Page 43 of The Accidental Text

Chase:Well, early 40s is kinda old.

Maggie:Goodbye

Chase:Wait! I’m kidding. Don’t leave.

He sends me a GIF of a dog with sad eyes.

Maggie:We’ve moved to GIFS now?

Chase:I got desperate

Chase:Tell me what you’re doing.

Maggie:Finishing stuff up for the party tomorrow.

Chase:How’s that going?

Maggie:Well, Chelsea is freaking out.

Chase:And Devon is probably doing nothing.

I stare at my phone. What did I text my mom to make him think that? I mean, he’s not wrong. Chelsea has been running around like her hair is on fire, and I’ve been doing her bidding while Devon has contributed a big pile of nothing.

He did come into my office earlier and tell me that he’s not bringing anyone. Which means I’ll also be on babysitting duty tomorrow, to keep him away from Robin. Hannah can fend for herself.

Although, if I let Devon go after Robin, then maybe whatever is going on with Dawson … Nope. No. I can’t do that.

Chase:Crap. Supposed to be not remembering.

Maggie:That’s right. Curious, though, how did you figure that out? What did I say?

The thing about thought dumping is it’s just that: thought dumps. There’s no rhyme or reason to them. I said things that I would say in a journal, never expecting anyone to read it. I don’t recall all the things I texted to my mom. Or how many times I wrote to her. I couldn’t remember unless I went andlooked back through the texts … and I don’t like doing that. It brings up too many feelings, too many memories. It’s a hard thing for me to do.

Chase:Wasn’t those exact words.

Maggie:What was it, then?

Chase:I feel like I’m in trouble.

Maggie:You are.

Maggie:Fine. It’s not your fault you happen to own the number I was sending texts to as a form of therapy.

Chase:Now that I’m on the other side … I get it.

Maggie:Do you?

Chase:It’s not something I’d do … but it makes sense to me now.

Maggie:So what did I say about Devon?

Chase:It was a combo of things you wrote, I guess. I just picked up on it. You said something about a Chad that he hired and then didn’t bother training.

Maggie:Are you sure you deleted my texts?

Chase:I did. Scout’s honor.

Maggie:Are you a scout?

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