  “Because Mom or Dad wouldn’t try and sneak their way down here.”

  “I guess that’s true, huh?” She laughed. “Are you guys done yet? I’m hungry and I was waiting for you guys.”

  “We’re good?” Brent asked.

  “We’re good,” I answered.

  Chapter 19

  A few weeks of regular hospital visits went by until I finally received a text from Brent letting me know that they were going to be releasing Nate from the hospital. Since he wasn’t going to be able to work and his family wasn’t in the picture, Lynn was letting him move into their guest bedroom until he was able to get back on his feet again.

  His release came just in time. My parents finally came to terms with the fact that I wasn’t planning to go to school this fall and they agreed that I was no longer “cut off.” I still wasn’t sure what I was going to do since this whole thing happened with Nate, but I wasn’t about to tell them that.

  I had been visiting Nate every day and things seemed to be going great. His smile still put butterflies in my stomach and his kiss still sent chills up my spine. The newness of the relationship had yet to wear off, for me, anyway. The fact that he could have lost his life but could still crack jokes and make me laugh like nothing had happened made me love—no, like him that much more. I’m not ready to use that word love yet. I mean I really, really like him and the way he makes me feel, but I’m not sure if I’m ready to love someone yet.

  I went to Tori’s house the next morning. They were going to be moving things from Nate’s house to their house and the storage unit all day, so I told them I would make sure Nate got food and anything else he needed. Plus, it would be nice to have a little alone time with him, without doctors and nurses coming in and out of his room all day.

  I was surprised when I pulled into their driveway and saw a little red sedan sitting in the spot where I usually parked. I pulled up behind it. It must belong to someone that was helping them move Nate’s stuff. I grabbed the food I picked up from Nate’s favorite taco place, the one we had our little meeting at, and walked up to the front door of the house. Tori told me it would be open since Nate was here, so I pushed the door open. I closed it quietly behind me. I didn’t want to wake him if he was sleeping. I set my purse on the small bench in the entry way and walked back to the guestroom.

  The door was closed so I figured he must be sleeping. I pushed the door open slowly and was surprised by what I saw. The girl from the night of the barn party was kneeling next to the bed. Her face was probably two inches from Nate’s. Her hand was on Nate’s bicep and his was wrapped around her, resting on her lower back. When they noticed I’d opened the door, they turned their heads towards me but didn’t move away from each other.

  “Oh. Sorry. I didn’t realize you had company.” I tried to hide the anger in my voice. I could feel the heat rising in my stomach. If I wouldn’t have walked in when I did, who knows what might have happened.

  Nate pulled his arm back to his side and the girl looked at him, confused. He obviously hadn’t told her about me. “Cici, this is Tori’s friend Summer. Summer, this is Cici.”

  Tori’s friend? Is that really how he’s going to introduce me? I mean I guess he can’t be like “this is Summer, the girl I’ve been making out with for the past month.” But he couldn’t even bother to say my friend, he says Tori’s friend. Nice.

  Cici looked me up and down. I could tell she wasn’t very happy and she was probably wondering what the hell Tori’s friend was doing here.

  “Tori just wanted me to drop these off for you.” I looked at Nate and threw the bag of tacos on the bed. He knew that I wasn’t happy and he knew he’d screwed up. I gave him a minute to say something but, as usual, he didn’t. I looked over at Cici, who was still staring at me and still had her hand resting on Nate’s bicep. Her grip tightened when she saw me looking at her hand. This girl had some serious territorial problems. “You two have fun.” I smiled at him and shook my head as I turned around and walked out the door.

  I couldn’t believe I actually thought he liked me. I didn’t know what I was thinking. What I didn’t understand was how could he be so friendly with her when she was nowhere to be found the whole time he was in the hospital? I went from being upset to being angry in a matter of minutes. I was by his side this whole time and yet he still let that skank come back into his life whenever she sees fit.

  I grabbed my purse and stomped out to my car. I got in and slammed my door shut. I knew he couldn’t hear it but it made me feel better. I put the car in reverse and backed up, just missing the bushes behind me. I threw the car in drive and peeled out. I knew he would hear that. If he didn’t realize I was pissed before, which he’d be stupid not to, he’d know I was pissed now. Rocks spewed in all directions. I was hoping a few of them hit the red sedan that I now knew belonged to Cici. What kind of name was Cici, anyway?

  I glanced back in my rearview mirror and watched the dust trail from my tires fill the air. It was a great representation of my life right now. Everything seemed so clear before Nate left the hospital. I thought I knew exactly where our relationship was going. I mean, I didn’t picture the white dress and a house with a white picket fence by any means, but I felt secure. Now, my vision was cloudy and I could no longer see what I thought was my future.

  Chapter 20

  A few hours had passed before my phone rang. I picked it up off my bed and looked at the screen. It was Nate. I was somewhat shocked since he’s never called me. He’ll usually text or avoid the situation altogether until I confront him, so I was immediately sent into a panic. I wasn’t sure whether I should pick it up or send him to voicemail. But my dilemma took too long; just when I decided to answer, the phone stopped ringing. I waited a few seconds to see if I would get a notification that he left a message, but I didn’t.

  I was preparing myself to call him back when my screen lit up. A picture of Tori and I at the lake popped up. I tapped the bottom of the screen.

  “Hello?”

  “Where’d you go? I thought you were going to stay and eat dinner with us when we got home?” I could hear her chewing on the other end of the line.

  “Yeah, there was a change in plans.”

  She sighed. “Are you and Nate fighting already?”

  “Not exactly…was anyone other than Nate there when you got home?”

  “No. Why?” She sounded confused.

  “When I went to take Nate lunch, that girl from the party was there.”

  “That skank was in my house? Gross!”

  “Yeah. Apparently her name is Cici.”

  “Cici? Really? That sounds like the name of a stripper…that fits her well. I bet she died when Nate introduced you guys.”

  “Not really, but probably because he introduced me as ‘Tori’s friend.’”

  “Are you kidding me?”

  “Nope.”

  “Wow! The nerve!”

  “That’s what I thought.”

  “So you just left him alone with her?”

  “Yeah, I didn’t have much of a choice. I wasn’t about to hang out with them. It didn’t look like she had any intentions of leaving anytime soon and since he introduced me as your friend, he probably wasn’t planning on asking her to leave.”

  “Have you talked to him since?”

  “No, he called, though. I was just getting ready to call him back.”

  �
��Wow, he actually called you? That’s a first.”

  “I know, right?”

  “All right. Well, keep me updated.”

  “I will. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Bye.”

  I hung up the phone and scrolled through my contacts until I reached Nate’s name and tapped on it. It rang twice before he picked up.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey…” I decided to let him take the lead on this one.

  “Can I call you back in a little bit? Everyone just got back here and we’re getting ready to eat.” Oh duh! I thought. Tori just told me that.

  “Sure.”

  “All right. Bye.” I heard the phone click. Wow. That was fast.

  I ran downstairs to make myself a quick dinner, hoping it would help curb the anticipation of our upcoming conversation. When I got back up to my room, I paced around aimlessly. I wanted to hurry up and get this phone call over with, or at least get it started. I glanced at the alarm clock on my nightstand—it’d been forty minutes since I called him. The wait was killing me. I thought about calling him again or maybe just texting him, but I didn’t want him to feel like I was bugging him.

  After I thought about it, I realized I had every right to be bugging the shit out of him. I wanted to know what the hell was going on with him and Cici. Or at least what the hell was going on with us.

  I picked up my phone and clicked on his name. It rang a few times and then went to voicemail. So I hung up and texted him.

  We need to talk ASAP.

  I waited for his reply. After a few minutes, he texted me back.

  I’m exhausted. You think we can talk tomorrow?

  Again, I was pissed. He had to know how upset I was and yet he was blowing me off like it was nothing. Maybe it was nothing? Maybe I was just overreacting? I was half tempted to text him back and tell him not to bother. But how could he be exhausted from spending the day with his ex-girlfriend? Or who knows, maybe she’s still his girlfriend. Well, whatever she was, hearing that he was exhausted after spending the day with another girl was not something I wanted to hear and it sent pictures through my head that I did not want to think about.

  Once again I decided to take the lead on this even though I didn’t really even know where to start or if I was prepared for what I was going to hear. But I didn’t want to waste anymore time playing these games. Not only that, how did I know he wasn’t just blowing me off so he could hang out with Cici again tonight?

  No. I would rather we talk tonight.

  I’m coming over.

  I jumped off my bed, grabbed my purse, and went out to my car. My parents weren’t home. They had dinner plans with some of my dad’s co-workers tonight. I had plenty of time to get over there, get this all worked out, and be home by curfew. I hoped, anyway.

  When I got to Tori’s I walked in the front door and could hear the TV on in the living room, so I knew Tori’s mom and dad were still up. I knew they wouldn’t mind that I walked in without knocking, I did it all the time. But I still made sure to keep quiet because even though Lynn knew we were together, I don’t think she would like Nate and I alone in his room together.

  I walked down the hallway to Nate’s room and knocked quietly on the door. I didn’t hear him say anything, so I pushed it open slowly. His light was on but he was passed out on the bed. I walked over and sat down next to him. I looked at the dark circles under his eyes. He’d been through a lot the past month, with the accident, having to stay in the hospital, and having to move out of his place. Maybe this could have waited until morning.

  I grabbed the blanket folded at the foot of the bed and pulled it over him. I noticed an empty glass on the nightstand next to him so I picked it up and took it to the kitchen to refill. I didn’t hear the TV from the living room anymore. Tori’s parents must’ve gone to bed. I was a bit relieved because I didn’t know how this was going to end, and if it didn’t go well and they saw me, I didn’t want to have to explain everything to them. When I went back into Nate’s room, he was awake.

  “Hey.”

  “Hi.” I set the water back down on the nightstand.

  “Thanks.” He patted the bed next to him. I sat down. “What’s up?”

  “I think you already know what’s up. I wasn’t exactly happy about what I walked in on today.”

  “With Cici?”

  “Yeah with Cici!” The sound of her name alone set me off.

  “Summer…” He placed his hand on my thigh. “You have nothing to worry about. We’re just good friends. She’s going through some stuff and needed someone to talk to. That’s all.”

  “No, that’s not all.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I saw you guys together at the party and I know you guys were more than just friends and have been for awhile.”

  “That was before I met you.”

  “Nate, I’m not stupid. I saw the way she looked at you!” Then I remembered the one thing the pissed me off most of all. “And if you’re just friends, then why the hell did you introduce me as Tori’s friend?”

  “She’s having a hard time right now. I didn’t want to throw her over the edge. She doesn’t need that kind of stress right now. I’m just trying to be a good friend.”

  “Well, having her come over here and being up close and personal with her is not exactly going to send her the right message.”

  He pulled me down to him and brought me in for a kiss. I loved the feeling of his soft lips on mine. I thought about pulling away for a second, but I wanted that kiss, no matter how mad I was at him. I pulled away slowly.

  “That’s not going to get you off the hook, you know.”

  “It was worth a shot.” He smiled at me and my stomach fluttered. Between that and the kiss I almost forgot what I was there for…almost.

  Chapter 21

  “Come sit up here.” He patted the bed on the other side of him. “We can watch a movie or something before you have to go home.” I slid off my shoes and crawled up next to him. It was nice to be alone with him without people coming in and out unannounced and beeping machines.

  “Where’s Brent?” I asked.

  “He went to bed right after dinner. I think everyone was pretty exhausted after moving my stuff all day.” He pulled me close to his side and I rested my head on his chest. This is what I’ve wanted to do for weeks now and I didn’t want to ruin the moment but I had to ask.

  “So, what’s going on with you and Cici?”

  “We’re just friends now.”

  “But you were dating the night I met you?”

  “Not really. More like hooking up.” The thought of them together made me sick. I knew he had probably been with other girls and I would be fine with it if I thought she wasn’t going to come around again. “But we have dated a few times before.”

  “Oh.”

  “Are you mad?”

  “Kind of.”

  “You don’t have any reason to be. I told you we haven’t been dating for a while.”

  “What about hooking up?”

  “We haven’t hooked up since the night of the barn party.” I pulled away from him and leaned up against the headboard. “You can’t be mad at me for that. How was I supposed to know that this was going to come out of meeting you that night?”

  “Well, how am I supposed to know you haven’t hooked up since then?”

  “Because she was in rehab.”

  “That’s why she never came to see you in the hospital?”

  “Yeah. Her parents checked her in a few days after the party.” This suddenly changed things for me. If she would’ve never went to rehab, she would’ve been the one spending all that time by Nate’s bed, not me. “That’s why she came by today. She wanted to apologize for not being there.”

  “What did you tell her?”

  “I told her I had some pretty great people by my side.” He put his hand on my thigh and rubbed it with his thumb.

  “Did you tell her I was there?”

&
nbsp; “I did.”

  “Did you tell her anything else?”

  “Like I said, she’s been through a lot. She already feels bad that she couldn’t be there for me. I didn’t want to give her more than she could handle and have her relapse because of it.” I wasn’t sure if he was trying to make me feel sorry for her or what, but it wasn’t working.

  “You need to tell her.”

  “I will.”

  “You need to tell her soon if you want to continue this with me.” He stopped rubbing my thigh and looked over at me. I think he was as shocked as I was that I just said that. “Well, you can’t just let her keep thinking she has a chance of getting back with you and then tell her. That’s going to hurt her more than if you tell her right away. Or if she does have a chance at getting back with you, then let me know so I can be on my way.” I was fed up with the games. I wanted to either be all in or all out. I wasn’t one to wait around to be loved.

  “Summer, I already told you, it’s all you, no one else. If it will make you feel better, I’ll tell her tomorrow when she stops by.”

  “She’s coming over tomorrow?”

  “Yeah, she said she wanted to bring me lunch.” I was irritated once again. That’s my job, not hers.

  “Were you planning on telling me this?”

  “Yeah. I was going to tell you in the morning.” He looked over at me and laughed. “Quit wrinkling your eyebrows. It’s just lunch. You can be here if you want.”

  “Yeah, no thanks.” I didn’t want to be around that girl anymore than I had to. “I gotta go. My parents are going to be home soon.” I scooted my way down to the end of the bed.

  “All right. Come here.” He reached out his arms to me and I went over to him. He pulled me in for another kiss. If he only knew what his kisses did to me, he would be using them a lot more to his benefit. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  I shut off the light and walked out his bedroom door. Well, that was somewhat resolved. I think I’ll feel better tomorrow after he tells Cici everything. I started thinking maybe I did want to be here when he told her. It would be nice to see the look on her face. I walked down the hallway and towards the stairs. I made sure I left a few minutes to spare so I had time to talk to Tori.