She seemed genuinely taken aback. “I know you’re a good guy. That you love your family. You like music—”
“What’s my favorite song?”
“Ummm…” Her eyes darted for several moments and she finally sighed, “I have no idea.”
“All right, how about this.” He pointed just above his eyebrow. “Do you know how I got this scar?”
“Nick, come on,” she whined.
“I told you this one, because you noticed it.”
“Some kind of accident.”
Nick chuckled bitterly. “I crashed into a tree when I was twelve trying out my new snowboard behind my house. Noel fireman carried me across the farm, screaming for help. I had to have twelve stitches.”
“I…I remember now.” She sounded almost apologetic.
“Last one…how do I like my burgers?”
Amber threw her hands up. “Are you kidding me? We’ve had half a dozen burgers and the last one was over a year ago. How am I going to remember that?”
Nick shook his head. “I’m not trying to be mean, just trying to wake you up.”
“To what? That I could never compete with your precious Noel?”
“There is no comparison. We got together when we were still kids, but didn’t grow together, we grew apart. That’s okay, it happens. But stop bagging on Noel or making snide comments about our relationship, because it’s frankly none of your business. You and I aren’t really friends. I will treat you with the same respect and dignity I give everyone else in this town, but that’s all. You understand?”
“Yes,” she ground out.
“Good. Have a nice day.”
NOEL
Noel lay in bed, staring up at her ceiling, frustrated that she couldn’t shut her brain completely off.
Her phone dinged on her nightstand and she rolled over to check the message.
Hey, girl. It’s Amber. I wanted to help with planning Gabby’s bachelorette party and she said you were on board with the strippers.
Noel stared at her phone suspiciously. Anything involving Amber felt like a trap, but she did have the connections for the male dancers.
Amber attached a Magic Mike GIF and Noel snorted. Despite everything between them, Noel owed it to Gabby to try to get along.
Yeah, I’m down for whatever Gabby wants. Since it’s their first night performing, do we need to get tickets or something?
I already put us on the VIP list. Show starts at eight. I was thinking we could combine our ideas and maybe hire a mobile spa to come to us the next day. Do you still have your parents’ cabin?
Noel grimaced. The cabin was the one thing she hadn’t been able to part with and she usually spent her vacations there in the summer, reading and getting away from everything. It wasn’t a party pad and she didn’t want Amber’s toxicity permeating the wood.
Remember, be nice.
I do, but it’s my private place. I don’t want to use it for a party pad. Sorry.
No offense, but that’s a little selfish. It’s Gabby’s bachelorette party and we are all adults. We aren’t going to trash the place.
Noel took a deep breath, her thumbs itching to bitch Amber out, but she refrained.
I will find the venue. No worries. It will be great.
Several moments ticked by before Amber responded.
Fine, but I’ve already been looking. Anything available right now is several grand. No one else can afford that, but cool. Let me know what you come up with.
Noel glared at the screen, before throwing her phone onto the bed and leaving the room. God, Amber acted as though Noel was some stuck-up rich girl. She really wanted to get along with Amber for Gabby’s sake, but Noel wasn’t being selfish. The cabin was the one place where none of the bad memories creeped into. Only the good ones.
Gabby would understand, even if Amber didn’t.
Noel came out of the bathroom to rapid knocking on her front door. Who the hell would be here at this hour? Crossing one arm over her chest, trying to conceal the fact that she wasn’t wearing a bra, she opened the door.
Nick stood on the other side, holding a white basket in one hand and two grocery sacks on the other.
“Hi. What are you doing here?”
“You said you had a bad night so I brought you some foul mood supplies.”
Noel took the grocery sacks he handed her and peeked inside, grinning. “Lucky Charms and marshmallows?”
“Feel up to making some nummy treats?” He said the last with a salacious eyebrow waggle and Noel giggled.
“I can’t sleep anyway. Whatchu got in the basket?”