Chapter Five #2
“They look fine to me. But you might want some looser ones since you’re bendin’ and movin’ ’round a lot. Those look like one wrong move and they’ll rip down the middle.”
“Yeah, that would suck. Be right back.”
He walks to the shelf at the back of the store, and I go back to doom scrolling on my phone. After a long day in the heat, I’m ready for a bath and pint of ice cream.
“Okay, I’m ready.” He kicks my foot, grabbing my attention.
“Did you find everythin’ you needed?”
He holds up the boots in one hand and three pairs of jeans in the other. “Yep. Found a few flannels too since Aundrea hated ’em and never let me wear ’em.”
“Let you?” I arch a brow, eyeing them tossed over his shoulder.
“Well…she said I looked like a hillbilly lumberjack and wouldn’t be caught dead with someone who wore one.”
Karma needs to kick her where the sun don’t shine.
Grabbing my bag, I follow him to the checkout. “Sounds like the woman’s equivalent to changin’ her hair color or cuttin’ it after a break-up ’cause her man had a preference.”
“I like my hair, so the flannels will have to do.” He shrugs, setting his items on the counter. “Although…”
“No. Don’t touch your hair. It’s fine.”
He slides a palm through it, shaking it out a bit. “You think so?”
I shoot him a glare at fishing for a compliment. “I just said it was fine.”
“I love it!” the girl behind the register blurts. “It’s a smidge long on the sides, but I could clean it up for you. I work at a hair salon on the weekends.”
“Really? That’d be great since the one I used is my ex-fiancée’s best friend and I’m pretty sure she’d shave it all off if I went to her.”
She reaches over, threading her fingers through his strands. “Oh yeah, it’d be super easy. And your hair is so soft and shiny.”
“That’s called sweat,” I say dryly, then nod toward the counter. “We have groceries in the truck if you wouldn’t mind hurryin’?”
“Oh, for sure!” She reaches in her back pocket, then hands Silas a business card. “Call or text to make an appointment. I’ll squeeze you in any time you need me.”
When she winks, I roll my eyes.
“Will do, thanks—”
“Michelle!” She grins wide. “Yours?”
“Silas. And this is my roommate, Posey.”
“Oh, that’s an adorable name,” she gushes but it sounds like the way you’d tell a child their art project is a masterpiece when it’s just smudges of different colored paint.
“I haven’t seen you before. Did you move here recently?” I ask.
“About six months ago,” she responds, folding his jeans and flannels into a large bag. “Everyone’s been so nice here.”
“I bet,” I mutter, glancing down to her revealing lowcut top.
As a petite girl with B cups, I’d flaunt mine too if I had bigger ones like hers.
“Thank you, Michelle. I’ll text you to make an appointment soon,” Silas says, carrying the two bags of clothes while I reluctantly carry his boots.
“Sounds great! Have a great night.”
“She seems nice,” he says, loading his bags in the truck before taking the boots from my grip.
“Yeah, a real annoyin’ ball of sunshine.”
He snickers, opening my door, then closes it once I’m settled into the passenger seat.
“Am I okay to use the washer tonight or do you have plans to do laundry?” he asks when we’re almost home.
“As long as I can use the dryer for fifteen minutes before bed, then go for it.”
“Whaddya use the dryer for?”
“My comforter. I like it freshly warm.”
“Every night?”
I snap my gaze to his judgy expression. “I get cold. Plus, it feels nice.”
“Huh. I never thought to do that. Now I wanna try it.”
“You’re a brick wall of muscle. You probably radiate heat just fine.”
“That’s true.” He nods, then glances my way.
“What?”
“Nothin’.”
His sly smirk tells me otherwise.
I blow out an annoyed breath. “Just say it.”
“You called me a brick wall of muscle. And you said my hair looked good.”
“Oh my God…” My head falls back against the seat with a groan. “I said it was fine. And you know you’re muscular. Did Aundrea never compliment you or somethin’?”
His eyes shift to the road. “Not really. She mostly pointed out what she didn’t like about me and what I needed to change.”
“You know that’s not normal, right? Your partner should love you for you and not wanna change every little thing about you or only point out your flaws.”
“I do know that but I wanted to make her happy.”
“The right person will be happy with exactly who you are.”
“I used to believe that. But I guess she warped my idea of what that means.”
“Well, I’m sure Michelle would love to remind you,” I drawl.
He chuckles. “Why do you say it like that?”
“’Cause she was flirtin’ with you before knowin’ if we were together or not.”
“Did you want her to think we were together?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Then what’re you sayin’?”
“Can we just drop it, please? I’m starvin’, exhausted, and I still have to edit a few videos tonight.”
“Do you want me to cook you somethin’? I wouldn’t mind.”
I shift my gaze toward him. “Depends. What can you make?”
“I can make grilled cheese. Do you have soup?”
“I think so,” I say. “But yeah, that sounds good.”
“Perfect.”
“Did you cook for Aundrea a lot?” I ask, grabbing our bags from the back once we’re parked.
“No, she refused to eat my cookin’. She’d rather go out or order in and then expect me to pay.”
“This is gonna sound rude but I gotta ask…” I walk into the house and he follows me to the kitchen. “Why’d ya stay with her so long? She sounds awful.”
“I’ve been wonderin’ the same thing, honestly. I think it boils down to likin’ the idea of us together, settlin’ down, and startin’ a family. I ignored all her red flags ’cause I wanted someone to love, but I don’t think she knew how to love me back.”
That makes me want to hunt her down and find out what the hell is wrong with her.
We set the bags on the counter, looking at each other. “You deserve someone who will love you back. Even if it hurts right now, it’ll get better.”
“Thanks, and you do too.”
“I’m not holdin’ out hope since I can hardly find a guy to stay with me for more than a few months before they end it.”
“I’m shocked they don’t fall immediately in love with your bubbly personality,” he quips.
Laughing, I playfully push against his chest. “I’m very nice, thank you.”
“I’ve yet to witness it but if you say so.”
I roll my eyes, putting items into the fridge. Then I roll them again when I grab Silas’s bottle of creamer.
“If it helps any, I’m a pro at gettin’ over a broken heart, so I can give you advice in that area,” I say, shoving boxes of Mac ‘n’ Cheese into the cupboard.
“I’m all ears.”
“The best way to get over someone is to date someone new.”
He arches an unamused brow. “That’s your best advice?”
“Okay yes, it’s an obvious one, but I have more,” I defend.
“Get rid of all your photos together. Erase ’em from your phone and social media pages.
Don’t post anythin’ wishy washy or depressive.
Especially sad song lyrics. You want her to think you’re doing better off without her and then you’ll eventually believe you are.
Buyin’ new clothes was a good first step. ”
“Should I post a selfie in my new flannel?”
I bellow out a laugh. “Absolutely. She’ll hate it.”
“Okay, what else?” he asks as we continue bringing in more bags.
“If you haven’t already, block her number. Don’t give yourself the hope she’ll reach out or the temptation to text her. Wallowin’ is only acceptable the first forty-eight hours, after that, you only rot in bed as self-care.”
“What’s the difference?”
“You watch a funny show or movie, eat healthy food, and do a face mask. No cryin’ allowed unless it’s from laughter.”
“And that works?”
“Foolproof.” I grin, moving past him to stock the pantry.
“And then you get up the next mornin’ and the next day and the next…
eventually, they’re no longer the last person you think of when you fall asleep or the first person when you wake up.
Your heart doesn’t beat faster at the thought of ’em and you become indifferent when they do enter your mind.
That’s when you know you’re over ’em and can move on for good. ”
He’s in front of me when I close the door. I glance up and immediately regret it when I find his eyes glossed over and his expression too soft for my liking.
He knows I’m talking about him.