Page 152 of New Growth
“Whatever. His loss. I can find better.”
No one is better than El,I thought immediately. But I kept my mouth shut as it seems she was looking for a fight and I was not in the mood. My heart already felt like it had been wrung out and left in the sun to dry so the quicker we stopped talking about Elliot Greene, the better.
Hope turned on her heel and stalked down the alley.
“You coming ba—”
“No!” she called over her shoulder, not bothering to look back.
Release.
IhadbeenavoidingElliot all day.
Ignored his calls.
Left his texts on read.
I just wasn’t in the mood to deal with him—not with this hangover clinging to me. Not after Hope’s outburst. And especially not after he took my flask.Damn him for that.
My head pounded with every step I took, my mouth was dry no matter how much water I drank, and the dull ache in my limbs made it feel like I’d been hit by a truck.
Instead of going to El’s place like I said I would, I went straight home, craving nothing but my bed and absolute silence. But as soon as I stepped inside, the scent of garlic and butter filled the air, making my stomach churn and wrapping around me like a warm hug I wasn’t in the mood to receive.
Esther was in the kitchen, standing over the stove, her phone propped up on the counter, playing music at a low volume. When I packed up after my last client, she and the others were long gone. To be fair, it was well past closing.
Her hair was sitting lopsided on her head like she had thrown it up without a second thought. She was wearing one of my oversized T-shirts, the fabric hanging loosely off one shoulder, revealing smooth skin and the strap of her sports bra.
She turned when she heard me come in, a wooden spoon in one hand, the other perched on her hip.
“Oh! You’re home.”
Aggressively, I set my bag down by the couch. “Yes. I am. Is that a problem?”
Esther raised a perfectly arched brow as she studied me. “What’s with the attitude, miss?”
I dropped onto one of the stools at the kitchen island, pressing my fingers to my temples, massaging lightly. “It’s just been a long day.”
She tilted her head, giving me another once-over before wrinkling her nose. “I can tell, you look dreadful.”
I scowled. “Thanks.”
“I’m serious, E.” She went into the fridge and handed me a bottle of water before turning back to the stove and giving the pan another shake. “You’re all pale and shit. What happened to you? Was it something Hope said?”
I cracked open the water, chugging a few gulps before answering. “No. I’m just tired. Last night drained me.”
Esther’s eyes lit up instantly, the way they always did when she sensed drama. “Ooooh. What happened? You and El finally fucked?”
I choked on my water violently. “No!”
“Oh. That’s why you’re on edge,” she mumbled.
“Esther. Please.” The thought of this morning had tried to crawl its way into my brain. “Do we have any wine?”
“Check the fridge’s bottom shelf,” she instructed without looking back at me. I got up and did just that. Thankfully, two chilled bottles sat there, waiting for me.I’ll start the dry month tomorrow.
I took two wine glasses out of the cabinet, poured mine first, and swallowed a long sip before continuing. “Hope’s pissed El said no.”
“I don’t know what her problem is! The man isn’t interested. Get over it.”
