“An idiot says what?”
“What?” Ugh, why did I always fall for that?
After Edison pickedup his truck, I attempted to get a few extra hours of sleep but failed. All I could think about was Dial’s cold reception. I wasn’t stupid. There was no love lost between her and me, but I couldn’t quite pinpoint when our relationship shifted. Dial was a year older than me and growing up, I was practically her shadow. But in high school she avoided me; eventually, her salutations were nothing but one-word sentences.
Since childhood she’d been protective of Edison and at some point, I think she saw me as a threat because of how close Edison and I were. I know I sounded like a conspiracy theorist, musing over Dial’s plot to take me down. Maybe she just didn’t like my personality. There were plenty of people I didn’t mesh with, but I was at the very least cordial when they came around. If Dial thought her shitty attitude was going to keep me from Edison, she was mistaken. During prior visits, I’d purposefully avoided Edison because of Dial, but you know what … fuck it and fuck her.
Muffled ringing interrupted my thoughts. I reluctantly climbed out of my bed, tripping over a pair of clogs on the way tomy phone, which was under a pile of clothes. “Hello.” My voice was low and raspy, from lack of use.
“Fancy?”
“Darla?”
“Yeah, how are you?”
I broke down, finding fresh tears. “Crappy. What about you?”
“Oh, babes don’t cry. I’ve missed my best friend.”
Gulping down a sob, I attacked, “Well, you haven’t been acting like it.” When the words left my mouth, I realized how hurt I was that this was the first time I was hearing from her.
“I’m sorry. I wanted to give you some space.”
“I don’t need space from my best friend.” I sniffled.
Darla and I had been to hell and back together. Alongside Edison, she was my closest and oldest friend. She was there when I fell off Cotton Candy, breaking my leg. I was there when her parents divorced. When I lost my virginity, we had a sleepover, and I gave her all the details. We thought we were so grown. And when she got pregnant and needed not to be, I was there too.
“I figured if you needed me, you’d call.”
“Frankly, I don’t know what I need right now. I’m all topsy-turvy.”
“Have you talked to Chap?” Her tone indicated she was walking on eggshells, knowing Chap was a sore and puss riddled subject for me.
“We’ve texted back and forth a bit.”
“He’s torn up over you.”
“Good.”
“You should at least let him try to explain.”
My stomach hardened at the hint of Darla coming to his defense. “All of a sudden you’re Team Dylan?”
“No, never that. I’m Team Whiskey Wild.”
“There’s nothing to explain. He cheated and it’s probably not the first time.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I don’t think I can ever trust him again.” I scrubbed my face. “And if I’m being honest, I don’t think I care.”
“What do you mean?”
“Sure, I care but maybe this is all God doing me a massive favor. Chap and I haven’t been in a good place for a while now. I thought it was just the pressure with the tour and getting back in the studio, but he and I have been out of sync for a minute.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“How do you say your relationship is failing?”
