Page 5 of Little Lies

There was no need to look at him to see the confusion run over his face, and then finally settle into anger by the time she reached her car.

“You fucking whore,” he yelled. Tully scoffed at the irony of his statement. “Heartless bitch.”

Without turning to see how red his face was, she lifted her middle finger and flipped it over her shoulder before climbing into her seat, starting the car, and leaving him in that parking lot without a look back.

four

tully

3 Days After the Party

The phone rang and rang.

Tully ignored it. She had to have this five-page essay done by the morning and the last thing she wanted was to be caught in a never-ending conversation on the phone with Stephanie or worse yet, Erik. Man, that guy was persistent.

The ringing stopped.

And then it started again.

She sighed.

“Are you going to get that or what?” Joliet appeared in the doorway and glared daggers at her.

Tully smiled, making it as sweet as possible. Joliet was the only one who had her own personal line in her room, which she was ignoring. “Why? Don’t want to talk to yourboyfriend?”

Joliet smirked. “Oh, Tulsa. You know I’d never actually date Erik. It was just a bit of fun. I’dneverdo anything to hurt you.”

“That’s okay. I’m doing perfectly fine. Have all the fun you’d like.” They held each other’s stares. Joliet pulled off the beauty queen smile with cutting accuracy, and Tully was forced to hide behind her sarcastic grin.

“Get off your lazy ass and tell him to stop calling. I’m sick of him.” Joliet turned and left the room as Tully flicked her middle finger at her retreating back.

The phone kept ringing.

She really didn’t want to give Joliet the satisfaction of getting her way, but her nerves were being grated with each chime. She’d just really been getting into the thrill of the third paragraph of her essay. It was likely she’d feel better if she told off the person on the other end for calling nonstop.

Groaning, she stomped to the phone and picked it up.

“Hello?” Her basic greeting was harsh enough to be noticeable.

There was an unsure pause on the other end. “Uh, hi. Is Tulsa there?”

Her annoyance slowed in the wake of confusion, and she tilted her head. The voice was male, that was for sure, but not Erik. She knew Erik’s voice, but this, while somewhat familiar, she couldn’t pinpoint.

Boys calling the house was normal. Boys calling the house for her? Not normal.

“Who’s this?”

Another pause. What the hell?

“This is Nathan Rondeau.”

What the hell?!

The phone nearly fell from her hand as shock loosened her grip, and her stomach sank from renewed humiliation. Paranoia struck her and she looked over her shoulder into the hallway, afraid that Joliet would appear like she usually did.

“Hello?” Her attention snapped back to the voice on the phone. Her back pressed against the wall and she cupped the bottom of the receiver.

“How the hell did you get my number?” she hissed in a loud whisper.

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