Page 39 of Holly Freakin' Hughes

“You’rewriting a romance novel?” Nick eyed me, as though waiting for me to laugh andassure him that I was only kidding. When I didn’t, he slid both hands over hishead. “You really want them to kill me, don’t you?”

“Talkthem into giving me more time, okay? Work your magic. Say I had a familyemergency or some shit, and I’ll buckle down and bang it out in the next fewmonths. They won’t argue too much with me. I’m the reason they were able tosend the whole team to Jamaica for two weeks, for fuck’s sake, and where was myinvitation?”

Nickopened his mouth to say something when Birdy bounded over, grinning with herruby red lipstick.

“Whatcan I get you, boys?” she asked, sliding into the seat beside me. I put an armaround her, taking in the heavy scent of cigarettes, and she reciprocated byresting her head against my shoulder. “No Holly today, huh?”

Oh,I could have killed her.

Ididn’t particularly care to look at Nick, didn’t exactly want to know whatlittle smirks his face was twisting into. But my eyes slowly made the shift,and I saw him with that teasing smile that I hated so much. The one he wouldalways give to me before asking if I had “gotten any,” and in that moment, Icould only assume that he was guessing that I had, in fact, “gotten some.”

Ishook my head, struggling a smile. “Nah, she’s working today.”

“Oh,right. What does she do?” Birdy asked.

“Shebabysits her niece,” I said, glaring at Nick as he held a fist to his mouth.

Birdynodded as though this were the most interesting bit of information she hadreceived all day—most likely because she would be using it later on inconversation with my poor, hopeful mother. I expected her to continue withanother slew of questions, digging for more information to relay back to hermaster, but she left it at that.

Shetook our order, not bothering to jot it down in her notepad. After twenty yearsof serving us turkey club wraps and coffee, she had become a pro and committedit to memory. She turned on her heel to fetch mugs, giving Nick a whopping fewminutes to interrogate me.

“So… Holly, huh?” He folded his arms on the table and leaned forward with a slysmile that made him look like the sleazy wingman in an R-rated movie about abunch of buddies looking to get laid. “Why haven’tIheard about her,huh?”

“Becauseit isn’t a big deal. She’s someone I hang out with at Reade’s occasionally, andone time, we came here together asfriends. Birdy met her, and of courseshe ran with it. But seriously, dude, we arefriends—that’s all.” Icrossed my fingers that he bought the friend bit, but to my dismay, he didn’t.He knew me better than that, and for this, I cursed him and lifelongfriendships.

“Nota big deal? Dude, you haven’t stayed in contact with a woman since Julia left.”Groaning, I leaned my head back to stare up at the tiled ceiling and raked bothhands through my hair. Nick let out a triumphant laugh and pointed a finger atme, thrusting it across the table and against my chest. “Ha! Iknewit!So, come on, who is she? A babysitter? Robbing the cradle, huh?”

“Shutthe fuck up,” I snapped, and he raised his hands in surrender with a mumbledapology. “And I told you already. I met her at Reade’s, and we hang out acouple times a week.” Nick raised his eyebrows, gesturing for me to elaborate.“What do you want to know?” I sighed with irritation.

Leaningagainst the table, Nick’s eyes looked to the pendant lamp hanging above us andshrugged his shoulders up to his ears. “Oh, you know, when you met, what doesshe look like, is she good in bed … You know, the usual shit.”

Birdybounded over to us with our water and coffee, the ceramic of the cupsclattering against the surface of the table as she put them down with gusto.One red-tipped hand tapped against the aluminum edge of the bench seat I saton, peering down at me. “What are we talking about, boys?”

“HeyBirdy, what does Holly look like?” Nick asked, mischievously wiggling hiseyebrows at her.

Sheclapped a hand over her heart, her mouth dropping open in exaggerated awe. “Oh,Nicky, she’sgorgeous. Dark hair,beautifuldark brown eyes…They’ll have very attractive kids; I can tell you that.” She nodded withconfidence, resting a fist against a heavy hip.

Agroan escaped my lungs as I shielded my face with the clammy palms of my hands.Taking the hint, Birdy squeezed my shoulder before walking away to tend toother diners. A second or two of silence passed, and my mind filled thedarkness between my eyes and hands with pathetic visions of us asparents—together. I dropped them to the table when it became too much.

“So?”Nick said, sipping at his water. “Have you gotten laid?”

“Nope,”I replied shortly, stirring my coffee despite it having nothing to stir.

“Youhave a girlfriend, and you haven’t slept with her yet?” He pushed his glassesonto his nose, averting his eyes as he sat in bewildered judgement. “Is sheseriously too young? Because man, I … I really can’t condone that kind of—”

“Holyshit, Nick.” My patience was wearing thin. “I told you, she’snotmy girlfriend.”

“Whythe hell not?”

Andthat was when my tethers snapped, leaving the fragments of my sanity frayed andflapping in the wind. “Why the fuckshouldshe be?” I crossed my armsand let my head roll to the side. “She doesn’t even know who I am.”

Helooked at me suspiciously. “How the hell does she not know? Everybody aroundhere knows who you are.”

“Well,she’s younger than us, for one thing, and grew up a few towns over, then livedin the city for a long time, and …” I sighed, shaking my head. “Maybe she’slived under a rock for the past five years. I have no clue. But either way, shedoesn’t, okay? And the fucked up thing is, Iloveit. I really fuckinglove it. It feels sogoodto be absolutely nobody for once. But when shefinds out—and shewillfind out—it’s all going to blow up in my face. Ifucked it up a long time ago and I’m just biding my time before it all goes tohell, okay? Now drop it.” I set my jaw, the muscles trembling under the strainof my self-loathing.

Nick’sexcitement had faded. He took his glasses off, dropping them to the table witha tinny clatter and rubbed his temples. “Jesus, Brandon. You and your hatredtowards your amazingly enviable, pathetic life.” He pinched the bridge of hisnose. “Okay, let me ask you something. Did you ever think that you might besomebody toher?” He dropped that ton of bricks over my head, and I feltthem landing one by one onto my shoulders. Piling higher and higher until Icouldn’t breathe under the weight.

“Yes,”I said quietly. She had told me I was her best friend. That certainly meant Iwas somebody.

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