To: Erin Walsh
Date: September 25 at 08:36 EDT
Subject: RE: Matt’s mental breakdown
I’m not hungover and I’m not having a mental breakdown. I can’t explain this, and that is why I’m asking YOU to sort ME out. By my count, you owe me a few.
From: Erin Walsh
To: Matthew Walsh
Date: September 25 at 13:41 WEST
Subject: RE: Matt’s mental breakdown
Wow. Way to get all loan shark on me, kid.
Don’t you have chica’s number? CALL HER.
Say, Hey, chica. It seems we had an eventful day together and then you ghosted. WTF?
Or text her. Or go to her house.
If she wants to see you, she will. If she doesn’t…find a new one.
From: Erin Walsh
To: Matthew Walsh
Date: September 25 at 13:59 WEST
Subject: RE: Matt’s mental breakdown
You better tell me what happens. Don’t think I won’t send Sam to find you, and I know he’d feast all over this gossip.
Chapter Nine
LAUREN
Iset onecopy ofOh, The Places You’ll Go!aside for Steph and picked up the other to write a message inside the cover for Amanda when my phone signaled an incoming text. Pen between my teeth, I froze, seeing Matthew’s name flash across the screen.
In the hours since fleeing his bed, my thoughts volleyed between estimating when he would call, debating if he would, and trying to decide which I wanted more.
The messages from Matthew kept coming until I set my phone face down and headed for the kitchen. I nibbled a square of dark chocolate—reminding myself it would be a morsel and not the entire bar—while the chirps seemed to amplify until they were reverberating off the walls. Flying into distraction mode, I washed a week’s worth of dishes and edited my sloppy mail pile. I kept cleaning when the chirps stopped, suddenly concerned with polishing the bathroom faucets until they sparkled, but the quiet was strangling me and I dashed for the phone.
09:03 Matthew:Lauren, it’s Matt. what happened? where are you?
09:03 Matthew:you have to know how truly mind-blowing and incredible last night was.
09:05 Matthew:I think it was good for you too.
“Don’t worry, Matthew,” I announced to my chocolate. “Mind-blowing and incredible all around.”
09:07 Matthew:It scared the shit out of me when I woke up and you were gone.
09:09 Matthew:If there is anything I did or said that made you upset, I want to know.
09:10 Matthew:I was rough with you and I’m sorry for that. Please tell me you’re ok.
