Page 71 of A Novel Summer
Colleen seemed comfortable in the hospital room. Maybe more comfortable than she’d been at home all summer. The restlessness was gone. Hunter told her she looked more peaceful.
“I do feel better mentally,” Colleen said, her hands resting on her large belly. “It was hard being in Provincetown because I constantly felt like I was missing something—the store. Or spending more time with you and Shelby—everything, really. But here...‘everything’ is the babies. And so I feel less conflicted.” She raised her hand to shield her eyes from the sun reflecting off the window.
Hunter walked over to lower the shade. With her back to Colleen, she closed her eyes for a few seconds.Just say it.
Spending so much time with Shelby was getting to her. If she didn’t confess to someone about Anders Fleming soon, she was going to get depressed from holding it all inside. She could already feel the dark cloud setting in emotionally. And who else could she tell but Colleen?
Colleen reached for the e-reader next to her bed, and Hunter walked over to retrieve it for her. She stood by Colleen’s shoulder, a metal rail between them.
“Thanks. Shelby sent me her new book.”
Hunter bit the inside of her lip. She’d planned on waiting until later in the conversation to talk about Shelby, but it seemed impossible to avoid it now.
“Sit,” Colleen said. “You’re making me nervous with your hovering. Pull up that chair.”
Hunter obliged, dragging the bulky wooden chair forward a few inches. The simple task left her feeling weak. “I actually wanted to talk to you about Shelby. But I don’t want you to think that I’m visiting you for this reason or anything.”
“Okaaay,” Colleen said, frowning. “I would never think that about you. What’s up?”
Maybe this was a bad idea. Selfish of her. All she was going to do was put Colleen in the middle. Of course she shouldn’t tell her.
“Oh, nothing,” Hunter said, looking around. “So how’s the food in this place?”
“Hunter,” Colleen said, sitting up straighter. “There’s enough going on that’s out of control and leaving me wondering. Don’t tease me. Spill it.”
Hunter bit her lip. “Has Shelby mentioned anything to you about Anders Fleming?”
“That there’s something going on there? Yeah, of course,” Colleen said, looking confused. “Why?”
“Well, she never told me. And I accidentally slept with him.”
Colleen leaned forward, her eyes wide. “How do you ‘accidentally’ sleep with someone?”
“The sex part wasn’t the accident. I just didn’t know about Shelby.”
Colleen pressed her hand into her forehead, squeezing her temples with her thumb and forefinger. “When?”
“Fourth of July.”
“What the hell, Hunter!”
“I know! I know. But what can I do about it now?”
“You have to tell her.” Colleen’s blue eyes were uncharacteristically hard. So much for her being distracted by her pregnancy.
“I was thinking more along the lines of: what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”
“Wouldn’tyouwant to know?”
“No, I wouldn’t,” Hunter said. “And maybe they’re both seeing other people. Maybe it’s not serious.”
“You’re not ‘other people,’ Hunter. You’re her friend. And really, I’d think you’d know better. You got so mad at her about what she wrote in her book. But you know what? I don’t think you were mad about what she wrote in the book. I think you were mad about her moving to New York and leaving you behind. And becoming an author before you became an editor. And the only reason you were surprised about the character when the book published was because you were too envious to read the early copy I gave you.”
Hunter’s jaw dropped. She didn’t know what to say. It felt like she’d taken a punch.
“I’m sorry,” Colleen added, “but it’s the way I see it.”
Colleen was right. Hunter would have to confess to Shelby. All she could hope was that Shelby would believe the truth: that she would never have slept with Anders if she’d known. She was just thankful she’d already forgiven Shelby for the book.
