Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Lucy
NASH SAW ME NAKED
Stella
WHAT.
Gabby
I need context
Pronto
DETAILS
Was this intentional nakedness on your part?
Or something creepy on his????
I slipped getting out of the tub. Crutches fell. I yelped
He barged in like a firefighter and tried not to look but
HE WAS THERE AND I WAS VERY NAKED
Stella
Oh no…
Gabby
Wait…
Did he SEE you see you?
Or was it like… respectful accidental oops I saw you while valiantly coming to your rescue?
I don’t know!!
He looked away
FAST
But his ears were red
And his hands were shaking
And he handed me a towel but he had to help me out of the tub
I think he touched my boob and I’m sure he saw my butt
Stella
I know I shouldn’t laugh at your situation but…
I’m laughing at your situation.
Gabby
I don’t know whether to laugh or cry for you
To make it worse he said “I can’t keep pretending this doesn’t affect me”
And then HE LEFT
Just walked out the door
Stella
Wait…
He said that?
Out loud??
Like, with his mouth? In actual reality?
Yep
Right there
Me… in a towel
Him… doing whatever it is Nash does
Gabby
Babe.
I don’t care what he says
You can’t keep ignoring this
He wants you
You want him
What’s the big deal?
Yeah that’s fine to say
But I live in his house
He’s helping me out of the goodness of his heart
Stella
Is it his heart?
I’m thinking maybe his
Gabby
Come on guys
I live in his house
I make him dinner when he comes home from work
He makes me coffee in the morning
And then we do this weird, charged pause every night where it’s like neither of us knows whether to say goodnight or climb each other like trees
I can’t do this slow-burn-with-extra-torture thing anymore
I’m serious
Stella
Then do something about it
Gabby
At least figure out how to see him naked
He did see you
That imbalance cannot stand
STOP.
Gabby
What? I’m just saying
Stella
And I’m just agreeing
I hate both of you
Stella
We love you too
Gabby
Now go figure out how you’re going to accidentally see him naked
Purely for emotional closure, obviously
I huff a laugh and roll my eyes just as a knock startles me. I sit up from where I crashed on my bed, wrapping my towel tighter around me. “Yeah?”
“I’m meeting Bennett at The Brass Lantern,” Nash says through the door, voice gruff. “Thought you should know.”
“Okay. Thanks for telling me.” I clap a hand to my face, wishing I didn’t sound so weird. We’re both adults. Nothing inappropriate happened. There’s absolutely no reason for things to be awkward.
“Call me if you need anything.”
“I will. Have fun. And tell Bennett I said hi.”
“Will do.”
Nash’s footsteps retreat down the hall, fading like the heat in the room and I flop back on the bed, glaring at the ceiling like it’s the reason I’m in this situation.