As I head to practice, already feeling pretty exhausted, Harper pops back into my mind. I wonder if she ate all those burritos and if she’s still hung over. We have a game tomorrow andanother on Monday. I can’t be thinking about this. I need to get a handle on what I’m feeling and what I’m going to do next.
This fucking sucks.
Chapter 16
Harper
Taylor’s blowing my phone up now and I don’t get it. First, he walks out in a huff after I start questioning things (and I maintain that those were legitimate questions), and now he’s saying he needs to see me. Is this all about the sex? Is he without it for a day and then he needs to be with me? It doesn’t escape me that he has a game tomorrow too. Maybe he needs to clear his head by clearing his balls. Not my problem.
I can admit that I’m glad he brought me burritos and iced tea because I feel so much less hungover. But it doesn’t change the fact that he won’t answer me about the whole cheating thing. If he’s not actually cheating, then why can’t he just say that? The way he got so defensive seems sketchy.
I need another opinion. I can’t keep obsessing over this in my own head. Allie will be able to set me straight. She’s the one whoput this whole thing in my mind in the first place. She needs to answer for that crime. With drinks. Yeah, yeah, I went out last night, and I doubt Taylor will bring me burritos again tomorrow morning, but I’m doing it anyway.
“Allie, get dressed.”
“Why, what are we doing?”
“Lamenting over the ruins of my love life. Again”
“What did he do?”
“I don’t know. Maybe nothing. But you put these ideas in my head so you’re gonna dance it out with me while I drown myself in Manhattans. Extra cherries.”
“Fair enough. Meet me downtown in twenty?”
“Yes. Make sure there’s a Manhattan waiting for me. Well, bourbon, and open a tab.”
“This is gonna be a long night, isn’t it?”
“Maybe.”
I have a closet full of party clothes so finding something to wear isn’t difficult. I grab one of my favorite bandage dresses (I know it’s so 2010), fluff up my hair, throw on some eyeliner, and take my jacket and purse from the hook by the door. I’d chosen a pairof flats for my shoes and taken a shower earlier so the rest is done. Time to meet Allie.
“He didn’t say hewasn’tcheating on me, though,” I say after another swig. I’m on my third Manhattan since I got here. “Then he got all defensive.”
“I mean, can you blame him?” Allie is sipping her drink a lot slower than I am.
“Yes! Why wouldn’t I? He was away for a game and then he came back and didn’t talk to me for almost a week. What explanation is there for that?”
“Okay, I know I said some things, but you made a lot of sense too. You’ve known Taylor for years. Are you just forgetting about that?”
“No, actually it’s part of my thinking. I’ve seen him go through woman after woman like they don’t matter to him. Why should I think I’m any different?”
“Because you’re not just any other woman. Come on, Harper.”
I down the rest of my drink and then wave my glass in the air. They know us here. They know what that’s about.
“I just… want a way to be sure.”
“I don’t think you’re ever gonna get that. I’m sorry.” She puts her hand on my shoulder.
When my next drink comes, I hide a couple tears in the action of taking a sip but I’m not fooling Allie. She knows everything.
“Maybe you should get an Uber. Are you sure you wanna be here?”
Suddenly those drinks catch up with me and I feel like she’s right. I get my phone out and pull up the Uber app but it almost slips out of my hand. Allie takes my phone from me.
“Here, let me make sure you put inyourapartment andnotTaylor’s house.”
