Page 76 of Whiskey Lullaby
Meg: I’m going to kill the little shit! Where the fuck ishe?!!!!
Attached was a screenshot of a selfie from Daisy Benson’s Facebook page. Behind her was a wooden door with the number 33 on it. She was on Noah’s porch. The caption said:Big things ahead for my dear friend, Noah Greyson. Can’t wait to tell the world, babe. <3 <3 Iswallowed around the lump in my throat when I looked at the date. Yesterday, an hour before he came to getme.
Meg: Callme!
Dear friend. I laughed not to cry, then I took a breath.Regrets?
Jesus, I may have regretted not sleeping with him until I was ninety. I may have regretted living out some stupid fantasy. Fine. But the way it feels to know I was foolish enough to love him, that’s a regret that cuts in a way I don’t think I’ll ever getover.
I allowed him to become everything to me when I was nothing tohim.
The alarm on my watch buzzed and I shut it off. I fought back the wave of anger, then the disgust as I stormed toward the time clock. I swiped my badge, choking on myemotions.
“You out?” Rachelsaid.
All I did was nod even though I wanted to shout at her, asking why the hell she was talking to me now. After twelve years of school, two months of work. Why now? Because she knew, that’s why. She felt sorry for me because I was that cliché idiot from love stories: the good girl who fell for the bad boy. Well, I didn’t want to beher!
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Jeopardywent off and I glanced over at Momma asleep on her bed. Even in her sleep, you could see pain wrinkling her face. I kissed her cheek, grabbed the remote and turned the TV off, then went to myroom.
I laid in the bed, like always, staring up at the ceiling. My mind wouldn’t stop long enough to let me rest. Back and forth it went between Momma and Noah. Finally, I picked up my phone from the nightstand and went to Facebook Messenger, staring at his latest message.Lost my phone which means I lost all my contacts. Long story, I’m out of town. I’ll be back on Thursday, I didn’t want you to think I just up and left. I don’t know how to handle this shit, but I miss you. You mean a lot to me,Hannah.
I stared at that message for a good ten minutes before I clicked on his profile picture. It’s strange how you can hear someone’s voice in your head, how memories can flood your mind like some unwanted ghost. I rested my head against my headboard before dropping the phone to thebed.
I knew Noah—didn’tI?
The Noah I knew didn’t seem like he could be the guy Meg warned me about, the guy the ladies at Judy’s gossiped about, the guy that made empty promises to Rachel Thomas. But, maybe I didn’treallyknow him afterall.
34
Hannah
Ihad worked three twelves back to back. Momma took one look at my nails last night and told me to go to Judy’s and get a manicure. She said no one wanted a nurse with unkempt nails. Going to Judy’s was the last thing I wanted to do, but to make Momma happy, I called Meg and there I stood staring at the wall of nailpolish.
“Be My Valentine,” Meg said, picking the bottle up. I glanced down at the chipped Diva Mermaid on my nails. All I could see was my fingers splayed out over Noah’s bare chest while he sank between my thighs. Swallowing, I snatched the polish from Meg’s hand and sat down in the waiting area. Be My Valentine itwas.
“Testy,” she said, grabbing a bottle of purple polish before she took a seat next to me. “You ready to talk about ityet?”
“There’s nothing to talkabout.”
“Daisy Benson posted a picture outside his house. She knew he was going somewhere”—she waved her hand around—“wherever he went. You still don’t know. It’s been four days, Hannah. And, I don’t care what you say, I know you slept withhim.”
I glared ather.
“Tell me youdidn’t.”
I exhaled and grabbed one of the magazines from the table. She huffed and settled back in the seat. A few minutes passed by before she finally sighed. “How’s yourmom?”
“She’s dying,Meg.”
I felt her bristle next to me. “I’m gonna kill him,” she mumbled. “Fucking around with you when you have all this shit on yourshoulders.”
Ignoring her, I flipped open to the article:How to Know if He’s aPlayer.
Sad truth: There are crappy people out there and some people will waste your time to get what they want: sex, affection, validation. I’d like to say these guys are oblivious to what they are doing, but, most of the time, they are completely aware. They know just what to say, just what to do to make you fallhard.
My eyes skimmed the column, hitting the keypoints.
