You’re staring too long!
Say something!
She’s gonna notice!
“Haelyn, girl, you good?”
I blinked hard, my vision snapping back into focus. Talia was staring at me with concern now, her head tilted.
“Huh? What did you say?”
“You good, girl? You zoned out like you knew him.”
I smiled faintly, sliding the phone back across the table. “Sorry. I do that every now and then.”
“Okay. You had me thinking I was introducing you to your long-lost husband or something.”
I playfully waved her off. “Girl, no. I barely know anyone these days.”
“Right,” Talia replied slowly, chuckling to fill the silence.
“He just… reminded me of someone. But it’s someone irrelevant from my past. I don’t know about you, but I need me a drink, and I don’t even drink.” I quickly changed the subject.
Talia raised an eyebrow, sipping her tea. “Mm-hmm. ‘Irrelevant’ got you ordering shots? Must’ve beenrealirrelevant.” She laughed, nudging my arm playfully. “But hey…who am I to judge? Let’s drink to forgetting the past and lying to ourselves in peace.”
We talked for a while longer, about nothing that mattered.
Two drinks in, I leaned back in my chair and let my words drag just enough to sell it. “Whew… okay, yeah. Those drinks don’ snuck up on me, girl. I might need a ride home, because walking this late, I’d probably end up on somebody’s crime documentary.”
Talia burst out laughing. “Not a crime documentary! But yeah, your pretty ass definitely looks kidnappable. So, you a lightweight, huh?”
I hunched my shoulders. “Apparently. One more sip and I might start telling strangers my social security number.”
She laughed harder. “Don’t do that. Identity theft is expensive.”
I grinned lazily. “See? Another reason I shouldn’t walk home.”
Talia shook her head, still smiling. “I got you, girl. Actually… just stay at my place tonight.”
“You sure?”
“Of course. What kind ofsisterwould I be letting you stumble around tipsy at night? Plus, I could use the company. My walls are starting to know too much about my business.”
I laughed softly. “Thanks, Talia. You’ve always been solid.”
Talia’s place was warm and cozy in a way that made me relax the second I stepped inside. It was also a little too big for just her.
“Okay, I’m about to be alittlenosy,” I warned, glancing around the spacious living room. “But if you’re not working, how can you afford this place?”
Talia tossed her keys into a decorative bowl near the door. “When I got laid off, I didn’t know how long I’d be out of work. I had enough money saved, so I went ahead and paid my rent six months in advance.”
“Oh.” I nodded, impressed. “That was smart.”
“Yeah, but those six months aren’t going to last forever. That’s why I really need to secure that job. I don’t want to wait until my rent is due again to start panicking.”
“Makes sense.”
“The room you’ll be sleeping in is the second door on the right,” she said, pointing down the hallway. “Towels are in the hall closet if you want to shower. And we’re basically the same size, so if you need clothes, I got you.”
