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“Because he’s a nice guy?”
“Yes, because I never saw it coming. I didn’t know he had the ability to hurt me like that. He always made me feel so safe, but then…”
“I get it,” Naomi said, her eyes glistening slightly as her brows tightened. “My boyfriend’s a pain in the ass, but he’s the best guy I’ve ever known. If he hurt me, God help me, it would hurt like hell.”
“Exactly.” I threw my head back in relief. “Thank God, you get it. I was starting to feel like a crazy person.”
“Because you are,” Sully called from the desk.
“Sully, stop eavesdropping,” Naomi said, her voice clipped and annoyed.
“Oh, right, because it’s only okay when you do it, Ace.”
Naomi’s cheeks reddened, and she bit down on her bottom lip. Then she mouthed, “Sorry,” to me. I nodded and patted her elbow. The more I spoke to Naomi, the more I realized she was someone I wanted to spend more time with, someone with whom I could forge a real friendship, someone who understood me.
“You girls are whack jobs. I mean, for real, you’re punishing the poor shmuck for being a nice guy while excusing the douchebag who couldn’t keep it in his pants.”
The bell above the door rang, and Dutch walked in, his eyes widening immediately when he heard the tail end of Sully’s tirade.
“Dude, what did I just walk into?”
“Long story, Dutch. I’ll fill you in later,” Naomi said. “Continue, Bryan.”
“Sully,” he corrected her.
“Oh, right,” Naomi said with a meddling grin. “I always forget that.”
“Sure, you do.” Sully tilted his head to the side and pressed his lips together, glaring at Naomi. “May I continue now?”
She extended her arm dramatically like she was beckoning royalty. “Be my guest.”
“Chicks are always punishing the nice guys. Why do you think so many of them turn into assholes? And then, you have the audacity to complain when they do. I’m telling you, we can’t win. Guys don’t stand a chance.”
“Riiiight,” Naomi said, rolling her blue eyes. “Guys have it so rough.”
He cocked his head to the side. “The nice ones do.”
“You have a girlfriend, and the two of you seem happy.”
“Wendy? Yep, she’s my world.” He said it so matter-of-factly that it was almost romantic. Almost.
“Aww,” Naomi said, tilting her head to the side, eyeing Sully with an expression of pride.
“So, don’t you consider yourself a nice guy?”
“Nope. Not at all. Emmett is a nice guy, but I can’t be put into a box like that.” He pretended to dust off his shoulder. “I stand alone…like the cheese.”
Naomi and I looked at each other with blank stares. Sully watched us, awaiting a reaction.
“You’re definitely one-of-a-kind,” I said.
“Thanks, Weezer.” He patted me on the back, then returned to greet a customer who had just entered the store.
I had to laugh. Even though I didn’t mean it as a compliment, I was starting to have a new appreciation for Sully because he had a way of being equally annoying and endearing. That was almost impossible, and yet, he did it. I hadn’t met anyone else like him. And little by little, I was starting to consider him a friend.
But that didn’t mean I was going to admit that his argument had any merit. Wyatt broke my heart, and there was no way I was going to just forgive and forget. No. What happened between us was too damaging, too excruciating for me to just sweep it under the rug.
“Okay, so, don’t take this the wrong way, but I can do your make-up if you want.”
