1
Andi
December
My trilling cell drags my attention from my last client of the day as she slowly limps out. Achilles surgery means physical therapy, which means a few more dollars dropped into my back pocket and another day of my miserable existence passing me by.
Despite my big, brave,don’t be a bitchspeech in a club bathroom three weeks ago, I’ve become exactly the same as Mia; bitter and mean, because a boy doesn’t like me anymore. Because he won’t return my calls. Because it’s like I’m dead to him and not worth even an‘it was fun, but we’re done’text.
All because I caught feelings and took my insecurities out on him.
Bravo, Andi. Dumbass.
I ride my roller chair across my office and snatch up my blasting cell, and though I know it’s unlikely, a small part of my bitter heart hopes its Riley. I can’t stop thinking about him, and the longer he gives me the cold shoulder, the further I sink into my pit of loneliness and despair.
It’s like Mia and I should make club badges by this point. We’re both single, mean, and bitter.
Checking my screen, I let out a pathetic sigh and slide my thumb across to answer. “Hey, Linds. What’s going on? I haven’t heard from you in forever.”
“Hey, I’m sorry. It’s been crazy busy here lately. You know how it is. How are you?”
Lonely, petty, and five pounds heavier because I’ve been eating my feelings.“Good. How was Thanksgiving?”
“Eh…” She lets it drag out. “Wasn’t much of a thing this year. We had dinner and stuff, but it wasn’t very much fun.”
Faking a smile to convince myself I can still be happy, I tuck my cell against my shoulder and begin collecting my things to head home. “I’ll come next year and perk things up.” Maybe they’ll invite Riley, then I’ll defile him in public again and restart what I broke. “Of course yours sucked; your son is mean and won’t let you make out with your husband in public. That’s always gonna put a damper on things.”
“Yeah…” I expect a laugh, perhaps just a tiny chuckle, but I get nothing. My cousin is sad, and that adds more to the layer of anxiety that already sits in my chest.
“Lindsi? What’s wrong, honey? You’ve been quiet for weeks, and now you’re weird.”
“Nothing’s wrong with me,” she sighs. “Everyone has their own shit going on right now, so I guess I’m just getting their spill-off grief.”
“Grief?” I pause with my keys halfway out of my bag. “Who’s grieving, Lindsi? What the hell is going on?”
“Everyone is. You don’t know?”
“Know what?” I throw my hand up. “I don’t know shit. Nobody calls me.”
“Oh…” It’s like I can almost imagine her waving me off. “Jess… you know Jess? Blonde. Twin.”
“The lawyer?”
“Yeah. She’s a freakin’ mess, Andi. Her boyfriend died.”
“Oh no!” I don’t even know the guy, and yet, I have to concentrate on keeping my empathetic tears at bay. “Died? Like, an actual death? That’s so awful!”
“Yeah. He was…” Pausing, she blows out a long breath. “Well, it’s a long story, but the point is, he died in a really horrible way. She’s in so much pain, it’s likeallof us can feel it. Then her sister, the other twin, she’s practically become a mute, too, because rumor has it – and I haven’t asked for confirmation,” she rushes out, “because it’s absolutely not my business – but rumor is her boyfriend, her ex, whatever you wanna call him, is a total douchebag. And I don’t mean a regular douche, I mean the kind of douche I first married.”
“No!”
“Yes, butworse. My husband never sold me to other men.”
“Oh my God. Is she okay?”
“Not really.” She sighs. “She and Jess refuse to come out of their room. They just sleep all the time, always locked away, never talking. Oz said the guys have tried to bring a therapist in for both of them a hundred times, but they just won’t go. They won’t speak. They just stare at the wall, and when one of the guys go in to force them out, they start kicking and screaming until they’re left alone again.”
“Jesus.” Flopping back onto my stool, I hold a hand to my chest and stare at the ceiling. “That’s so awful.”