Page 29 of Filthy Rich Brother's Best Friends

Then there’s the rent reminder from my landlord. Fuck…

I can hear Harper’s anti-meltdown mantra repeating in my head.You’re doing enough. Don’t stress.

Iamstressed though. I’m pretty sure I’m entirely made up of stress at this point. I read something about these watches that turn stress into electricity. I bet I could power a small city at this point.

I toss the phone on the bed and sit up too fast, triggering a dull throb behind my eyes. My stomach flips at the same time. I can feel the dread rising quickly.

Why would I dread starting my day? I have so much to look forward to! Not…

To start, there’s my delightful new neighbors, who I have completely uncomplicated relationships with. And then my maybe-failing business that eats every waking hour of my life. And let’s not forget my slowly souring relationship with the two women I share a house with.

Everything is going great.

Truly. Ten out of ten. Would recommend.

I drag myself out of bed and into the bathroom. But, the fight with Reid follows me every step of the way. We’ve been fighting since the day we met. But last night felt different.

It wasn’t banter. It was brutal.

And then there’s Jude. His voice was soft, but it hit harder than anything else.

You left before I got up that morning.

He wasn’t trying to shame me. It wasn’t even accusatory. But it hit deep and I couldn’t meet his eyes.

My reflection in the bathroom mirror looks better than I expected. I still look like shit, but at least I look more alivethan yesterday. I splash cold water on my face and pretend it’s refreshing instead of punishing.

Then I dry my face, pull my hair into a bun, and brace for a day I already know is going to suck.

Suck is an understatement.

By the time I make it to the studio, I’m already fifteen minutes later than I wanted to be because traffic was horrendous. I open the door, flip the lights on and drop my bag behind the desk, only to find my technology has decided to throw a tantrum. The music app won’t load, the speaker won’t connect, and I have exactly four minutes before a class full of overworked women expect me to be cheerful and motivating.

I am neither.

I am made of caffeine and frustration right now.

I finally get the app to work, but it cuts out twice during the warm-up song, and the volume keeps resetting to maximum. No one needs to hear bass that loud at six in the morning. I finally get it to behave but I’m expecting it to go rogue the rest of class.

Then, during my nine o’clock session, my reformer starts squeaking. And not just a little. It’s loud enough that I’m certain everyone can hear it every time I change positions. I make a mental note to check the bolts and oil it later, but I can’t do a damn thing about it while I’m trying to teach.

When one of my regulars strolls in ten minutes late with an iced coffee and no apology, I almost lose it. Her arrival throws off the entire flow of the group.

I smile through the cues. I offer adjustments. I correct form with a steady voice. No one seems to notice that my insides are scrambled and glitching.

But I feel it. I feel it every time I glance at the clock and realize there’s still too much class left and not enough of me to give.

When it’s finally over, I offer a few encouraging words, and wave everyone out. My smile is bolted on so tightly I feel like my face might crack.

No one lingers, thank fuck. They all file out with their designer gear and ridiculously large water bottles, chatting about weekend plans.

I wait until the last one is gone before collapsing onto the floor behind the desk.

I might have woken up with a simple emotional hangover, but I’ve officially upgraded to full-blown burnout. All systems failing. Please try again later.

This studio used to be the one part of my life where I felt completely focused. I was building my dream, and nothing was going to get in my way. But lately, that’s definitely not the case. Everything around me is cracking and crumbling off in pieces, and I don’t know what to glue back first.

I drop my head back and close my eyes.