Southern Belle

Ch. 9 Bun in the Oven

"Hey I heard you were a wild one...woah..."

I groaned, wondering why I was hearing my ringtone go off this early in the morning. It had to be at least four o'clock, and I only had slept about two hours.

"If I took you home, you'd be a home run..."

"Belle! Turn off that damn music," Elise scolded, her voice somewhat raspy and unrecognizable. "I need my beauty sleep. Not like you would know what beauty sleep is." A loud snort escaped her lips.

I rolled my eyes. 

My eyes flickered to the mini table next to the right side of my bed. I leaned over, grabbing my ancient phone, and clicked the glowing lime green button. With my right hand, I planted the phone right next to my right ear and plopped back down onto the bed.

"Do you know what time it is? Obviously not because you wouldn't have called me," I hissed, smacking my hand onto my forehead in frustration.

I seriously wanted to murder the caller. I only had been working with Nick on this project for a week, and I already wanted to blow my brains out. After my last class, every single day, Nick would pick me up, so we could finish assignments and adhere to our schedule. Normally, our work sessions would last four hours, and we mostly fought instead of worked.

The only thing we decided on was that I should not be around drinks. At our last session, which ended approximately two hours ago, Nick rudely told me that all Southerners were idiots. So, I picked up the milkshake I was drinking and threw it onto his cashmere sweater. He then proceeded to squirt ketchup all over my hair.

Needless to say, my night was crappy.

"Belle! Oh my God! I have some news for you!" Evalyn's squeaky and excited voice boomed through the phone, causing me to wince in pain. I moved the phone away from my ear for a second.

What was so important that she had to call me this instant? California was only two hours ahead of Alabama, meaning that it was about two o'clock in the morning there.

I closed my eyes as I attempted to calm myself. I didn't have the strength to scream at her.

"What do you have to tell me?" I mumbled. A yawn escaped my mouth while my vision became blurry. I was so close to falling back asleep, and I honestly could care less about what she was about to say. 

She probably was excited about a sale or a new haircut.

"Well," she hesitated before continuing, "Hunter and I are engaged!"

I smacked my lips together and snuggled into the white fleece blanket, still barely paying attention to what she was saying. "Mhmm. That's nice."

As soon as those words escaped my mouth, realization hit me like a freight train. My body jolted out of bed, like I was just electrocuted. My jaw was on the floor, and my eyes enlarged as the moments passed on.

Hunter...Evalyn....

Say what?!

"You're what?" I questioned, smacking my ear with my left hand. I wanted to make sure I wasn't going deaf. Maybe my ears weren't working, and a doctor should check them out.

"We're getting married! I got the rock and everything!" she squealed, her voice as high-pitched as the sound of nails scratching a chalkboard.

Married?

Before I left, Ash had told me about Hunter's decision to propose, so I should have been prepared for this moment. However, I wasn't. My head was totally unable to comprehend anything, and therefore, I was left speechless.