24. Nessa
24
NESSA
“ W hat the hell is this?! ” I hiss, grabbing my phone and stabbing the call button next to Kinsley’s name.
“Good morning, Sunshine,” she says far too brightly for my liking. Remi blinks at me like she agrees.
“What the hell did you order me? It’s like you don’t know me at all.” I huff indignantly.
“It’s because I know you that I didn’t listen to you.” I bark out a laugh and I can practically hear her smile through the line. “Just try them on. You like the wide-leg pants, so I threw in a couple of those, an off-the-shoulder sweater, a couple of shirts you can wear to the university, but try on the rompers—I’ll wait.”
“I don’t want to,” I whine which only makes her double down.
“Oh my gosh,” she grumbles and then my phone is beeping with an incoming video chat that she’ll never let me ignore.
“Your Auntie Kinsley is the worst,” I say in lieu of greeting as our faces fill the screen.
“Oh my goodness, look at her!” Kinsley coos as I carry the baby and my phone into the living room to grab her playmat. Propping my phone on the dresser, I get Remi settled and pull my shirt over my head.
“Rompers—go!”
“I still don’t like it.”
“Well, if you’d just put your big girl panties on and get some adult clothes, we wouldn’t have to do this.”
“I always have my big girl panties on,” I snap as I shimmy out of my shorts and toss them on the bed, leaving me in a matching black sports bra and boy shorts set.
“Agree to disagree. Now try the army-green one on.”
Muttering under my breath, I pick up the capped-sleeve pantsuit and stare at my phone, “How do you even put this thing on?”
“There’s a tie in the back, drama queen.”
“I am not a drama queen. Clothes shouldn’t have instructions to just put them on and I still have to get naked every time I need to pee.”
“But look how cute you are!” she squeals as I wrestle on the one-piece outfit and secure the tie behind my neck.
It’s surprisingly comfortable, the fabric loose and flattering and soft, and the stupid thing has pockets.
Damn her.
“It’s okay to admit that you like it.”
“I’d rather not.”
She gives me a wicked grin that screams I told you so, which I ignore as I take off the first one and pull the second from the bag.
Just as begrudgingly, I like this black one with the scoop-neck tank top and buttons down the front.
It also has pockets.
Changing back into my clothes, I collapse on my bed, bringing my phone with me as Remi stares at her reflection in the owl-shaped mirror. “Thank you.”
“Aww, you do love me!”
“You know I do. I just didn’t think I’d need anything extra. It’s not like I’m dating Jensen. I’m just trying to get him settled.”
Kinsley narrows her eyes at the screen, and I do my best to keep my face devoid of any emotion and pray she can’t see the way I’m practically sweating bullets under her scrutiny.
“Do you…”—she pauses, squinting harder at me—“do you like him?”
“What? No, of course not. I mean, obviously I like him. He’s great with Remi and that’s what’s important, but you know I don’t like like guys like him.”
The more I talk, the higher her eyebrows climb up her forehead.
“Yeah, because that was convincing.”
“He’s a nice guy, Kins. You know how I am with nice guys.”
Her look turns sympathetic because she knows better than most just how true that statement is even if it sucks.
She’s the only person outside my coaches, parents, and a handful of others bound by confidentiality to keep their mouths shut about the topic.
“You’re going to find someone that’s going to knock you on your ass and show you just how deserving you are of the sun and moon and all the stars.”
My smile is watery, but that’s okay because Kinsley’s is too.
“I love you,” I whisper because she’s always my biggest cheerleader even when I don’t think I deserve it.
“I love you more.”
“Impossible.”
“Brat.”
I blow her a kiss and we say our goodbyes, my heart feeling both heavier and lighter than it had when I first picked up the phone. That’s the problem with having someone in your life who knows you better than you know yourself. My eyes close for just a second before Remi’s sweet little cries fill the room. She quiets as soon as I pick her up, but I’m thankful for the distraction because wondering about anything related to Jensen is just asking for trouble.
And the last thing I need is any complication that keeps me away from returning to Nashville. As if that thought alone summoned her, a text from my agent lights up my phone.
AGENT: Sent you the new draft to review
NESSA: I’ll get it back to you as soon as I can