Page 136 of The Home Grown
“Give me my phone back. Here, this is me, talking to you,” I snap.
“Oh, lighten up, Bettsy. I’m only having a laugh,” Rochelle says.
I make a quick dash, catching her off guard as I rip my phone from her hands. She wobbles on a strappy heel but keeps her balance.
“I just wanted to see who’s keeping you so busy. I’m sorry, but there’s no way you’d turn me down unless there was someone else—” She freezes mid-sentence. Her eyes looking down at my hand. “—what are you wearing?” she says. “On your finger. Why are you wearing a wedding ring?”
I don’t want to entertain her with an answer. I turn around and hurry away, checking over my messages, grateful I keep my phone locked because there’s no way she wouldn’t rifle through my messages.
Speaking of which … there are several unread in the group chat.
Then calls from Danny, Johnny, Vicky, and Ellie.
Ellie.
Ellie called me.
Has she changed her mind? Hasshe?—
“Bettsy,” Rochelle screams, the sound of her heels clicking against the pavement as she hurries in my direction. “Don’t you walk away from me.”
“Fuck off,” I snap. “Honestly. Leave me alone or I’ll?—”
“Or you’ll what?” she says.
And we both know I’ve got nothing. I can’t hit her—no, I won’t hit her. No matter how vexed she gets me. And I don’t have anything on her to return the social slander favour…
“God, you’re pathetic,” she says. “Wearing a wedding ring … are you that desperate, Bettsy?”
“Fuck. Off,” I say again, slow words … each enunciated.
I’m not interested in Rochelle. Not now—not anymore. I pick up pace, hitting re-dial and pressing my phone to my ear as it rings out.
Brr-brr.
Brr-brr.
Brr-brr.
It rings and rings, eventually cutting off.
Fuck.
I’ve blown it.
I’ve—
“Bettsy,” Rochelle calls.
And it hits me. This is allherfault.
“You,” I say, turning and pointing a finger at Rochelle. “This is your fault.” It’s clicks together—Ellie must have been the one to hang up on Rochelle.
She stares at me, a blank expression on her overly made-up face. “What?—”
“Why can’t you leave me the fuck alone? Why can’t you just fuck off?”
“Is that really what you want?” she says.
