“I’m going to collapse in a heap for the entirety of the summer if I make it through finals in one piece.”
“You’ve got this.”
“How are things with you?”
“Same ole, same ole.” I rub the towel side to side against my back as I dry off.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to come with Will for Garrick’s birthday. He filled me in on what happened. It sounded eventful.”
“That’s one way of putting it.” I drop the towel and pad toward my dresser.
“What has Ivy done?”
“Nothing yet,” I say, pulling fresh underwear and pajamas from the drawer. “But I’m on edge waiting to see what she has up her sleeve. I know she’s planning something big, and her lack of action makes me anxious.” I shimmy my panties up my legs.
“Hugh won’t let her keep you from Garrick.” She pauses for a second. “And it sounds like Beck has some powerful resources at his disposal.”
Tension bleeds into the air, and I stop midway through pulling my sleep pants up my legs. “You’re pissed,” I surmise, snapping out of it and yanking my pants up to my waist.
“Why didn’t you tell me about him?”
“Because of the tone I hear in your voice right now.” I pull my silky sleep top down over my head.
“That’s not fair, Stevie. I have a right to be angry. I had to hear about Beck from Will. It hurt I knew nothing about him.”
“Come on, Ellen. You know why I didn’t tell you.”
“Because I’d tell Will.”
“Exactly.”
“If you have nothing to hide, what difference would it have made if I told Will or not?”
“IfI have nothing to hide?” My voice elevates a few decibels as I yank the towel from my damp hair and roughly drag it across my scalp. “I don’t have anything to hide. I didn’t tell you because Will has been a total ass to me, Ellen.”
“He apologized, Stevie. What more do you want him to do? This has been hard on him too.”
“I’m explaining why I didn’t tell you about Beck. It’s because I knew Will would jump to the wrong conclusions.”
“You’ve got to realize how bad it looks,” she replies, and pain lashes against my chest.
I can’t believe I’m hearing this from one of my so-called best friends.
“Who is this guy, and how long have you known him?” she prods.
“Didn’t Will give you all the details, or did he purposely hold key information back to present me in the worst possible light?” I snap, losing the hold on my tenuous emotions.
“Don’t throw accusations at him. That’s unfair, and you know it.”
No, I don’t.
“Beck is a friend. His girlfriend is in a coma, and we’ve been helping one another deal with it. We’ve known each other three months, and that’s it. The end. Nothing inappropriate has happened at all.”
“Yet.”
“What?” I splutter, wondering if I’m hearing things.
“It’s not a good idea, Stevie. It’s the age-old conundrum. Guys and girls can’t ever just be friends.”
