Page 144 of The Nicest Thing
"What's that supposed to mean?" Emmy said.
"Pen names are fake.You could say that makes the people who use them liars."
The word shouldn't have stuck with me, but it did,liarechoing in my ears.
"Or they could just be people with names that are difficult to spell," Tessa put in.
"It's shady."
Emmy gave Keely a stony look."Yeah, right, and we're supposed to believe your last name is Starr?"
She brushed a piece of imaginary lint off her shoulder."It was my maiden name.Clearly, I was meant to be famous."
"Or infamous," Emmy shot back.
"I just meant that pen names are a way for people to hide who they really are," Keely said."There's no reason to be rude."
"Hey, you started it."
Tessa stared her friend down."She's right.You've been rude this whole time, Keels."
"I have not!"
"You have," Lorelai said with a nod."Emmy was nice enough to invite us to dinner.You're not even making an effort."
Keely rolled her eyes."You can't tell me I'm the only one who thinks this relationship"—she gestured between Finn and me—"is a farce.They make reels together to sell her books.She suddenly gets invited to Romance or Die—a very hard conference to get into—and not only that, he's invited too.Now, they're viral and the it couple.Sorry, but men like him don't go for bigger women."
I was too stunned to respond.
"You need to shut up now," Finn said darkly.
"Or like ten minutes ago," Emmy put in.
"Rose aka Liv can't even remember how he proposed.Maybe that's because he didn't.Maybe—"
"Keely, enough," Tessa said.
"But…"
Lorelai shook her head."Rose and Finn's relationship is obviously the real deal.Even ifyourrelationship is on the rocks, that doesn't give you the right to tear everyone else down."
Keely's eyes were misty with angry tears, but she didn't let them fall.
"Sorry if I was harsh," she said, standing stiffly."My inner BS alarm was going off, but maybe I was wrong."
She wasn't though.Keely may have been a bitch—actually, she was a bitch—but she was right about Finn and me.
I didn't want to be a liar.
I wanted to feel worthy of this love between us.
I just wasn't sure how to get there.
"Tomorrow's signing will be even crazier with the readers," Lorelai said, jumping up as Keely stomped off."I should go.Nice to meet you all."
"You too," I said.
Tessa stood and gave a heavy sigh."Sorry for Keely.She's not usually like that."
