Page 7 of Love By a Landslide

Lucy shrugged. “I’m fine. I’m surprised you’re here.”

Todd tossed his heels aside and sauntered into the kitchen. “I couldn’t very well go home when there’s something so big worth celebrating.”

“Celebrating, huh? I happen to be packing. Are you here to help?” Lucy followed him into the kitchen.

Pop.

The bursting sound echoed in the modernly sparse apartment.

“Where are your glasses? Never mind.” He held out the bottle to Lucy, who eyed it with hesitation.

“Isn’t it a little too early to start drinking?”

“First of all, I haven’t stopped, so I’m not technicallystartinganything. But if it eases your mind, it’s half of a mimosa, which is a breakfast drink.” Todd said as he wiggled the open bottle in Lucy’s direction.

“Fine, fine.” Accepting it, she took a long gulp. Hopefully, the alcohol would take some of the edge off her crummy mood.

“That’s my girl.”

“You really didn’t have to come.” Lucy walked into the living room, bottle still in hand.

Todd followed, making his way to the couch. “Yes, I did, sweetie. While I’m clearly doing a stellar job containing my joy right now, I know you’re probably hurting.”

“Yeah, stellar job . . .” Lucy rolled her eyes, taking another gulp.

“So, I came over to give moral support and to help you see the bright side of a shitty situation.” Todd reached out for the bottle of bubbly then plopped down on the black leather couch, duffel at his side. Displeasure contorted his painted face as he attempted to settle into the stiff, uncomfortable couch. After considerable effort, he gave up. “Look. Breakups are never easy, but this relationship ran its course. For far too long, if you ask me. You’ll see once you get a little distance.”

“You’re probably right—”

“Girl, I am always right,” Todd stated, removing the semi-collapsed wig from his head. With the reverence given to a loved (and probably expensive) possession, he carefully laid the wig out on the coffee table. He pinched the corner of the tape banded around his wig cap and peeled the covering off in one continuous strip then sighed with relief as he scratched his scalp with the nine remaining press-on nails. He settled back against the couch clutching the bottle of bubbly. Even in partial drag, Todd was quite the opposition to the gray-on-gray tones of the apartment. His neon colors screamed joy and life, reminding Lucy that outside of the bleak situation awaited a vibrant world of possibilities. The realization should have given her hope. Unfortunately, along with the effervescence of the champagne, it just added to her agitation. The double shots of espresso in her black coffee probably hadn’t helped either. Instead of reassurance, she felt resentment. She’d wasted years of her life with no one to blame but herself.

“But right now, I’m just pissed.” Lucy snatched the champagne, ignoring her friend’s small grunt of protest. She wiped a drop from her lips with the back of her hand and continued, “I couldn’t sleep, so I started packing. No sense putting itoff since Brodan gave me until the evening to be out of here.”

“That yuppie bastard—”

“But that’s not the worst part. I won’t even need that much time. I’ve barely taken up any space in this Patrick Bateman wet dream of an apartment. Everything here that’s mine fits in four boxes.” Anger rose and laced her words. “Will I need to rent a moving truck?No! Know why not?”

“I hardly think anyonewantsto rent a moving truck—”

“Because I haven’t even amassed enough shit in four years to fillhalfof my fucking Kia!” Lucy paced across the living room. “How pathetic is that? Four years, fouryears, and my belongings have been reduced to a few measly boxes.” She took a pull off the bottle she held then another. “—And, AND! Look around. Do you think any of this artwork is mine?”

Glancing around, Todd winced. “Dear god, I hope not—”

“Not a damn piece. I don’t even have a tiny fucking succulent sitting on the windowsill because it wouldn’t ‘go with the aesthetic.’”

“Well,” Todd said as he took a hesitant breath and retrieved a packet of face wipes from his bag. He pulled a few out and began wiping his glossy lips. “You morphed to fit into Brodan’s life and didn’t expect him to adapt to yours. You edited your world, and he swallowed you up.”

“So, I let this happen. Is that what you’re saying? It’s my fault?”

“There’s no fault, Luce. Take it from someone who spent the better part of twenty years trying to fit into a mold of someone else’s expectations. It’s an easy rut to fall into and extremely hard to break out of. But now you have the opportunity to reinvent yourself.”

Lucy didn’t know if it was Todd’s wisdom orthe twelve-dollar “champagne,” but everything became earth-shatteringly clear. Shehadlost herself. Not all at once. An immediate shift like that would have been easy to detect. No, this had happened over the course of years. How many times had she taken trips to the thrift store to donate a box of plates, picture frames, or clothes all because Brodan hadn’t been willing to make space? How many times did they go out to the types of clubs or restaurants that she hated just because he wanted to? Or blown off her friends to spend time with him and his circle? She always went along with what Brodan wanted, never speaking up to say whatshewanted. She rarely, if ever, told him no.

“You know what?” Vitriol boiled to the surface and for once in her life she was unwilling to swallow it back down. “I am done being a doormat. From here on out, I’m going to be more selfish. No one is going to walk all over me, and I’m going to be my own boss. Make my own decisions! I’m going to start telling people ‘No.’”

“That’s right, girl.” Todd beamed, carefully peeling the plump set of lashes from his eyelids. “Now, only one question remains. What are you going to do about your trip?”

The trip.

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