Page 198 of Call Me Baby 2: Side B

In the direction of the pocket.

“No, no, no…” I whisper.

It hesitates at the rim,

teetering there⁠—

then tips.

Falling in.

Scratching.

My stomach plummets.

I lost.

I stare at the empty table,

a painful breath leaving my lips.

Andrew doesn’t move,

but I feel his eyes heavy on my skin.

Then the world crashes in all at once.

Guitar strings crying,

violins bleeding through the jukebox.

Pool balls clacking.

Another table erupting in laughter.

My eyes climb until they crash into his.

Andrew straightens,

hands slipping from the wooden edge.

I fall back on my heel.

One hour tied up.

One hour acting

like I’m not drowning in trauma.

But I don’t skip debts—I’m Allison fuckin’ Taylor. I’ll chain down the panic and play it cool.

I can do an hour.

I’ve done years. This won’t kill me.

I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.

And all this shit started