Page 14 of Faithful

U live out of a suitcase

K: fair enough

K: but srsly ur cave can use some spicing up

* * *

On Monday, I finally show up at the office.

“Jesus, Dylan!” Winona’s eyes widen with shock when she sees me entering the reception area. “What the hell happened to you?”

My face still looks like a train wreck, but I just tell everyone I was in a car accident.

It’s the next best thing afterI walked into a door.

They all seem to buy it, even Steven, who stops by later in the day with a freshly baked cheesecake to bribe his way back into Val’s good graces.

All but Gin.

After work, I find out that Gavin has gone out of his way to make my life uncomfortable.

It’s raining fucking monkeys when I pull my Charger to the front gate of the Watson mansion and spend a good minute punching the digits that I know like the back of my hand into the keypad, only to get an error message in return.

Eventually, my sleeve is soaked, and I have to call the landline to get Julie to let me in.

“Someone from the security company was here yesterday,” she rattles off as she ushers me inside the house, a dark blue umbrella in her hand. “I didn’t think they’d be replacing the locks and changing the codes.”

My mother is the same. Barely conscious.

“Did you eat, Mom?” I ask as I settle on the bed next to her and scan the collection of bottles on the nightstand, wondering if quietly getting rid of some would make any difference.

“I’m not hungry, baby.”

“Mom.” I take her hand. “Amelia is flying over.”

No reaction.

“You remember Amelia, right?” I have to ask. I know they used to talk a lot despite the fight my aunt had with Gavin but I’m not sure when they actually spoke to each other last.

“Of course I remember,” my mother finally says, patting my knee.

* * *

Amelia calls me on Tuesday morning to explain that she’s not able to leave New York this week as promised and has to postpone her trip until the week after.

I don’t like it.

I don’t like it a single bit.

Everyone at the office looks at me strangely as if they are finally starting to see the truth behind my lie about the vehicular incident, especially since my car is totally fine.

Iodine has to cancel two dates, one in Virginia and one in North Carolina. Apparently, the venues in both states were pressured by local zealots, and the band’s publicity firm thought it would be riskier to go through with the shows as opposed to taking the high road and letting the businesses off the hook to prevent further outrage.

The whole lighter debacle that’s still trending on social media has grown into a nightmare.

Kai doesn’t talk about it when he calls me in the middle of the night on Wednesday. Instead, he talks about the things he plans on doing when he’s back in Seattle at the end of September, which is right around the corner.

After listing all the new food joints he hasn’t tried yet, he asks, “You know a week of pigging out won’t be doing my body a favor. Are you still going to want me if I’m fat?”

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