Page 26 of Stay Toxic

I pulled out my phone and texted the group chat with my brothers.

Me:

What time are we fishing tomorrow?

Tibbs:

Seven. I’ll pick you up at five.

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

“Dammit,” I muttered darkly. “Why did I say yes to that?”

The last thing I wanted to do was set my alarm for oh-dark-thirty in the morning to go on a fishing expedition in the middle of a Texas winter—don’t argue with me, Texas winters are way worse because of the humidity than any other place—but there I was setting my alarm.

After finishing most of the pizza, I left the trash on the coffee table and went to the bedroom, where I contemplated going to bed.

I’d been late getting home because there’d been a mandatory teacher’s meeting among staff to talk about ‘appropriate work behavior.’

I hadn’t left the school until six thirty. I’d then had to drive an hour through traffic to my apartment building in North Dallas.

Seven thirty is enough to go to bed early, right?

Six months ago, I would’ve texted Jolessa that and she’d say “absolutely.”

Six months ago, I had a best friend who meant the world to me.

Six months ago…

“Fuck it,” I said as I climbed into bed, then climbed right back out because I’d forgotten to change into a new tampon before bed. “That would be just my luck, right? Toxic shock syndrome.”

By the time I’d cleaned up—and even brushed my teeth—I was back in bed and still just as tired as before.

Since I hadn’t turned on a light in my bedroom, I didn’t have to turn any out as I fell face first into my bed.

I yanked the covers over myself and groaned. “I love my bed.”

I felt like I’d just gotten close to sleep when I felt something weird.

Something not quite right.

But I was too far gone into sleep to notice the darkness in the corner of the room.

Or the man that stood in that darkness.

I understand where Michael Myers was coming from.

—Shasha’s secret thoughts

SHASHA

The woman was a slob.

I’d watched in rapt fascination as she’d stripped the moment she’d gotten in the door.

A good man would’ve looked away.

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