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I turn and walk stiffly out the door, and I close it gently behind me.
Then I thud my head against the wall next to it.
“Stupid, stupid, stupid,” I mutter, pinching my eyes shut with a wince before I do a 180 to slide down the wall.
I’m definitely asking for another migraine, which I’d probably deserve this time.
The nausea climbing up my throat isn’t that, though. It’s just me feeling sick to the bone that I’ve just torn my idol’s heart out with careless words and being pushy and—
Crap!
I have to fix this.
Before August finds out and possibly murders me.
But I don’t know how.
So I turn where I always do when I need advice.
Fumbling my phone from my bag, I punch my grandmother’s contact.
She picks up quickly, her pleasant warble instantly comforting. “Hello, my Elle. How’s your first day at work?”
“That’s Elle?” Before I can answer, Lena’s voice echoes in the background.
Gran’s voice pulls away from the phone. “Yes, don’t shout in the house—and don’t trim my English ivy too close!”
“Oh, I know how to trim an ivy, Grandma. Ask Elle if she fucked him yet!”
“I most certainly will not ask my granddaughter that, and you watch your mouth before I wash it out with soap!”
I can’t help a tired laugh.
These two should take their act on the road.
“Lena’s over helping with the houseplants, huh? Good. You shouldn’t be up on that stepladder with your foot. For what it’s worth, the answer is no.”
“Thank you, but I didn’t need to know that.” Grandma clucks her tongue. “Now, you sound sad. Tell me what’s wrong.”
Lena butts in before I can answer.
“Hey, put her on speaker. If she’s upset, I want to hear too.” Her voice sounds closer.
“Glad to know my misery is a spectator sport,” I mutter. But I can hear the echo of my voice, so I guess I’ve got an audience of two.
“Your whole life is a spectator sport right now, chica,” Lena teases. “Now spill. What’s got you upset?”
“Oh, I think I just pushed my idol into giving up not only her career, but the intellectual property rights to her most beloved creation. And the second her nephew finds out, he’s going to string me up from the Space Needle,” I say brightly. “No biggie. I’m just a walking disaster, like usual.”
“Bull. You are not,” August says at my side. “You are, however, about to witness me losing my temper.”
I squeak and drop my phone.
My skin nearly leaps off my body.
“Shit!” Lena’s voice drifts up from my phone.
“Language!” Gran hisses next.
