Page 53 of Words We Didn't Say

“One of you better tell me what the hell is going on,” I demanded. “Zach mentioned he saw Yvette at the salon but not you.” I groaned. “Pleasetell me he didn’t drop off another one of his scary-as-shit special deliveries.”

Andie threw back a gulp of beer and, grimacing, said, “Zach worked at the salon today.”

Yvette’s enormous gold hoop earrings bounced as she nodded. “He wanted to learn about what you do, so we gave him the full experience. Honestly, we should fire Maddie’s butt and put Zach on full-time. That man has a serious work ethic.”

“It was a fucking con job,” Andie sneered. “He’s just getting desperate trying to win you back, Ed.”

“Well,duh.” Yvette rolled her eyes. “For the record, I’d like to add that Andie was a total bitch to your man, and he didn’t complain once. Not once! Not even when she made him clean the bathrooms.”

“But we don’t touch the bathrooms.” I shifted confused eyes between them. “We have professional cleaners for that.”

“Yeah.” Andie smirked. “But Zach doesn’t know that.”

“He was a total cutie with his yellow rubber gloves on,” Yvette added. “He even spritzed a little eucalyptus in each stall when he was done. I didn’t even know we had any!”

Yvette kept gushing about how they’d kept Zach busy all day, but my gaze dropped to my lap, my fingers flicking restlessly at the clip on my clutch.

On. Off.

On. Off.

My mind spun. Zach had worked all day at my salon to learn more about my work. He was a big-shot lawyer, but he’d let my friends boss him around. He’d cleanedtoilets.

Zach did all that for me, and how did I repay him for his efforts? I’d told him he was no one, not a real man. The guilt of all the ugly words I’d said to him at the stadium still stained my soul. No matter how much he’d hurt me, I never should’ve lashed out at him.

I gnawed on my bottom lip.

Don’t cry.

“Ed, you okay?” Andie’s voice was gruff.

Nodding, I tried balling my fists to stop the tears instead. “Yeah,” I choked out. “It’s just been a big day, that’s all.”

A buzz vibrated on my lap. My phone. I didn’t care what the notification was—telemarketers, nonsense updates about some clothing sale. Bring it on. Any distraction would work until Sam came back with enough booze for me to numb the guilt.

I flicked my clutch open and took out my phone. A devastated breath whooshed out of me. I locked my phone again, but it didn’t matter. Zach’s message was already burned in my memory.

Zach

Even when you hate me, you’re still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known. Sweet dreams, Denny Dee. xo

My hand shot outto push open the door signed‘Bonitas.’I didn’t speak a lick of Spanish, but even in a drunk haze, I was certain that was El Diablo Cantina’s fancy way of signalling the women’s restroom.

Wobbling from foot to foot, hands out, trying to keep myself balanced, I stumbled inside. The mishmash of black and white tiles and blood-red doors made my stomach lurch, but my shaky legs reached the free stall at the end. I slammed the door shut, but it took two attempts for my fingers to fumble the lock closed.

My eyes darted around the tiny, suffocating space. What now? My escape plan had never gotten further than getting my booty to the bathroom. I had to get away from Andie and her judgemental eyes. She was always asking too many questions:You okay? Maybe that should be your last drink.

Andie’s eyes had almost bugged out of her head when I’d chugged down my first cantarito in record time and then demanded a second. She’d even had the nerve to rain all over my pity party by trying to ban Sam from getting me any more drinks after I’d downed my third.

Well, the joke was on her because I’d stolen sips from Yvette’s glass when she wasn’t looking. My head was numb. Drunk as a designer-clad skunk. A wave of giggles escaped me and bounced around like a whole party was crammed inside the tiny stall with me. The distraction only lasted a second. There was no party. It was just me. Sad, lonely me.

Why couldn’t Zach just stay away like all the men before him? Why did he keep trying? Locking up my feelings and pretendingI hated him would’ve been much easier if he’d stayed away. And heshouldstay away. I hated him, didn’t I?

I leant against the stall door, closed my eyes, and let all the regrets, the shame, just drop away until the world was blissfully black.

That message…

I pressed my fist into my chest.

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