Page 13 of Music City Diaries

I’m rambling tonight, but that’s how my brain feels.

Maddox left me alone for the first time since it happened. It’s been one week, but it feels like forever. At first, I was glad tohave some space, but after thirty minutes, the darkness started to cover me. He’s looking into a more permanent place for us. We settled in Memphis. I wish I could enjoy it more. I always wanted to come here, but the lights and sounds are all too much right now. It feels right, though. The blues of this place speak of things I feel in my bones.

What do you think I would be good at? I guess in a way, I get to reinvent myself, be a version of Darcie that wasn’t raped. Yeah, I kind of like that.

Love,

Darcie

Five

DARCIE

My knee jiggledagainst the bed. It’d been two hours, and I was officially losing my mind. I picked up the phone and the card Chase had given me. It had a number on it and a symbol. How strange. Did he just go around and hand them out to girls? Was that how guys did it?

Hey, baby, here’s my card. Give me a call.

I could just imagine the wink and finger point that went along with a line like that. No, it had to be for some other reason. Chase was a lot of things, but I didn’t think he was one to have to hand his number out to girls. The boy was too hot for that.

Sighing, I typed it into the phone, hesitating. What would I say? Was it even a good idea? I knew Maddox would tell me not to, but there was the girl who’d been friends with him that felt I owed him at least a hello.

Yeah. Sure, Darcie.

Darcie: Hey

Wow, I really put myself out there with that one. Flopping back on the bed, I placed my hand over my head. If this was whatgirls went through when texting a boy, I was kind of glad I’d missed it. It was horrible.

The phone buzzed in my hand, and I practically jumped out of my skin. Sitting up, I opened it, my heart racing.

555-8394: Hey

Well, that didn’t help. Ugh, I guess I had to be the one to use more words. Saving the number, a smile lit up my face. I just needed to remember to be someone else. Notthisversion of myself—fake it until I could make it, and all that.

Darcie: You’ve now been saved as Jackass.

Darcie: I just wanted to say thanks. I guess.

Jackass: Wow, I save you, and I get a title like Jackass. I’m offended, babe.

Darcie: I’m not your babe and I said thanks.

Darcie: You’re a jackass for a whole lot of other reasons.

Jackass: Oh? Please list all the ways I’ve offended you, princess.

Darcie: Don’t call me that. I’m not a princess. And that would take me all day.

Jackass: Fine, what can I call you then if I’m not allowed to call you babe or princess? I don’t think it would be wise to save you under your name, considering my dad is on the warpath looking for you.

I sucked in a breath, biting my lip. Shit. He had a point, but the thought of Chase calling me a pet name felt too intimate, and that was too much for me at the moment.

Darcie: Call me Ghost.

Jackass: Feels a bit unfair, but fine.

Jackass: How are you? See, I’m not such a jackass.

Darcie: Fine. You’re not always one, just 75% of the time. You weren’t always that way, though. I remember you being sweet once.

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