Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Honey
I’d half expected Bren to continue to pretend I didn’t exist, but I kept reaching out anyway. And she eventually responded. Tentative at first, but then she was sending me videos of her workspace, narrated in her glorious voice, showing me everything.
It was like I’d unlocked her, and everything came spilling out. Worried that it wouldn’t last, I kept talking back to her and sending her videos. Showing her my life. Trading her information for information.
“Who are you talking to?” Ember asked, looking over my shoulder. I was helping make dinner and she’d snuck up behind me.
“None of your beeswax,” I said.
“Ha ha,” she said, her voice deadpan.
Setting my phone face down, I went back to shredding rainbow carrots for a salad.
“She’s been talking to Bren for hours,” Mom said as she shucked another ear of corn. Dad was already outside at the barbecue with the chicken and veggie skewers.
“Honey loves Brennnnnn,” Ellie said, skidding into the room as if she just had to get a word in.
“I do not!” I shrieked. “I don’t love her. I don’t even know her.”
“Has that ever mattered to you before? You love people all the time,” Ember said, smirking. I threw a carrot top at her that she dodged.
“No throwing vegetables inside the house. If you want to do that, go outside. And aim for the compost pile,” Mom admonished.
“I’m not in love with her,” I mumbled, going back to the carrots and nearly shredding my knuckles raw on the box grater.
Ellie sidled up to me. “It’s okay, Honey. I like her.” She whispered it and I wanted to roll my eyes, but she was such a sweetie.
“I’m not in love with her, but that’s good to know,” I whispered back.
My phone buzzed and I washed my hands before reaching for it.
What does this fabric say to you? The message was attached to a picture of a yellowish fabric with little designs on it. I zoomed in and then typed out a response.
It’s giving me like, 70s grandma vibes, but in a vintage cool way. I like it.
Bren thanked me and then sent another picture of a different fabric. This time it had a galaxy pattern on it.
Oooh, I love anything that’s got stars on it. You’ll hit the fantasy fans of a certain series as well as the sci-fi and alien romance readers.
It was so natural to give her my true opinion. There was something about Bren that made me feel freer than if I were talking with someone else. I might have tempered my enthusiasm so I didn’t seem too eager or fake, and I might have softened anything that could have been seen as criticism so I didn’t come off as mean.
But none of those pressures weighed on my shoulders with her. It was a new feeling that I enjoyed trying on.
You should definitely do more bee fabrics, in my opinion. I sent.
You would say that. You’re really into that, aren’t you?
I was.
Bees are absolutely miraculous and amazing creatures. I love them.
If Bren wanted me to blast her with bee facts, I was only too happy to indulge my obsession.
You’re so cute she sent and then immediately added a second message. I didn’t mean it that way.
Mean it what way Bren? I asked, a smile on my face. Bren thought I was cute! Even if she hadn’t meant to tell me that, I still did a happy little wiggle.
“Honey love, dinner is ready,” Mom said, tapping my shoulder.
“What?” I asked, looking up from my phone to find my family staring at me.
“I told you three times,” Mom said with a smirk. Shit. I’d gotten totally distracted by Bren.
“Okay,” I said, wanting to use my hands to hide my blushing cheeks, but that would have only made things worse.
Instead, I rushed to the table and busily started filling my plate as my phone vibrated in the kitchen with another message that was probably from Bren. All I wanted to do was get up and get it, but that would just confirm my obsession to my family.
“No phones at the table,” Dad said as he passed the plate of corn around.
“Yeah, HONEY,” Ember said.
“Excuse me? Who has been caught sneaking their phone under the table the most times in this family? Definitely not me.”
Ember sputtered and looked to my parents for sympathy.
“She’s right, my darling. You do have an unhealthy obsession with your phone,” Mom said.
“Yeah, like everyone else! It’s not my fault that none of my friends live closer.” She pouted and crossed her arms.
“Ember, your friends live like ten minutes away and a lot of them have cars. We don’t live in Siberia,” I said.
Ember huffed. “Why is everyone ganging up on me? Honey’s the one we were talking about.”
“We’re not ganging up on you, sweetheart,” Dad said in a gentle voice. “The no phones rule is for everyone.”
“Not me!” Ellie said, her voice cheerful.
“That’s because you don’t have a phone,” Ember fired at her.
“And if I had my way, none of you would have anything other than a device to make and receive calls until you were eighteen, but then I’d be accused of child abuse,” Mom said, rolling her eyes.
My phone went off again.
“Maybe you could get your phone and put it on silent,” Dad said. “So it’s not disturbing our meal.”
Ember made an irritated exclamation as I got up and fetched my phone from the kitchen.
You’re NOT cute, Honey.
I wanted to respond, but I muted my phone and set it face down on the table next to me.
Bren Hendrix thought I was cute .
Later that night after we’d cleaned up from dinner and had done the evening chores to put the farm to bed, I typed out a response to Bren.
You can say that you didn’t say it, but it’s literally right there. You can’t take it back, Bren. You think I’m cute.
I was going to tease her mercilessly about this.
Fucking hell. That wasn’t what I MEANT.
What other meaning could there be?
Then what did you mean?
Nothing! I meant nothing. She was really backtracking now. If she’d simply let the comment slide without freaking out about it, then I might have believed she didn’t seriously mean it. But now she was protesting so much that I knew it was true.
Okay, sure. Whatever you say ??
I could just hear her letting out a frustrated sound, her face getting all red.
Bren didn’t answer for a while and I worried that I might have pushed too far. Even though I spent so many days with our table next to hers at the marketplace, I still knew very little about Bren. The teasing might have gone too far. I really hoped not.
Do bees sleep? The message was completely out of left field, but it still made me smile.
Give me a second. Getting out of bed, I went downstairs and shoved my feet into my boots before walking out to the hives.
I turned on my video and waited for the light to adjust.
“Bees sleep on average five to eight hours a day, usually at night. They’re just like us and they need to recharge.”
I sent her the video and waited.
I’ve never thought about bees sleeping until right now. It feels like something I should have already known.
That’s okay. I’m full of sooooo much bee information. Just say the word and I’ll bore you to tears.
I couldn’t keep the goofy smile off my face if I tried.
I don’t think you could ever bore me, Honey Bea.
For a second, I stopped breathing.
Honey Bea . No one had ever called me that before, but it was perfect. So perfect.
Well that’s good to hear.
“I like her so much,” I moaned to the sleeping bees. “I like her so much and it’s going to ruin me.” I knew this already. My other crushes and heartbreaks had been horrible, sure, but Bren? Bren was a tornado where those others were just a strong breeze.
Someone like Bren was life-altering.
I expected Bren to walk back the nickname, but she didn’t.
I need to get to bed. Tell the bees I said hello.
“Bren says hello. What do you want me to tell her?”
I pretended to listen.
They say goodnight and they hope you enjoyed their honey. Goodnight Bren.
Tell them I appreciated it. Goodnight Honey.