This is the worst possible consequence of my very reckless actions.
I’m hot all over. I might throw up.
I fucked my brother’s boss.
Who lives and works in Revival.
Where I’m moving in six goddamn days.
I stand so fast, my blood pressure drops and my vision swims. My hand flails, and I use the couch arm to steady myself.
My mom gasps. “Jessica, are you okay?”
“Head rush. Too fast.” I gasp while waiting for my equilibrium to right itself again. When I recover, I straighten, brush crumbs off the sports bra and leggings I put on this morning with the vague notion of running off my frustrations, but I never made it outside. Instead, I watched reality TV and ate Doritos with no idea disaster awaited me.
I need a plan, so I turn to the best plotter I know. “Hailey, we need to go for margaritas.”
Her dark blond brows furrow as she looks around the room as though searching for clues to my behavior. “Right now?”
“Yes. Right now.” I tilt my head in my mom’s direction, hoping to clue Hailey in that I need to talk but don’t want to alert the parental unit. “Remember? We made plans.”
“Jessica Moore, what is wrong with you? You’ve been acting strange all day.” My mother gives me her best maternal glare and tsks. “Don’t think I didn’t hear you come in at four thirty in the morning, young lady.”
I don’t have time for this.
Why hadn’t I stuck to my first instincts? I’d known he was too good to be true. But did I stay away like a sane, rational person? No, I did not.
I had to play with fire.
Now look at me. Burned to an absolute crisp.
Before I can respond, my dad turns to my mom with the placating expression husbands have been wearing for an eternity. “Now, Catherine, that’s none of your business. Jessica is an adult.”
More than happy to jump on this bandwagon, I scoff. “Yeah, Mom. I’m thirty-two.”
“I’m not saying you can’t do what you want, only that you’re acting weird, and as your mother, I demand to know you’re okay.” Suddenly, my mom clutches at her chest. “Oh my god, you’re not pregnant, are you?”
“No! Of course not.” I screech, throwing my hands up in the air. “Why would you even think that? You went with me when I got my IUD. And even then, I make the guy wear a condom.”
My dad frowns. “Now, Jessica, I’m all for being enlightened, but those kinds of details aren’t necessary.” He motions toward Mom. “Tell your mother everything is fine.”
I take a deep breath and exhale. It’s time to get out of here so I can think properly. “Everything’s fine, Mom. I forgot Hailey and I promised Oliva we’d meet her for margaritas one last time.” I name the first childhood friend who pops into my head.
“Oh, that’s right. I’d forgotten too.” My sister backs me up, and that’s why we’re best friends too.
“See? Everything is great.” I do my very best to look serene. Like I’m a still lake on a calm day. “Ready, Hales?”
“Don’t you want to change?” she asks.
“Nope.” I whip my hair out of my ponytail.
Who has time to change when my life has once again been reduced to shrapnel by way of a man?
“You did what?!” Hailey screams from across the round bar table where we’re drinking margaritas and consuming bottomless chips and salsa, with a side of guacamole.
I spewed the whole sordid tale as fast as I could get the words out of my mouth, and it clears my head and calms me down, like it always does.
Now, all I need is a plan.