“Someone was up late,” Hattie muses, and I can’t tell if she’s just commenting or she’s jealous.
“Where’s Ollie?” I look around.
“He’s watching TV. There’s a shark documentary on that he was begging me to see,” Hattie explains.
“Plus, it gives us grownups a chance to chat about the redhead making a run for it this morning.” Lina smirks.
Shit, so theydidsee Bells leaving. I decide to play it off. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”
Hattie and Lina both roll their eyes at me as I sit at the kitchen table. I grab a cinnamon roll off the plate and take a hearty bite. Fuck, Lina is such a good baker. The pastry melts in my mouth and goes perfectly with a fresh cup of coffee.
“Bells was in a mad dash out of here this morning, are we to believe she snuck in without your knowledge?” Lina asks.
“We hooked up last night.” I sigh. There was no use hiding it from them.
“We know that, but why was she running out?” Lina asks.
“I don’t know. I was sleeping.” I shrug.
“Maybe she heard Ollie and I coming in?” Hattie offers quietly. I hope this conversation wasn’t making her uncomfortable.
“She left behind her phone,” I say, pulling it out of my pocket and putting it on the table.
“Oh my god, like a modern-day Cinderella.” Lina laughs. “Have you looked through it?”
“No!” I gasp.
“Why not? Maybe she wants you to?” Lina says.
“It’s not her business what’s on her phone,” Hattie adds.
“Fine, I’m just saying. Maybe you’d have more information if you saw her recent texts.” Lina shrugs.
“I’m not reading her texts,” I say. But just as I do, the phone chimes and lights up with a new text.
“Wait, this person is talking about you!” Lina grabs the phone and reads the latest message aloud. “How was the sex?? Better this time or last time??”
“Oh my God,” Hattie mumbles.
“Who’s she texting?” I ask, my mouth getting suddenly dry.
“Uh, it just saysBestie. So her version of Hattie and me,” Lina says. “We can’t read what she’s saying without unlocking the phone, but she must be texting from an iPad or her computer. These are coming in right now.”
The phone chimes again.
“It says, ‘Holy shit! She was that good?? I need details or the number of her friend,’” Lina reads aloud. I blush, and Hattie spills the coffee she’s pouring into her mug.
“Maybe let’s not read these.” I reach for the phone, and Lina nods.
She’s the only one I told about Hattie’s crush on me. I want to be sensitive, but I also don’t want to treat her with kid gloves. I’m constantly overthinking everything when it comes to ourfriendship. But it’s obvious she’s uncomfortable hearing about me and Bells being intimate.
“So, are you two seeing each other now?” Hattie asks, clearing her throat.
“We didn’t really talk about it. I thought we’d talk today, but she left before we could,” I admit.
“Maybe that’s the answer?” Hattie says.
“What do you mean?” I raise an eyebrow at her.
