“Oh, I know. Unfortunately, I met him this morning,” Lauren replied, shaking her head. “It’s not that big of a deal, Jess. So some arrogant, conceited pop star is living next door to us. He’ll turn out to be a jerk, like all guys do.”
Jessica sighed and sat down on her sister’s bed. “I don’t see why you can’t at least give them a chance. You’re so closed-minded!”
Lauren looked her sister in the eye and frowned. “Jess, we’ve been over and over this. You don’t remember Dad. He was a terrible person, and I don’t ever want to end up like Mom in that relationship. Besides, I did give men a chance. Remember Justin, my wonderful ex?” Lauren grumbled sarcastically.
“Lauren, not every guy is going to be like Dad and Justin. You have to forget about them. They’re just two jerks in a sea of nice ones,” Jessica said softly.
“No. I’m not going to let myself become so vulnerable,” Lauren replied determinedly. “Now I’m going for a walk.”
“Fine, just shut everyone else out in the process. That makes a lot of sense, Lauren,” Jessica groaned. She stood up and left to go downstairs and eat. “You’re hopeless, girl. Absolutely hopeless,” she called as Lauren went out the front door.
About five minutes after Lauren left, a loud knocking reverberated through the house. Jessica ran from the foodless kitchen and opened the door to see Nick standing there. “Hi,” she said, giving him a wide, flirtatious smile.
“Hey. I was wondering if you wanted to go get something to eat. There’s nothing in my fridge, and I don’t want to go to a restaurant alone,” Nick said.
“That would be great! My sister just left, so we don’t have to worry about her,” Jessica muttered. She slipped on her sandals and looked at Nick. “I’m sure she was rude before. I’m really sorry. It’s just that she’s been through a lot with guys, and now she’s really defensive around them. She just doesn’t want to get hurt, that’s all.”
“What do you mean?” Nick asked, more curious than concerned.
Jessica looked away. “I don’t think she’d appreciate me telling a stranger, especially a male stranger. She just hasn’t had the best luck. Let’s leave it at that.”