Page 35 of The Problem with Perfect

“Sounds a bit too daydreamy for me.” But I know I’m full of shit. I love those quiet moments too and seek them out whenever I can.

Bellamy’s quiet laughter wafts through the phone again, and I realize just how much I actually like the sound of it.

“Well, if you’re ever in need of an escape, you are welcome to use our dock,” Bellamy says. “I can personally assure you that many problems have been resolved during my time lying on it, and I don’t doubt it will do the same for you.”

“What, like math problems?” I tease.

“No, you goof,” she answers, and I can’t help but picture Bellamy, her head of thick, dark blonde hair spread out around her face as she stares up into the sky. “Like real problems. Deciding whether or not to do college online, or how to tell my mom I’m ready to move out…how to handle this Connor thing.”

I ignore the comment about Connor.

“You want to move out?”

“Yeah, well…someone recently told me I wouldn’t know the true value of money until I moved out of my parents’ plush house, so…it got me thinking.”

I wince, having forgotten I said that to her at the bonfire.

“I didn’t mean…”

“It’s fine, Rusty. I know you were having a shitty day, but there was some truth in what you said. It’s just been on my mind.”

There’s a beat of silence before Bellamy speaks again.

“So, what’s up?” she asks, her voice still low. “I thought an old man like you would definitely be in bed at this hour.”

I snort. “Says the woman who came by my house at two in the morning last week.”

She giggles again.

“Well first, I wanted to ask how your girl day with Stace went on Saturday.”

Bellamy groans. “Don’t say ‘girl day’ like that—like we’re best friends.”

“That’s sure what it looked like.”

She lets out a long sigh, and I hear a thump on the other end of the phone. The sound of her voice is closer now, like she took it off of speaker.

“It was okay. It wasweird, but okay. She’s really nice, which is annoying.”

I laugh. “Why is that annoying?”

“Because I want to hate her.” Bellamy’s voice grows tight, and the mood of our phone call changes on a dime. “She’s marrying the man I thought I was going to end up with. Andof courseshe’s lovely and friendly and funny instead of evil and bitchy and easy to loathe. It’s infuriating.”

I don’t say anything in response, because really, there isn’t anythingtosay. Instead, I just let her keep venting; she clearly needs it.

“She’s going to be a nurse who helps people at a free clinic, did you know that? So on top of all the other wonderful qualities she has, she’s also gorgeous and generous. And today was just the worst because we actually had fun together and I don’t want to like her.”

“It’s not a bad thing to meet nice people, Bellamy.”

“I thought we were perfect for each other,” she whispers, and I know she’s talking about Connor now. “And now I have to rethink…everything.”

“Hate to break it to you, Bells, but there’s no such thing as perfect.” I huff out a humorless laugh. “Trust me.”

“Sounds like you know from experience.”

I pause, thinking briefly of Hailey and howperfectthings were before she destroyed me.

“Maybe I’ll tell you about it another day.”

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