Page 127 of Fish out of Water
It was one fucking night.
Nothing to get upset about.
But here I was.
Pissed that I slept alone.
Irritated that she wasn’t here with me right now.
My mother’s brows shot up. “Oh.” Her eyes came my way. “How’d that happen?”
That was the worst part of the whole thing. I got why Julia made the choice she did.
Bringing Collette here would have been strange for both of them. It made sense her friend would be most comfortable at Julia’s place.
“Her friend ended up in the ER with heat stroke and couldn’t be alone last night.”
“Is she okay?”
The question dug into the aggravation I’d been fighting all night. “I would assume so.”
I hadn’t heard anything from Julia. Not a call. Not a text.
Nothing.
My mother frowned. “Not even from your grandmother?”
“You expected to hear from the wild one?” Sylvia DeMario was probably passed out and drooling after spending the night trying to bribe the men of Sweet Side Apartments into showing her their junk.
“She usually calls me right when she wakes up.” My mother fished through her purse. “Maybe I’ll get a shower and then head over there. Make sure she’s behaving herself.”
“If you’re holding out hope she’s going to start behaving herself, then you’re going to end up disappointed as hell.” I turned to the sink and poured the rest of my coffee down the drain. “I need to get to work.”
Between my distraction and Helen’s extended lunch yesterday I was behind.
Not that I expected today would be particularly fruitful, but it was better than sitting here waiting for Julia to call me.
Like a lovesick puppy dog.
I walked to my room, ignoring the fact that it still smelled like her, and went to shower off.
In the bathroom that also smelled like her.
“Fucking fuck.” I grabbed a towel and walked back out, heading to the safety of the hall bath where I scrubbed down and dried off before stomping to my closet.
Only to end up staring at the bag of her clothes where it sat on the floor.
I didn’t like the way it looked there.
Like her presence in my life was temporary.
Easily removed. Packed up and taken away.
“Like hell.” I grabbed the bag and started pulling shit out. Shirts went on hangers. The knee socks I couldn’t get out of my mind went in a drawer, along with the panties I bought.
She shouldn’t be anywhere but here.
With me.
