My nose twitches involuntarily. Liz’s friends don’t normally hit on me. Insult me, sure, but the flirting is a first.
Another first, an attractive woman expressed interest in me and I’m going to ignore it. “Liz’s stories are skewed. And even if they weren’t, it wouldn’t change the fact that Liz is still a train wreck in comparison.”
“Liz,” the woman starts, hands moving to her hips indignantly, “is no train wreck.”
“Right.” I move the tray I’m holding to my other hand. I guess we’re doing this. “So, she no longer keeps a spare key under her back bumper because she locks herself out of her car on the regular?”
“Recognizing her shortcomings and planning for them just proves she’s responsible.”
“Uh-huh.” I’m only getting started. “I suppose you’d also consider her responsible for counting detention as part of her high school schedule and always planning to stay an hour after classes, since she wound up there nearly every damn day of her senior year.”
“No way.”
“Yes, way.” I was usually there with her, and always for worse reasons, but that’s not the argument I’m trying to make here. “Every day, like clockwork, she’d show up to her AP English class, be there for maybe ten minutes before Mister Diamonti said something to piss her off. She’d talk back, they’d argue, she’d get sent to the principal’s office and then she’d get handed her detention slip.”
Diamonti really was an ass. And I’m sure he had it coming every time she went off on him. Kind of think our principal thought so too, given she never doled out more than detention despite Liz’s frequent visits. “Fucking nut job still managed to get an A in that class.”
“I really don’t appreciate you calling my friend a nut job.” She sniffs. And I kind of think she knows I’m right.
“Speaking of, how long have you two been friends?”
The tiny woman squares her shoulders. “About three years.”
“How’d you two meet?”
“I’m one of her models.”
“Oh, so you work together? This relationship is mutually beneficial in a financial sense?”
She tilts her head slightly, mouth twitching like she can sense the trap about to snap shut on her. “Yes.”
I nod. “That explains why you’re still friends.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
I sigh, stepping past her to start for the house again.
I’m tired of standing out here with a tray full of half-empty coffee mugs and a little angry lady who already knows I won the argument.
“It means Liz has commitment issues and can’t maintain any relationship for more than six months. According to her, that’s about how long it takes before people show their true colors.And,also according to her, she doesn’t like most people’s true colors.” I look over my shoulder to make sure her friend is keeping up with me. “But really, she’s just fucked up from her mom leaving when she was little.”
“You’re saying her childhood trauma-induced fear of abandonment is the reason you consider her a train wreck?” she scoffs.
“No, I agree, it’s a legit fear to have. What makes her a train wreck, is being an adult, knowing she has this emotional baggage, and instead of going back to therapy, she chooses to decorate her bag of emotional damage, carry it around with pride, and stuff more shit in it every chance she gets.” I reach the front porch and stop. “And don’t go thinking I’m talking shit about her behind her back either. She’s well aware I’m as fucked in this deal as she is.”
Her nose crinkles and a moment later she extends her hand. “I’m Holly, by the way.”
I shift the tray around to meet her gesture. “Jovi. But you already knew that.”
She nods, the corners of her mouth pulling into a smirk. “I did know that.” She releases my hand and points ahead like she’s giving me permission to finally go inside. “What I didn’t know, is how stupid in love you are with her.”
My mouth flies open but nothing comes out, too stunned to argue but shocked enough to want to respond.
She flashes her green eyes at me and grins. “Guess it’s a good thing Liz can’t escapeyounow either.” Then she saunters past me and through the front door, taking her insane theories with her.
CHAPTER NINE
LIZ
