Page 45 of No Freaking Way

Wait, is this guy related to @GageGrant? They look a lot alike, they could be brothers.

I read the reply to that comment.

LOL, I think so, looks like he’s riding the coattails of his more successful sibling. Classy *eye roll*

I read another couple of comments.

Looks like we’ve got a copycat

Wow pathetic lol

I quickly exit out of Instagram on my phone and drop it back onto the couch. I stand there, letting a slew of unsettling feelings course through me. Mostly embarrassment and shock.

Clearly, a lot of people think I’m a joke for trying to start a food-focused account on social media.

The urge to defend myself hits. I even start to reach for my phone, but I stop myself.

I can’t react like this every time I read a crappy comment. I just started this Instagram account and if I’m this bothered this early on, I won’t last.

I stand there and force myself to take a breath. I let the feelings wash over me. They start to dull. I can still feel a bit of restlessness inside of me though.

I wish I could talk to someone about this.

I think about calling Gage and asking him how he deals with negative comments online. I can’t though. He doesn’t even know I’ve started a food Instagram. And if I tell him, will he get mad? Will he think I’m trying to copy him too? Will he think I’m trying to leech off of his success?

I don’t think he would…but part of me is scared he might.

No way, I can’t talk to him about this.

I wish I could talk to Tori. She’d know what to do. And even if she didn’t, just hearing her voice or seeing her would be a distraction, a comfort.

I know I can’t do that though. Not when she hasn’t spoken or texted me in days.

I plop down onto the couch and huff out a breath. That restlessness inside of me intensifies.

I tug a hand through my hair, wondering about our fake relationship. We’re not even a real couple and already we’ve hooked up…and now things between us are possibly ruined.

Are we even still in a fake relationship since she’s gone quiet on me?

Maybe that’s why Tori hasn’t reached out. Maybe she doesn’t want to keep going with our setup. Maybe she wants to end things and doesn’t know how to break it to me…

A sinking feeling lands at the center of my gut. Just the thought of losing her has me panicked.

A weird pressure claws at my chest. It’s that restless feeling times a hundred.

I let out a frustrated groan. What the hell am I doing, building all this up in my head and freaking myself out? I’m just making things worse. I just need to talk to Tori and clear things up between us.

But how can I talk to her when she won’t talk to me?

Just then my phone buzzes. It’s a text from Theo in his and Gage’s wedding group text.

Theo: Hey. So you know the ladies are going barhopping for their bachelorette party next weekend

Theo: I was thinking it would be fun to surprise them. Who’s in?

Gage: Count me in

Tori will be at the bachelorette bar crawl. If I tag along with them, I’ll see her and we can finally talk and clear the air.

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