Chapter 13 Becca
Becca
The university I work for has multiple locations throughout the state, but they all come together for one big commencement ceremony.
Thankfully for me, the place they chose is about an hour away from Jimmy’s brother’s house.
His wife is the only person I can tolerate enough to consider a friend.
Three and a half hours from home is far enough to justify getting a weekend in a hotel to myself, but close enough to take advantage of the time and meet up with her for dinner.
“So what’s new? We haven’t gotten away from the guys in a while.” Chelsey asks as soon as she sits down.
“Oh, you know. Not much, just living the dream.” I roll my eyes sarcastically, and she laughs.
“Always.” She takes a sip of the water that was waiting for her. “Will is really getting on my nerves lately. I needed this dinner.”
“Ooh, do tell.” I take a drink of mine.
“Just being annoying. He won’t stop bothering me about going back to finish school. Why does it matter? He makes enough for both of us.”
The waiter interrupts, ready to take our order. She goes first, twirling a piece of her copper hair in her finger. Sometimes I forget how immature Chelsey actually is, until she says something like this.
I still wonder how Will ended up with her as his wife. It’s never made sense to me. He’s two years older than Jimmy, but she’s a year younger than me, making them four years apart. We first met her when he brought her as his date to our wedding.
She showed up in a slinky little strapless dress, far more appropriate for the club than a guest at some strangers’ wedding. I wondered where he found her; my initial assumption was somewhere X-rated on the internet.
Jimmy and I were trying to enjoy our dinner when I asked, ‘Why would you come to a wedding dressed like that?’
‘Is that really what you’re thinking about right now? he said with an eye roll, then planted a kiss on my cheek. ‘Let my brother have some fun.”’
So I did, and now I’m sitting here listening to her complain about how annoying he is while she drags them into debt.
I was so sure it wasn’t going to last. I’m still not so sure, to be honest. I thought it was just a fling with this cute, young redhead.
To everyone’s surprise, they were engaged by our first anniversary.
It took them forever to actually get married, though, finally holding the ridiculously expensive ceremony a year and a half ago.
We started getting close shortly before the wedding, her adding me as a bridesmaid at the last minute. Then, less than a year after the wedding, they moved to their big new house in the country. That’s why he wants you to get a job, Chelsey.
I also convinced Jimmy to move into a nice big house, but I contribute to our finances, so he can’t really tell me no. Plus, our house in the suburbs doesn’t come with the property taxes that theirs do.
Having to quit her job due to the move, she took that as her opportunity to also ‘take a break’ from school. I’m sure he never intended for her not to retain a decent income. But she’s my friend, so I don’t tell her that. I order my meal and continue the conversation.
“Why don’t you want to finish school? Or get a part-time job at least? I’d go crazy if I were home all the time.”
She shrugs her shoulders. “Because it’s overrated anyways. I don’t even know what I planned on doing afterwards. My major was psychology. What do you even do with a psychology degree?”
Having conversations like these makes me more thankful for my and Jimmy’s relationship. We never dealt with any of this messiness.
I don’t know what else to say, and the thought of Jimmy leads me to another topic, so I change the subject.
“Have you ever heard of Autumn?”
“Jimmy’s old friend?” she asks.
I roll my eyes. I also always forget that she still went to our school. Younger than us, but even she remembers. Also, I hate that she refers to her as that. Jimmy’s old friend.
“Yeah. That one. We saw her the other day.”
“You say that like you’re bothered by it.”
Our food comes, and we each take the first bite. “I am, I think,” I say with a mouthful. “I don’t know why, but I just don’t like her, I guess.”
She looks at me like she’s judging me while she chews her food. “Please tell me you’re not threatened by some girl he slept with when he was in high school.” She emphasizes high school.
“So they did sleep together?” I spit out.
She puts her hands up defensively. “Oh no. I have no idea. I’m just assuming so since you’re feeling some type of way about just seeing her.”
Maybe she’s right. I did tell myself from the start that I was being crazy. But am I really though? She reads my mind.
“I honestly think you’re being a little paranoid.
You guys are great together. He does anything you want.
I wish Will were more like him. Even if they did sleep together, it was forever ago.
Do you still care about anyone you hooked up with at that age?
I sure don’t.” She laughs at herself, and I’m sure her list is much longer than mine.
I use my fork to slide the food around my plate. She’s got a point. I don’t either. And it was forever ago. So is it me? Am I my own problem?
She changes the subject and starts babbling on about which new ridiculous reality show she is into at the moment. I try to listen, but I don’t really care. No other part of the conversation but ‘they slept together’ repeats in my head.
The rest of the dinner drags on, and I never find myself fully reengaged back into the conversation.
She’s probably right, but I can’t let it go.
I’m obviously not the only one who suspects there is more to their story, and it bugs me.
Why? I guess I don’t know. If they have slept together, I know she’s not the only one, and I’ve never thought about anyone else he might have slept with.
I’ve slept with other people, and Chelsey’s right.
I don’t think about them ever. But I just can’t shake it.
I’m still thinking about it when I make it to my room for the night.
It’s bothering me so much that I don’t even care to text him, because I feel like anything he says will annoy me right now.
But even so, I’m also irritated he hasn’t talked to me all night.
Clearly, it’s time for me to just go to bed.
Right as I shut the light off, my phone finally lights up. I grab it, but it’s still not Jimmy. Just Chelsey.
Will wanted me to remind you about dinner on Sunday. We'll come to you since you'll just be getting home. Same place?
I don’t even respond, just roll over and try to shut my brain off for some sleep.
But I can’t. As soon as I start to settle, one day, about ten Decembers ago, pops into my head. Maybe this is my fault. I probably shouldn’t have done what I did. But I felt the same way then that I do now, so really, I don’t regret it.
I just did what was best for me and Jimmy.