Page 18 of Love, Morgan

Had she figured out I was working because she’d just seen my replies? Had shebeenone of my replies? Was that even possible? And, if it was, what on earth did we do with that?

Chapter 7

Morgan

“What is wrong with me?” I whined, right as Ripley picked up her phone. It hadn’t really been meant for her, but it was the whole reason I was calling, so I supposed it didn’t matter.

“Other than the fact that you’re calling me in the middle of the night, while I’m sleeping?” she asked back, not sounding nearly as annoyed as I’d sound with her if she woke me up.

“Oh, I see how it is. Your wife can keep you up all night but I can’t?”

She paused, right on the brink of laughter, and that was all it took to realize what I’d said.

“Honestly?” she asked eventually. “Yeah, that’s kind of how it is.”

I groaned. “Why does the world hate me?”

“You’d have to tell me,” she said, still amused, and, from the sounds of ruffling, sitting up in bed. “What’s going on?”

“Well, I just saidthatto you, for starters.”

“You could do worse than me,” she replied, laughing harder.

“She’s taken,” I heard a sleepy Alicia yell from the other side of the call.

“Tell her I know you’re taken and, as much as I love you, I have no interest in doingthatwith you.” I shook my head. “I’d apologize, but I’m not sorry.”

“She says you have nothing to worry about,” Ripley told Alicia.

“Good to know. Now tell her to call back when it’s tomorrow. Some of us have to work in the morning.”

“It’s already tomorrow here,” I replied, as if Alicia could hear me. “And I’m having a crisis.”

“Have you had anything but a crisis since you left for vacation?” Ripley laughed again.

“Be nice or I’ll hang up and call Harlow instead.”

“Be my guest. But do you really think you’re going to get a better reception from her at this hour?”

“Are you kidding? She has a baby. She’s probably been up for hours.”

“Unless you catch her when Briar’s sleeping, maybe after keeping her up all night, and then she’s cranky, Briar’s screaming in the background, she’s—”

“Fine. I get it. I called you anyway. No need to get jealous and…speculative.”

Ripley laughed again. She did that so much these days. I’d forgotten how happy she used to be. In the eight years without Alicia, she’d been happy enough, but it hadn’t been like this.

“So, what’s going on today?” she asked.

“Well, I woke up and there was a notification on my phone.” I paused, waiting for her to understand the gravity of the situation.

She hesitated. “Okay…? You’re clearly connected to wifi, and most of the notifications many of us wake up to are internet-based, so, is that a big deal?”

“I hid in a bush for you,” I deadpanned.

“One time. And don’t you like bringing it up?”

“Yes. Because now I need you to hide in a bush with me!”