Gilded

Chapter 10

I got home at ten. The lake was about an hour away and we stopped at McDonald's for a late dinner. I had just finished taking a shower when I heard my phone ring.

"Hey Sab," Aaron said. "I'm outside, do you want to hang out?"

"Sure," I said. "Want to meet on my patio?" I dried my hair with a towel and gathered it into a scrunchie. I headed into my backyard, where it was still bright, and the sun was just getting ready to set in the west.

"I just got home and showered," I said in greeting to Aaron as I sat in the chair beside him. "We stopped at McD's for some food on the way into the city."

Aaron was looking at his phone and I peeked over. He was looking at Instagram, at my account.

"Kevin took those pictures for us today, don't they look good?" I asked.

"I don't know if I need the world to see my girlfriend in her swimsuit," Aaron said quietly.

I laughed. "My suit is practically a nun's outfit," I said, thinking he was joking.

"You should take it down. I don't want guys to keep going back and looking at you," Aaron said.

"Who's going to look?" I scoffed.

"Maybe Eric," Aaron said.

"Are you kidding me?" I replied. "I've known Eric since I was a kid. He's my oldest friend."

"You haven't seen the way he looks at you," Aaron said, putting his phone down on the table.

"No way," I said. "You're being ridiculous. Anyways, no guy's going to put a flame emoji on my post," I said without thinking.

"What do you mean?" Aaron asked.

"Well, you know, like when guys think a girl looks hot, they put a flame down as a comment. You know what I mean," I said. "Like how you put one for Jenn's picture. Three, actually."

"Why do you keep bringing up Jenn?" Aaron said. "I've told you, she's just being annoying and flirty. I just ignore her."

"Like when she was on your back at the lake in her little bikini?" I asked heatedly. Oh boy, I wished I could take back my words now.

"So you were spying on me at the lake? Why didn't you just come over?" Aaron asked. "Seriously, what is your problem? I told you she means nothing."

"Well, you sure appreciated her Instagram picture that time," I said. "What kind of double standard do you have? You can like another girl's see-through top picture, but I can't put up a beach picture of me with my best friends?"

"I'm not sure why you are so focused on scrutinizing what I comment on on social media," Aaron said. "Stop acting like a jealous bitch, Sabrina. If I wanted Jenn, I could have had her ages ago. But you're the one I want."

I wasn't one to swear or cuss, and I wasn't one of those girls who called her friends bitch in a friendly familiar way. My boyfriend just called me a bitch, and it hurt. I felt like I was going to cry. And what did he mean he could have had Jenn any time?

"I think you better go," I said.

"Sab," Aaron said softly. "I love you."

"Go," I said. Without waiting for a reply, I headed into my house.