Page 76 of The Problem with Princes
“Thanks. Tell Dad I love him.” I pause, feeling a lump forming in my throat. “And I love you too, Mom.”
We hang up and I lay there, looking up at the ceiling. I throw the covers back. My brain is thinking too much to get back to sleep.
I hadn’t been lying when I told my mom I need to look for jobs. I guess there is no time like the present.
* * *
My phone buzzesas I’m elbow deep in suds. I pull my hands out and wipe my dark pink skin off.
HPT: How was your day?
Me: You don’t want to know.
HPT: Oh? But I do want to know.
Me: No, you don’t. I promise.
HPT: Is your project at work that bad?
Me: No, the project didn’t work out.
HPT: ???
Me: I guess they decided to go a different direction with it.
Yeah, like in the opposite direction ofme. I wonder who ended up with the Penderhill file?
HPT: I’m sorry. Is that why you’re unhappy?
Me: Mostly.
HPT: What else?
Me: Just stuff.
HPT: Come on and tell me. Don’t make me call Texie.
Me: You wouldn’t
HPT: A gif of David Spade sayingWouldn’t I?
HPT: Please?
Me. It’s not really a texting conversation.
I barely press send and my phone lights up and starts playingKissby Prince. I know it’s a bit on the nose, but it’s all I got going for me right now.
He has the video call on, but I only accept the voice call. If he sees me, I’m totally busted. But he looks so good. “Hey, I wasn’t expecting you to call.” I should have thought this through better. What am I going to tell him?
“You said it wasn’t a texting conversation. So talk to me.” He leaves his camera on, and I drink in the sight of him. I’m not sure if this is better for me or worse. Seeing him makes my heart ache more than it already did.
The pesky tears that have been so near the surface lately blur my vision, so I can’t tell if the dish I’m washing is clean or not. I drop it back into the sink. Soaking can’t hurt it. Besides, I need to stall until I can get myself under control, or he is really going to know something is wrong. “Hold on one sec, okay? Let me grab my ear buds.”
“No problem. Take your time. I’m only calling from across the world.” He says sarcastically.
It makes me laugh-cry. “I’ll hurry, I promise.” I can almost hear the cry on the word promise, but hopefully Ty didn’t notice.
I grab my earbud case off my nightstand and clutch them in my hand while I do a few deep breaths. I can do this. I shove one of the buds into my ear and wait for it to connect. “Okay, that’s better. You still there?” I ask.
