Chapter 8
INEZ
8
With Stella at school today and Nolan out running errands, I find myself with a bunch of free time in the middle of the week. Honestly, I’m not too sure what to do with myself.
I take care of the dirty dishes from breakfast. Then I sweep and mop the kitchen. After that, I grab the little sewing kit from the laundry room and stitch up the holes in the office couch cushions. But I’m finished before long. Then I sit there, staring at a wall, bored out of my mind.
Outside of my shifts at the bar, I’ve mostly stayed in the house for the past few days. I’ve been sort of hesitant to face the town.
It wasn’t exactly fun having to answer all the questions that were hurled my way over the weekend. Nolan did his best to keep everyone under control and I’m so grateful for all he did to protect me.
But the truth is, he can’t protect me forever. People are going to talk, they’re going to whisper. If I want to live my life with any sense of normalcy, I’m going to need to get a backbone.
Stealing one of Nolan’s T-shirts and pairing it with some jeans and some chunky wedge sandals, I decide to venture downtown. Not the most practical shoes for walking long distances but my options are limited at the moment. Springtime in this town can be pretty unpredictable but the weather is bright and warm today without a raincloud in sight. I’ll take that as a point in my favor.
In desperate need of a wardrobe upgrade, I head to Daphne’s new vintage boutique. Well, it’s clearly not so new anymore, I realize, as soon as I step through the door.
“Hello, anybody home?” I call out as I wander around the tiny, adorable space, admiring all the jewelry displays and clothing racks.
The store is empty but I can hear chatter and laughter coming from all the way at the back. Daphne rushes out from her back office with her friends on her heels, looking like they just finished up having lunch together.
“Inez!” Daphne wraps me in a hug. “I’ve been hoping that you were going to stop by. I tried calling you but your number is out of service.”
I flinch. “Yeah. I had my phone disconnected when I left town,” I say. “Part of my grand ‘burn bridges and cut ties with Starlight Falls’ plan,” I admit. “As you can see, that plan didn’t exactly work out.”
“Well, we’re glad to have you back,” Layla says, hugging me next.
Karli bumps Layla out of the way and pulls me in for a tight squeeze. “The town hasn’t been the same without you!”
I’ve always been friendly with the girls, but by the way they all enthusiastically greet me now, you’d think we were long lost besties.
Daphne, Karli, and Layla have always been nice to me. But I was never a part of their circle. I was always sort of on the outside looking in.
I don’t have any close friends. For some reason, girls never seem to like me. I always try to be nice. I put in the effort. But my efforts never seem to lead anywhere.
I guess I blame it on my childhood. Moving from home to home, I didn’t have much opportunity to get close to others. And by the time I found a good, steady foster home, I already had built up walls around me.
So even now that I’m a grown woman, a part of me is still always holding back.
“We saw you with Nolan and Stella at the burger joint the other day,” Karli continues, “but Layla refused to let me come over and say hi.”
“That’s because I know how over-the-top you can be.” Layla eyeballs Karli before turning to grin at me. “The three of you looked so adorable together. I didn’t want Karli to make a big scene and put you guys on the spot.”
I laugh. “Well, thanks for saving me from the spotlight.”
A woman with twinkling eyes and gorgeous brown curls stands off to the side, observing us. Karli drags her into the fold. “This is Nicky. You two haven’t met.”
Nicky sticks her hand out in my direction. “Hey. I’m Ronan’s girlfriend. He’s told me so much about you. We watched every episode of your show together.”
So much changed while I was away! “Oh my god—Ronan has a girlfriend?! You must be a brave woman. I don’t even know you but I like you already.” Grinning, I lean forward to hug her instead of shaking her hand. “I am not going to ask what Ronan must have told you about me.”
“Only how much everyone around town loves you,” Nicky assures me.
The five of us dissolve into easy chatter and laughter. But even though this conversation is flowing smoothly, my guard is still up. Just a little bit.
“This place looks amazing,” I marvel, glancing around the shop. “You’ve really made something special here, Daphne, and I’m in dire need of some cute clothes.”
“You’ve come to the right place then,” the proud boutique owner says. “I’ll hook you up, girl.”
“I don’t know…” Karli jokes, eyeballing my T-shirt with a raised eyebrow. “That top works on you.”
I blush. She’s not complimenting my style. Karli is confirming that she knows I’m wearing her brother’s oversized T-shirt. The fact that I’ve tried to doll it up with a little knot at the side and some bangles on my wrist conceals nothing apparently.
“No, please. Fix me up,” I beg the girls with a laugh.“I’ve been living out of a small suitcase for longer than I care to admit.”
Layla checks the time on her phone and then she groans. “I wish I could stay but I have to head back to work. I already lost three jobs over the past few months. I’m at the pet shop now. I can’t lose this job, too. Diapers and baby food aren’t cheap.”
Nicky buttons up the front of her light sweater. “I should head out, too. Ronan has already texted me a dozen times about making plans for dinner.”
“I have some studying to catch up on. Boo!” Karli mutters, pouting and doing a double thumbs-down.
“I didn’t know you’re back in school,” I say. When I left town, she was filling in for the medical center receptionist who was out on maternity leave.
“I’d love to hang out sometime. You know, if you’re not too busy,” Layla offers brightly.
“Why don’t we all meet up for breakfast later this week?” Karli suggests. “We want to hear all about your adventures.”
“And we have tons of gossip to catch you up on.” Daphne smiles, wiggling her engagement ring in my face.
“That’d be really great, actually,” I say a little too quickly. “It would be a nice change to hang out with some girls who aren’t all fighting to marry the same guy.”
“I can’t even imagine that.” Nicky cringes. “You’re a better woman than I am. I’m way too territorial for that shit.”
The girls give me their numbers, and I promise to text them all when I get my phone back in service.
The three of them head out, leaving me and Daphne to focus on replenishing my wardrobe.
I don’t pick out a ton—because I’m clearly on a tight budget—but when I pile my finds on the front counter and try to pay, Daphne scoffs. “No way! You’re not paying me.”
“Of course I am. I can’t take all this from you for free.”
Daphne bags everything up nicely, handing it to me. “Are you kidding me? I haven’t forgotten about all the clothes you donated to me before you left town. That was such a big help when I was trying to get my business off the ground. I appreciate it so much.”
“I wasn’t expecting anything in return,” I tell her.
Still, she waves me off. “I’m not taking your money, Inez. And trust me, you’d be doing me a favor. Just having the hometown celebrity wearing all these clothes out and about is like free advertising for me.”
Celebrity? I chafe. I feel like anything but a celebrity.
At first, I hesitate, but the look in her eyes keeps me from fighting her on this. “You’re the sweetest, Daphne. At least give me some flyers to hand out for you?”
“Deal!” she agrees excitedly, handing over a stack of business cards.
I give her a little salute on my way out.
“I can’t wait to meet up for breakfast.” She grins and waves from behind the counter. “And don’t forget to let us know when your phone gets activated so we can add you to our group chat.”
She says it all so casually. I don’t think she has any idea how much that invitation means to me. I swallow back the wave of emotion that sweeps its way up my chest.
Despite my bubbly, outgoing exterior, I know that I keep people at a distance.It’s one of my biggest character flaws. But I can’t help but hope that maybe this is my chance to finally form some actual friendships.
I think about it as I head to the phone shop to get my account re-activated, and for the entire walk back to Nolan’s place. My thoughts are enough to keep me distracted from the blisters that sprout up on my feet over the long journey. I’m sweaty and overheated by the time I step into the cool shade of his house. I dump my shopping bags in the home office and wander off in search of a drink.
I’m gulping down a glass of water when Nolan rushes into the kitchen. Wearing a pair of hoochie daddy shorts, might I add.
Okay, fine. They’re not exactly hoochie daddy shorts. But Nolan Brighton is definitely showing off some extra thigh in those well-fitted knee-length khakis.
I’ll say this—Daddy Hot Stuff is a man who did not skip ‘leg day’ at the gym this week.
Anyway, it’s right about the time that he usually goes to pick up Stella from school. He openly eyeballs me as he swipes his keys off the counter.
These days, I swear I feel his eyes on me any time I’m not looking.I’m trying not to read anything into it. Nolan doesn’t like me ‘like that’. Nolan doesn’t like anybody ‘like that’.
If given a shot, would he take the opportunity to get his rocks off with me? Maybe. He’s a guy, after all. Most guys would jump at the chance for an easy lay. But that’s not what I’m looking for.
I want commitment. I want forever. Nolan doesn’t.
End of story.
“Hey, you look like you’re burning up. Where’d you go?” he asks me.
“Just went to take a walk in town,” I say from over the rim of my glass.
His gaze sweeps over me again. He frowns. “You walked today? All the way into town?”
I nod. “Yeah. I wanted to get out of the house. And I don’t have a car so, yeah, I walked.”
His glare narrows. Oh boy. He’s about to go off on me with the protective dad stuff as usual, isn’t he?
“Inez, you look like you’re about to drop dead from heat exhaustion. I’ll give you a ride next time.”
The words are innocent enough. It’s the way he says it, though.
The water I’m drinking goes down the wrong pipe. I quickly slap a hand over my mouth to keep from spraying the liquid through my nose. He’ll give me a what next time?!
“Nolan…” I heave, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.
Smirking, he grabs my empty glass and refills it to the brim from the water pitcher.
He steps right up to me and slides the glass back into my palm. He leans in and whispers by my ear. “I’ll. Give you. A ride. Next time.”
I squeak.
My body is in shock and I’m pretty sure he can tell.
He stands just inches away, openly staring at my mouth. “Drink up, Stargirl.”
A shiver races down my spine. For some wild reason, I imagine Nolan repeating those words. But in a totally different context.
I imagine myself on my knees. I imagine him pressing his cock between my lips. Drink up, Stargirl.
Holy shit. Where did that thought come from?!
Just like that, I’m dripping like the condensation beading on the outside of this glass.
Looking mighty satisfied with himself, Nolan strolls right out of the house, leaving me there. Hot and bothered and staring at his tight ass in those shorts as he goes.
In need of a change of underwear, I hop into the shower for a fast rinse. Thoughts of Nolan replay in my head—sexy fucker—and my hand ends up between my thighs.
As I shower, I say his name again and again. My fingers work quickly, taking me to a speedy climax before my shame even has the chance to catch up.
There’s been extreme levels of tension—of the sexual variety—between us lately, ever since I got back to town. And I can’t for the life of me figure out why. What’s changed? Is it just me imagining the lingering looks and dark stares and painful lust?
I probably am imagining things. Nolan Brighton does not do flirtation.
Back in the home office, I refuse to let my thoughts spiral into a pit of self-reproach. I’m an adult. I’m single. And Nolan is hot as fuck. I can fantasize about him all I want. As long as I never act on it, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. I just need to keep my eyes on the big picture. Regaining my independence. Not falling under some guy’s hypnotic spell.
I dig through my shopping bags. I choose some baggy black sweatpants and a white tank top to wear. Then I plop down on the couch, aware that I can’t keep putting off reading my emails. In fact, I’ve had an influx of new messages over the past few days. What did I expect?
I just want to toss my phone in the bushes and run away. But playing the runaway card is already getting old for me.
I’m a grown woman. I can’t keep avoiding the things that scare me.
Taking a huge breath, I open up my inbox and start going through my emails.
But once I start reading through them, I realize that it’s nothing like I feared it would be.
Yes, there are more than a few not-too-happy messages from the production studio. But my inbox is mainly overflowing with messages from gossip blogs, celebrity entertainment shows and media outlets. These are all interview requests.
They want to interview me. Me!
Holy shit. Maybe Daphne was right. Looks like I’m…famous.
But probably not in a good way.