“So…uh, Mia tells us that you went to Lincoln’s cabin over the weekend,” Lexi says and I grimace. During our anti Valentine’s Day get together, I spilled the beans about Lincoln – everything from how I am attracted to him but he’s just a friend to how I’d maybe like to be something more.
“I went up there Friday night but left shortly there after and he and I are done.”
They share a look before Mia lays a hand on my shoulder. “Sweetie, what happened?”
“Don’t y’all have some juicy boy gossip of your own that you could share instead of me?”
Lexi grins. “Yes, we do but we’re talking about you right now.”
My phone starts rattling on the table and Mia snatches it up before I have a chance to.
“Ooh, look who it is.” She turns the phone to me and I glare at Lincoln’s photo on the screen. “Maybe we should we ask him what happened.”
“Fine, I’ll tell you. Just give me my phone.”
She hands it over and I sigh, fiddling with the silverware on the table. “So, I went up there Friday and we started having dinner outside but I could tell he was upset so I asked him what was wrong. After he told me, he kissed me.”
Frowning, Willow glances around the table at the other girls. “I’m sorry, back up. Why was he upset?”
“That’s his business,” I tell her, shaking my head and she nods.
“Okay, and then he kissed you?”
I nod.
“How exactly does that relate to the two of you being done?”
The waitress comes back with our drinks, saving me for another minute as she sets them down in front of us.
“Are y’all ready to order?” she asks and Lexi shakes her head.
“We still need a minute.”
She nods and walks away from the table as three sets of eyes turn back to me.
“Continue,” Mia prompts and I sigh, my mind replaying the scene from Friday night and I swear I can still feel his lips pressed to mine.
“When he finished kissing me, he started cursing, told me to leave, and stormed into the house.”
Everyone’s eyes grow wide and they all glance at each other before turning back to me.
“He just left you outside?”
I nod. “Yes.”
“And what did you do?” Mia asks cautiously because… well because she knows me.
“Got in my car and started driving away…”
“Oh, thank god,” she breathes, placing her hand over her heart.
“…before I decided to turn around and tase him.”
Willow starts laughing, Lexi shakes her head, and Mia gasps.
“Jesus Christ, Tate. You can’t just go around tasing people.”
My brow furrows and I shoot a glare in her direction. “Why does everyone keep saying that to me? The asshole made me feel like I could open up to him, share my pain with him and hope for something more for the first time in a long time and I’m the bad guy for shocking him?”
“Well, it’s a little dramatic,” Lexi interjects and I roll my eyes.
“I didn’t shoot him, okay? And I could have because I had a gun in the glove box but the situation didn’t warrant it. Don’t act like I’m some crazy deranged person. The punishment fit the crime.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Mia whispers, turning to her menu and flipping it open. “Normal people don’t go around tasing people for things, Tate.”
“Well, maybe they should. Folks would be less likely to be assholes if there was a threat of tasing.”
Willow chuckles under her breath. “So, I take it you haven’t heard from him since?”
“Nope. And I don’t expect to.”
“He just called you,” Mia snaps, pointing to my phone and I shrug.
“So? I didn’t answer and I won’t answer. He’s dead to me.”
“Well, rest in peace to your non relationship then,” she says, holding her glass in the air and I do the same before taking a sip of water.
“I wouldn’t write him off just yet,” Lexi points out and I shake my head.
“I already have and I’m focused on other things.”
Mia leans back in the chair and crosses her arms over her chest. “Like what?”
“Like talking to Roger about getting more hours at the diner and getting registered for college.”
“Tate,” Lexi exclaims, looking bewildered. “How the hell are you going to work more hours at the diner, work at the gas station, and enroll in school? When will you sleep?”
“Oh,” I murmur, thinking back to yesterday when I stormed out of the store and quit my job. I also haven’t told the girls about the money my mom left me either. The only person I shared that with was… Lincoln. “I quit at the gas station.”
“Why?”
I suck in a breath. “I didn’t have much choice when Reed cornered me in the back room and tried to blackmail me into giving him a blowjob.”
“Oh, fuck,” Mia whispers.
“Shit,” Willow says and Lexi shakes her head. Mia grabs my arms and turns me to face her, her eyes wide.
“This is important, Tate. Did you kill him?”
I laugh, shaking my head. “No. Because I told you, I’m not some deranged person. Y’all have no faith in me.”
“No, sweetie. I have infinite faith in your abilities to defend yourself. I worry about your temper sometimes though.”
Shrugging, I shake off her grip and grab my water, taking a sip. “Whatever. No one’s died yet.”
She turns to the group with those wide eyes again. “Yet. She fucking said “yet”. I feel like I need to ground you from your guns or something.”
“Stop it,” I scold through my giggles. I’ve been in a sour mood for the past three days but only twenty minutes with my girls has turned that all around. “Tell me all about your love lives now.”
As Willow launches into her latest dating adventure, I sit back in my seat and let my gaze roam around the table to each girl as a smile forms on my face. Yeah, they may not understand what it feels like to lose a parent but these girls are my rocks and they are here for me unconditionally so fuck Lincoln. I don’t need him.
Chapter Eleven
Tatum
Stepping out onto the screened in porch off the dining room, I sink into one of the wicker chairs and let out a sigh as I bring my coffee cup to my lips. There’s a chill in the air despite the bright morning sunlight piercing through the old oak trees out in front of the house and birds are chirping sweetly above my head. It’s almost idyllic.
The phone rings for the sixth time in the last hour and I sigh, glancing through the open door into the dining room. The call has come in every ten minutes on the dot since seven this morning and I’m quickly losing patience with whoever is on the other end of the line. The machine picks up and since it’s just past the door, I can hear everything when the heavy, creepy breathing starts up again.
At first, I thought it was maybe a wrong number or the caller had a bad signal but when the next call came ten minutes later, I was less convinced that that was the case. By the time the phone rang for a third time, I knew it was intentional and meant for me. Maybe it’s just a prank. In fact, it doesn’t seem like a childish thing Reed might do but my mind tends to go darker than that and I can’t help but wonder if it has anything to do with the note taped to my door the other day.