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I shake my head. “No, there’s no one.”
“Alright, well, get some sleep, Miss Wilson. We’ll call you with any updates.”
With a nod, I trudge down the stairs.
Twenty-Three
Istare down at my phone screen.
Pianna’s number is there, ready to be dialed with just a push of the button. I should be on my way to work, not still sitting on my hotel bed. I’m dressed and ready to go, but my feet are unwilling to take me over to the door. Last night was rough. I got maybe an hour of sleep. The rest of the night I tossed and turned, worrying about who would have broken into my apartment.
My thumb lowers, but still I hesitate. I shouldn’t worry her. Pianna has enough trouble in her life, she doesn’t need to deal with mine. But she’s mybest friendand after a crazy evening with Grant and the break in, I just need to talk.
Pianna picks up my call on the second ring.
“Good morning, bestest friend!” she sings as she answers.
I squeeze my eyes shut, keeping my tears at bay. A male voice says something in the background, and it’s followed by a low chuckle. Pianna giggles right along with him. Whatever rough patch they went through, clearly, it’s over. I wish I could be as forgiving and loving as Pianna.
“Hey, do you have a second?” I ask her, my voice no louder than a whisper.
“Of course, what’s wrong? Are you ok?” I can hear the smile fall off her face. Oh, how well I know her.
“I’m fine, it’s just, I need someone to talk to.” My voice breaks on a sob.
“Oh, Briella. Bri, what’s wrong? What happened?”
With that opening, I tell her about the break in last night. But it doesn’t stop there. The floodgates are open, and I need to vent. So I tell her about Jason, and how I’ve been seeing him and his friends Trip and Grant, though I leave out the more scandalous parts. She doesn’t need to know about them being students or about the blackmailing, or the humiliation they put me through. Thankfully, she doesn’t ask. She simply listens. When I’m done talking, she says,
“Damn girl. Three dicks at once? I’m so proud of you!”
At least one of us is proud of me. But her teasing makes me feel better. This feelsnormal.
Halfway through our conversation, I force myself to leave my hotel room and head to work. I skip breakfast. Just the idea of eating makes me nauseous. Pianna and I continue our conversation the entire commute. By the time I park, I’m feeling better.
“I’m sorry I threw all that on you this morning,” I sigh as I climb out of my car.
“Bri, I’d be upset if youdidn’ttell me,” she says. “You’ve been so distant lately. It feels good to know it’s just you beingyouand that distance isn’t destroying our friendship.”
“What do you mean by that?”
I know her well enough to know she’s rolling her eyes.
“Bri, you do this. You think you can handle the world and shoulder everything. When you take on too much, you start to withdraw and get quiet. You were in your quiet stage. For a while there I thought you’d replaced me, but now it all makes sense.”
Before I can respond, my phone vibrates with an incoming call.
“Oh, Pianna, someone else is trying to get a hold of me. I need to go, it could be the police. Thanks for listening to me.”
“Of course! Give me a call tonight. We’ll get shit faced and watch a movie together or something, ok?”
I agree to that plan and switch lines. “Hello?”
“WHY THE FUCK ARE THE POLICE AT YOUR PLACE?”
I yank the phone away from my ear, cringing as I do. At the same time, it starts to blow up with text messages.
“Trip? How do you know about—”
