Page 88 of Some Kind of Forever
Me:
Best. Night. Ever. Top 10, all-time favorite *sad face*
Hunter
Hang in there, sis.
Dad wants to know if you and Ash want to meet us for breakfast tomorrow.
Me
Who is us, exactly?
Hunter
LMAO! Just me, Dad, Artie. No Wilmingtons allowed.
Me
*thumbs-up*
Turning to Ashlie, I start to ask, “Do you?—”
“I already told him we’d go. He just wanted to check up on you,” she says without looking away from the TV screen, like they casually talk all the time.
“So are you two… What’s going on there?”
“We’re your best friend and brother who are worried about you. We’re just friends. That’s all.” Her eyes narrow at the TV, and the way she’s avoiding looking at me lets me know that’s not all of it. This must be the distraction I need because my eyes are suddenly drier than the Mojave Desert. Her drama trumps my drama.
“Ash, I saw the way you two were looking at each other on the dance floor tonight. His hands were alittle too low on your?—”
“Okay, fine. We talk, but that’s it.”
“Like, how much talking?”
“Ugh, why are you in my business?” Ashlie groans, pausing the show. She unlocks her phone and tosses it over to me. I pick it up and scroll through her messages with Hunter. They talk all right. Several times an hour, day and night. I abruptly stop swiping as I realize I might see some things I don’t want to see.
“I’m gonna give this back before I see any spicy pics that will require me to have to gouge my eyes out.” I shiver, scrunching up my face.
“He wishes.” She snorts, taking her phone back. “It’s not like that. We talk all the time, about everything. But he knows I’m a relationship girlie, and I know he has several girls on his roster, so we don’t cross that line.”
“So best friends who have a thing for each other?”
“I…guess? We spent a lot of time together this summer.” Ashlie shrugs, grabbing for the remote. “And he was there when I broke up with Bryan…both times. But we can’t ever be together. We’re too different. Now can we watch this? I don’t want to spend the whole night talking about Hunter.”
“Just talkingtohim all night, then?” I arch my eyebrow and smirk at her. Her phone buzzes between us, and her hand flinches to reach for it, before drawing back. “It’s Hunter, isn’t it?” I nod toward her phone.
She rolls her eyes, sucking her teeth while crossing her arms over her pink nightgown. Her phone vibrates again, and I fold my hands under my chin and smile at her. We both know I’m right. A third buzz has her snatching it up from the bed, biting her cheeks as she tries not to smile.
We pullup to Honey Brunches at seven a.m., early enough for me to make it through LA traffic and to the charteredplane by ten. I see Artemis bouncing in her seat through the red bricked restaurant’s window, her mouth moving a mile a minute as she talks away at Kendall. He’s so patient with her. The smile on his face is warm and loving, and I can’t help but wonder what it would have been like to grow up knowing him.
“Hey, didn’t you win an award yesterday?” I tease Kendall as I slide into the booth next to Artemis. The cozy café music lends to the whirring drips of the coffee machines in the background, adding to the relaxed vibe of the brown and black accented restaurant.
“Oh. My. God!Can we have your autograph?” Ashlie fans herself dramatically, playing along. She sits next to me, and the disappointment that flashes over Hunter’s face makes it obvious the feeling between them is mutual.
Kendall chuckles, shaking his head as the people at the table next to us try to decide whether he’s famous. A set of short fingers wiggle between my back and the seat as Artie snakes her arms around me, giving me a tight squeeze.
“Hey, sis,” I say, hugging her back.
