Page 75 of Between Now & Heartbreak

“Don’t know. The lawyer doesn’t either. I think that the Tremaine’s are still worth looking at. She worked for them for a long time. Starting very shortly after she had that first kid.”

“Wow. Holy shit.” I say, still dazed.

“ think that we should get your DNA matched to hers from a sample weknowbelongs to her. And in the meantime, we can try find out who created that profile. If she went to those lengths to protect you, maybe she did the same for him. I brought over all the documents I got from her lawyer. A lot of the un-redacted stuff and interviews.” She hands over a file folder.

I pick it up, a little dazed but excited.

“Wow- thank you for this. I wasn’t sure how you’d feel considering what happened with me and Beth.”

“What happened?” She asks wide-eyed.

“Oh, she hasn’t told you?” My mood darkens. I’ve spent the week making my friend Dave listen while I ranted about her. She hasn’t even told her friend.

“She’s called me a few times. I’ve been so busy that we haven’t talked,” she says when she sees my expression.

“What happened? Is she okay?” She looks pulls her phone out and reach over and grab her hand.

“Please don’t.”

She eyes me for a second before she puts the phone down.

“I shouldn’t have said anything. It’s probably not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. But can you wait for me to leave before you call?” I start to slide out of the booth.

“Wait. Wait. Hold on. Let me think. I’m not good at switching gears so fast and I need more information.” She holds her hands up in front of her and squeezes her eyes shut.

I sit down mainly because I want to see what she’s going to do next. But also because I’m actually fucking desperate to figure out how to fix things with Beth.

This week has been sheer hell and tonight is going to be that nugget of corn that sticks out of your turd, reminding you that you can’t even fucking chew properly.

She whips her arm out and grips my forearm. “I got it! I just had to run through my memory reel from the last few weeks so I could remember.”

She smiles brightly and sits up straight. She’s weird. I wonder how she and Beth became friends.

“Remember what?” I prod when she doesn’t continue.

“Last time I talked to her you were coming over to play the piano. Did you bone?”

I choke on nothing and cough so hard the surly teenager actually remembers we’re his customers and brings me a glass of water.

When I can breathe again, Dina says, “I take that as a no.”

“You’re perceptive.” My response is as dry as hers.

“That’s lame. I mean, why not? She’s really into you.”

“She told me she’s trying to work things out with that asshole.”

“What?” She contorts her face and sticks her tongue out in disgust.

“Exactly,” I say sullenly and stare unseeingly at the table top.

“How do you feel about her?” She asks

“I love her.” It’s an easy question to answer. I’m mad at her, but there’s no changing how I feel.

She looks doubtful.

I scowl and say, “I didn’t ask for your opinion.”

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