As much as I hated what she was saying, I was also kind of relieved I wasn’t the only one who felt like we’d been drifting recently. But she was still my best friend, and she should’ve known better. “For the millionth time, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Eric, but the only reason I didn’t tell you about Paxton is because it literally just happened. And we were so busy making out before we had to go into work, I wouldn’t have had time to tell you before then.”
Paxton laid a hand on my shoulder. “It’s true. She’s insatiable.”
I looked up at him, pleased to see he hadn’t bothered to put his shirt on before he came out of the tent. “I didn’t hear any complaints out of you.”
“Okay. Fine. I can accept that,” Elise said. “But I’m still confused. If you told Eric you don’t want to see him anymore, why is he posting YouTube videos like you two are a couple?”
Paxton’s hand tightened on my shoulder. I hoped not because he doubted me. He knew all too well how the Internet fame game worked.
“I have no idea what Eric is doing or why,” I said. “And I couldn’t care less. I haven’t even looked at my phone since yesterday.”
“Um …” Elise took her phone back and opened the YouTube app. Eric’s face flooded the screen, and it turned out there was someone I hated more than Jessica Banks. “Hey, Macy. I miss you already, but yesterday was so fun. No pictures though, people, sorry. NSFW. Can’t wait to see you at the fair on Tuesday. I’ll win you one of those big bears at the milk jug toss. It’ll be just like the first time we met.”
The screen faded to black, and I would’ve screamed again if my voice hadn’t gone hoarse. I’d kill him. I would literally murder him on sight. Paxton had gone eerily still as his free hand curled into a fist. I glanced up at him and a muscle ticked in his jaw. I’d kill Eric dead for all the stuff he was bringing up for Paxton alone.
“I’m sorry.” Elise rubbed my arm. “I never should’ve doubted you. It’s just—”
“I get it. You don’t have to explain.” It was so easy, too easy, to believe anything people said online. To make monsters out of ordinary people just trying to do their best. “I don’t know how to make this go away. If I’d left it alone, none of this would be happening.”
“Maybe he’s lying about the fair,” Elise said. “Like he lied about this past weekend.”
“Maybe.” He had to know I’d punch him in the face as soon as he set foot in my town. That wouldn’t flow well with this narrative he was trying to concoct. “Just in case, though, I better text him and tell him not to bother showing up.”
I went back to the tent and rummaged around in my backpack until I found my phone. I brought it back out to the firepit. Elise and Paxton peered over my shoulder as I unlocked my phone and opened my texts. I had sixteen unread messages—all from Eric.
Eric: Macy. Talk to me. Don’t do this.
Eric: I’ll do whatever you want. Do you want me to be your boyfriend for real? I can be your boyfriend. We could spend a few weeks at my family’s lake house.
Eric: Macy
Eric: Don’t shut me out. I thought we had a deal
A dozen variations of the same message followed, where he occasionally broke to call me a fucking bitch again. He was a real charmer. His texts came in at all different times during the night. Because vampire. I only had one from him this morning.
Eric: If you don’t show up to the shelby county fair on tuesday, I’ll make you the villain. I’ll shred your YouTube channel apart. I’ll tell the world you used me and broke my heart. Two o’clock, by the milk jug toss.
Eric had gone full mustache-twirling, railroad-track-tying villain. I would’ve laughed if a cold rope of fear hadn’t squeezed around my chest. While I’d distanced myself from the Fly Ball Girl persona, I still wanted to do movie reviews and grow my YouTube channel with the kind of content I wanted to post. Not to mention whatever he said about me online would follow me for the rest of my life. One Google search could kill job opportunities, personal relationships, the way people viewed me until the end of time. Just like it had with Paxton’s dad.
And it would be so easy for him to vilify me, so easy for everyone to believe the worst. If I’d learned anything from spending so much time online, it was this: People reacted with a lot more passion to negativity. Happy, shiny couples were boring. They wanted scandal and drama and someone to hate, and if Eric had his way, I’d be that person.
I blocked Eric’s number and powered off my phone.
“He’s on minute fourteen. His time is almost up and he’s getting desperate. This will blow over,” I said. Paxton didn’t look so sure. I gave him a confident smile, but I didn’t know if it was more for him or myself.
Paxton was quiet the entire ride home, and I tried not to let it freak me out. He just needed to process. Knowing what I knew now, I could understand how hard all this had hit him. When I dropped him off, he said he’d text me later—in a faraway voice that sounded like he only half meant it—but at least he wasn’t running this time. Progress.
The Bees were in full quilting mode; with the county fair starting up, they were down to the wire. They didn’t even glance up as I passed through the dining room on my way to the Hamptons. I hadn’t taken a close look at their quilt in the last week, per tradition. Gram covered it with a tablecloth when they weren’t working on it, and we’d gotten so used to having Bees and quilts going at different times of the year, we eventually tuned it out.
Mom hung out in the Hamptons with a Susan Elizabeth Phillips novel, one foot dipped in the freshly bleached kiddie pool. She had the day off too, and would likely spend most of it out here. Unless she and Roger had plans.
“Permission to enter the Hamptons?” I asked.
Mom looked up and smiled. “Permission granted.”
I took a seat on the lawn chair where Paxton had told me his story. It felt like a lifetime ago. So much had happened since then, and Mom knew none of it. While I didn’t fill her in on everything, or a lot of things really, I couldn’t lie to her about Paxton. He’d become too important to me.
“How was camping?” Mom asked.
“Fine.” Okay, I could lie about some Paxton-related things. “Can I ask you some questions about Roger?”
She set her book down and sat up. “Ask away.”
“Do you think it’s okay to bend your stance on coworkers because you like him?”
“I wouldn’t call him my coworker, since I didn’t even know he owned the diner until he told me, and he doesn’t actively work there.” She gave me a piercing look. The kind only moms could give. Like they had X-ray vision, but instead of bones, they saw their children’s secrets and lies. “But you’re not really asking about me and Roger, are you?”
“No.” I stared at my joined hands. “I’m in love with Paxton, and he’s in love with me, and I’m sorry if that hurts you, but we’re together now.”
She rubbed her temples. “Did Paxton go camping too?”
“Umm …” I couldn’t risk the lie. Too many people knew about the Cleaning Day tradition, and Gigi would know that Paxton hadn’t been home last night. “Yes?”