Then that necklace glitters at her throat, and shame hits me. I really am a fuckup.
Time to play the part.
I lift up my water glass. “To us.”
She clinks it with hers, eyeing me suspiciously under the guise of a genuine smile. “To us.”
I force down what happened in the bathroom and slip into a different skin. It never felt like this before, but now it does. As if I’m wearing a costume for everyone to see. Smile. Charm. Add a wink here and there. When did my life get so fake?
Lock in, Soucy. Soon, it’ll all be over.
3
Tab
There comes a point in everyone’s life where they are sick of their own shit, and I’ve been at that point for the past two days now. I’m sick of my own inner monologue. It replays the fire. It relives the suffocation. It even has made-up conversations with people because the only people I see are Raeann and Micah.
I’m used to being so busy. Helping at the shop, packing orders, posting on our social media?—
Wait… Who has been doing that? How did I forget to do that?
I walk over to the house phone that Micah helpfully placed in my room and call the shop. Jace answers.
“How’s my favorite employee?”
“Tab!” I can practically hear the grin on his face, and it makes me smile. I’m so glad Micah dropped the idea of firing him because he really was a lifesaver, and from what I hear from Raeann, he’s continued to be.
“Hey.” Emotion suddenly clogs my throat, and I have to poise myself before starting again. “Is she right there? Don’t let on that it’s me, but I was sitting here thinking and wondered who has been doing the social media? Please don’t say Rae-bae.”
Jace chuckles then his voice moves to a whisper. “She’s in the back, and you’re safe. Sunny took it over. She’s good, too. Hey, I’ve tried reaching out.”
I take in a deep breath. “I’m sorry, I don’t have my phone. It was lost in…the fire, and Raeann thinks I don’t need one right now.” That last line is a bit of a copout, and a gross underestimation of what’s been going on. As one can imagine, Micah Freeman’s girlfriend being involved in a house fire was big news. Reporters, social media comments, the whole nine yards. Both of us decided we would lay low while things died down.
“Well, she certainly is handling everything, so no worries on that front. I just wanted you to know I’ve been thinking about you. We miss you around here.”
“Is that Tab?” a female voice asks. For a second, I think it might be Raeann but quickly realize it’s Katya when she squeals. “Tell her I say hello.”
The phone muffles for a second. “Hello?” I pull the phone away and look at it when no one responds right away, then put it back to my ear.
“Excuse you,” Raeann’s voice rings out with that cute, country twang that seems to deepen when she’s all up in her attitude. “Shouldn’t you be resting?”
“I was, but then I decided to torture myself with real-life stuff and remembered that I usually do Pet Threads’ social media and then proceeded to worry someone forgot about it.”
“That someone being me?”
“Well, you have a lot on your plate.”
“Ihave a lot on my plate?” The question sits out there before she sighs. “Everything is fine here. You don’t need to worry.”
“Rae-bae, I’m going crazy. I think I’ve literally entered the dimension of psycho where I’m answering my own questions, but it sounds like the me that is me is a completely different person.”
“I don’t even know what you’re saying.”
“See! I’ve completely lost the plot!”
“Do you want to go out to lunch? Maybe we can find a quiet place somewhere to chat for a little while.”
A murmur sounds in the background before Raeann covers up the phone, whispering, “It’s fine. I can do that, too.” Then the line unmuffles.
