The anger feels good. Familiar.
But it’s laced with acid as it burns through my body. It makes my skin itch.
It’s never felt like this before.
As annoyed as I am, there’s a desire coursing through me to fix it. To call her. Get her back here.
I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep until I do. The punching bag swings as I stalk away and grab my phone.
Me: Can we talk?
It takes her almost half an hour to respond. I beat up the bag as I wait.
Penny: No
Me: Seriously?
Penny: Not right now. I’m trying to salvage my night
Me: I don’t get why you’re so pissed. I told you the truth.
Penny: We’re not doing this right now
Penny: Especially not over text
Me: Then come back
Penny: No. I’m with my friends for the night
Me: So I’m just supposed to sit here by myself?
Penny: Hit up Nikolai and Jane again
Red clouds my vision.But despite the venomous words sitting on the tip of my tongue, I click out of our text conversation without replying. I’ll respond when I’ve cooled off a bit.
And hopefully onceshe does too.
Instead, I pull up Nikolai’s number and call. He picks up almost instantly.
“Didn’t get enough of me earlier?” Not even the familiar, light-hearted tone of his voice dulls my jagged edges right now.
My voice is strained as I say, “Aspen left me.”
“What?” he says incredulously. “What do you mean she left you?”
Sweat drips down into my eyes from boxing. “I mean she left. She went out with her friends and left me here.”
He pauses, and when he speaks again, his voice sounds farther away. He put me on speaker. “So she didn’tleave youleave you.”
“Well, what else do you call it?”
“Uh, she went out with her friends?” He sounds confused. “What happened after we left? You guys seemed fine.”
“I told her I slept with Jane.”
“You hadn’t told her?” Jane squeals, piercing my eardrum. I pull the phone away with a curse.
“Nice of you to pipe in, Little Walker.”
