Page 39 of Our Final Encore

My phone begins to vibrate beside me, and I look down to see Maisie’s phone lighting up the screen. I tap the green button and then put it on speaker. “Hey girl,” I say as I stir sugar and cream into my mug.

We haven’t seen each other in a while. I can’t blame her though, she’s seven months pregnant now and her focus is on preparing for her baby girl.

“Hey, birthday bitch! What are you doing today?” Her peachy tone is cheerful enough to lessen my sour mood just a little.

“I don’t have any plans.”

“None? You wanna hang out then? Maybe get lunch?”

A half smile forms on my lips. “I’d love that. Let me shower and get dressed and then we can meet up.”

An hour later I’m walking into our favorite little diner in Willow Grove, and I spot Maisie sitting in a corner booth. It feels good to get out of the house, it seems like lately I’ve just been wallowing in my anxiety all alone.

We hug and I sit down across from her.

“So, how are things with Mr. Rockstar?” she asks with a grin as she peruses the menu.

I shrug. “Not bad.”

“It would be hard for me. All those girls commenting all over his videos like that. You’re way cooler than I am, I’d get jealous.”

Her words cut deep because it’s really anything but easy. “Yeah, I guess I’ve just gotten used to it,” I lie.

“Well, all of us here know he’s hopelessly devoted to you anyway.”

I nod silently, tapping my fingers against the laminated menu.

She peeks up at me from beneath her lashes. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” I say with a sigh. “I don’t know. Things are kinda weird between us lately, if I’m being honest.”

Her brows twist sympathetically, and her brown eyes flash with surprise. “Weird how?”

“We don’t talk as much anymore. I feel like…” I don’t want to say the words, it feels like saying them out loud will make them more true somehow. “Maybe we’re kind of drifting apart. Or something.” I purposely leave out the part where he still hasn’t called or texted me today.

“Damn…” she frowns. “I’m sorry, Opal. And I’m sorry I haven’t been around to talk to you about it. I feel like a horrible friend.”

I shake my head, “You’re a great friend, hush. You’ve been busy doing baby stuff, if anything I should’ve been reaching out to you more often.”

Unfortunately, Maisie’s baby daddy took off right after she told him she was pregnant, claiming that they were too young and he couldn’t handle it. The thought makes my stomach lurch. I know exactly how it feels to be abandoned by your father, knowing that her daughter will have to feel that same pain makes me viscerally angry.

“No, your grandma needs you, I get it.” She places her hand on mine and squeezes it gently before dropping it back to her lap. “But hey, let’s get together more often, okay? I’ve missed you.”

I smile over at her and nod. “Me too.”

A daywith Maisie was exactly what I needed to get my mind off things. We ate lunch and then aimlessly walked around main street. I helped her pick out some cute onesies for the baby at one of the clothing stores. It almost gave me baby fever looking at all those tiny pieces of clothing. I know I’m way too young to be thinking of that though, especially considering the way my relationship is going.

The thought of that causes my anxiety to come rushing back, my palms suddenly becoming clammy. Seconds later my phone is vibrating in my pocket, I pull it out and see that he’s facetiming me.

I feel like I should be relieved, but the anxious feeling stays lodged in my chest.

“Hey bluebird,” Alex’s words slur together heavily, to the point where I almost can’t understand what he’s trying to say. His eyes are glassy and a smirk is plastered onto his lips.

“Uh, hey.” I try to keep my voice cheerful even though I’m feeling anything but.

“What’s up?”

What’s up?So he really has forgotten it’s my birthday. Pain and anger swirl together in my gut and I suddenly feel like I could throw up.

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