Page 22 of The Love Haters

“I have to be strategic with my timing.”

“And who cares about the discount? Isn’t the company paying for it?”

“Yes, but this stretches the budget. If it costs less for me to go, I can be there longer. Which means I can—hopefully—do a ‘Day in the Life’ with the love hater.”

Beanie nodded. “But you said he didn’t do interviews.”

“Cole says he can talk him into it.”

“How, exactly?”

“I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter.”

“Um, it kind of does. And it’s weird that he doesn’t want you to tell his aunt why you’re there.”

“Atfirst,” I said, like that was normal. “Just until the job starts.”

“I’m just not sure about this coworker.”

“He doesn’t want me tolie,” I said. “He just wants me to…”

“Omit the truth?” Beanie offered.

I gave Beanie a look. “To refrain from sharing the full story. For a day or two.”

“It’s sketchy.”

“It’s temporary.” Then I added, “Three minutes ago, you were sending me to bed with the love hater!”

“Fine,” Beanie said. “I support you.” Then Beanie accidentally dropped her phone into her pile of laundry. After she fished it back out, she said, “You’re doing better than Lucas, anyway.”

I brought my own phone close to peer in at her. She normally refused to say his name. “What?” I asked. “Am I?”

“He got interviewed onThe Tonight Show—didn’t you see?”

“I don’t follow him anymore.”

“Of course not. Good for you. And don’t watch the interview. It’s depressing as hell.”

“Does he talk about Lili Ventura?”

“No. About you. About how stupid he was to leave you.”

Ah. “Well,” I said, taking a breath, “hewasstupid.”

“Preaching to the choir, lady.”

“Should I feel sorry for him now?”

“No! And don’t google him, either! Here’s what you need to know: He misses you, he never should’ve cheated, you were the only real thing in his life, and he hates himself.”

“He hated himself before. That’s, like, his whole thing.”

“He should have read that Gottman book,” Beanie said, like we’d tried to hand him all of life’s answers on a silver platter. “He should have applied the culture of appreciation to himself!” Beanie was just making chitchat—just casually judging a person who’d hurt me in a pleasant, gossipy way.

But when she said it, I gasped.

“What?” Beanie asked.

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