“Morning,” I replied, just as Bo leaned closer.
“She smells nervous,” he remarked thoughtfully. I bit the inside of my cheek hard enough to hurt.
“Not now,”I gritted out.
But then my friend Tara intercepted me near the break area, coffee already in hand, eyes sharp and assessing in a way that immediately put me on edge. She gave me a once-over that lasted just a fraction too long.
“Okay,” she said slowly,
“Why do you look like you wrestled a demon and lost?”
I choked slightly.
“Wow. Good morning to you, too,” I replied as I dug my heels out of my bag and leaned to the side to swap them over from my sneakers.
“I’m serious,” she pressed, lowering her voice.
“You’re talking to yourself.”
I swear, I nearly swallowed my own damn tongue this time.
“No, I’m not.”
“You just mouthed ‘not now’ to thin air.”
Damn it!
I sighed, rubbing at my temple as Bo grinned up at me like he’d won something.
“Okay, look,” I said quietly, leaning closer,
“I’m going to have a weird couple of days.”
Her brow knitted together.
“Weird, how?”
“Weird like you might see me talking to myself,” I continued quickly,
“It’s… it’s my therapist’s idea.”
She blinked in disbelief, and I instantly wanted to smack myself on the forehead.
“Genius that,” Bo commented dryly.
“You be quiet,” I snapped.
“Excuse me?” Tara said, making me sigh.
“The therapist again, sorry, but he… he… he told me to speak to my negative thoughts.”
Her eyes widened, and any other time this might have been comical.
“Come again?” she asked.
“You know, to like cast them back… oh shit,” I said as I tossed my hand out and knocked a basket of muffins to the floor. I quickly knelt down and started picking them up and dusting them off.
“Oooh free food.”
