“Would you?”
“Let me think.” I pause, pretending like I’m doing just that. “No.”
“You’re no fun,” she accuses me.
“I’m going to bed. I’ll call you back this week one day,” I say.
Chances of me doing that are pretty low considering my schedule, but she always promises to call me back too, which hardly ever happens.
“I love you, and I want you to call me anytime you feel sad,” she demands.
“Yes, mom,” I tease back. “Good night.”
I disconnect the call and drop back on the small couch in my living room. I rest my head in my hands and try to think. The weekend has been a complete fail, and nothing like how itstarted when Alex picked me up for the party. I really don’t know where to go from here, but one thing is for certain. I can’t be in a continuous limbo with him anymore, where I constantly wonder if we’re on or off.
My cell dings with a text, and I roll my eyes, expecting to see a funny GIF from Elizabeth. Imagine my surprise when I flip the phone over and see that it’s a message from a number I don’t recognize.
Unknown: Hi, Mona, this is Zara. I had Kyle get me your number from Alex’s phone. He doesn’t know. I was wondering if we could talk.
I stare at the message, unsure what to make of it. Was Alex not enough, now I have to deal with his friends as well? No one ever contacted me before when we broke up, and I don’t understand why they would do it now.
I pick up the phone, and, before replying to the text, I save the number in my phone.
Me: hey, not sure what we could be talking about. I appreciate you reaching out, but if it’s about Alex, I’m not interested.
Zara: I completely understand, and I don’t blame you. It’s not about Alex.
My eyebrows raise in surprise.
Me: who or what is it about?
I see the dots appearing and disappearing, but still no reply. To say that now I need to know what the hell is going on does not begin to cover it. And I find out that Alex is the one texting me under false pretenses…
Me: Alex, if this is you, I hope you choke on it!
The dots start blinking again. And then, they disappear.
“Ugh! Why are his friends as aggravating as they are?”
Unless I’m right, and it’s not really his friends texting me. Not like it’d be that hard to get a different number and text people from it.
Suddenly, my phone lights up with an incoming call. Zara’s name flashes across the screen since I saved the number. I hesitate for a moment, then decide to hell with it. I will rip this man a new one.
“Mona,” a soft and most definitely feminine voice greets me. “I was worried you wouldn’t answer. This is Zara, Kyle’s g…”
“I know who you are,” I cut her off. “And I can’t even begin to imagine why you’d be calling me.”
She clears her throat nervously. “I’d like to talk to you…”
“About?”
I am proud of myself. I sound straight and to the point. But then, she goes and bursts my bubble, completely contradicting what she said in the text.
“Alex.”
TWENTY-EIGHT
Alex
