Page 114 of Misfortune and Mr. Right

“Noooo, I’m not!” I sob.

“Where are you? I’ll meet you. What happened?”

She mutters something to her coworker, then she’s back on the phone. “Where are you? I’m leaving work. What happened, Olivia?”

“Loooogan.” It’s all I can say before I burst into more tears.

“What did he do?” Her voice is so full of mama bear intensity, I almost stop crying.

“He … he … heeeeee … He got the prom-ooooo-tion,” I say between sobs.

“He what? He got your promotion? The one we were saying you were a shoo-in for?”

“Yuh … yuh … yesssss.”

“Oh, Olivia. I’m so sorry.”

Megan’s car door slams shut. I hear her engine turn on, and then the call is tinny, going through her Bluetooth.

“Where are you?” Megan asks me.

“I don’t know.”

“What? Are you safe?”

“I pulled over. I’m between Barnes and home.”

“Okay. Okay. Just share your location, and I’m going to come get you. Don’t you dare drive right now, you hear me? Stay on the call. I’m coming.”

I pull my phone up and send Megan my location.

“Okay. I got that,” she says. “I’m on my way. You sit tight. We’re going to get you into sweats—or a hot bath and then sweats … and ice cream … or whatever you want. And we’ll get through this, Olivia. We will. This is not the end of your life. It’s a low point. But it’s not the end.”

“I know. I know.” I take a deep breath.

We’re both quiet, but I hear Megan’s car and the sound of her breathing.

“Remember that time I had a crush on Tim Cranton?” she says out of the blue.

“In seventh grade?”

“Yes. But he didn’t like me at all.”

“I never got what you saw in him, even back then.”

“Well, you told me, ‘Megan, he’s just a boy. He doesn’t matter.’”

“I remember that.”

“Yeah? Well, I’m going to say that to you. I know Logan mattered. I’m not dumb and we’re not in seventh grade anymore. But, Liv, he’s just a boy. And you will get to the point where he doesn’t matter as much … given time.”

“Thanks, Megan.”

I sniffle and open my glove box to grab some take out napkins.

“Cassidy!” I say, remembering I promised to pick her up after school.

“What about Cassidy?” Megan asks. “I’m pulling up, by the way. I see you. Grab your purse and lock your car. We’ll come back for it later.”

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