Page 21 of Say I'm Yours
Of all thedays for my hair not to cooperate, it has to be today? Everything has gone wrong. I dropped my cell phone in the toilet this morning, the zipper on my dress came apart, and my washing machine decided it no longer wanted to work. I’m starting to think it’s a sign that I should crawl back in bed and forego tonight. In three hours, Cooper Townsend will be picking me up for our date, and if the way today is going is any indication, it’s going to be a mess.
I grab my now dried out phone, and text Angie so she can, once again, reassure me this is going to be okay.
Me: What if my outfit isn’t cute enough?
Angie: Stop it right now. I know what you’re doing. You look amazing, and Cooper is going to think you’re perfect.
Me: Says you!
Angie: Do you need me to drag my sick ass off the couch and come over?
I’m being ridiculous. But this is the first real date I’ve had with someone other than Trent.
Me: No. I’m good. Minor freak out.
She’s right.
The outfit is great, but now that the issue of what to wear is resolved, I’m left to face my second issue. Trent. I have no idea if he knows, and if he does, whether he’s homicidal.
Not that I’d blame him. Cooper was a longtime friend of his.
My phone buzzes in my hand, and I swipe the screen expecting a smart remark from Angie.
Trent: So, big date tonight?
I drop the phone and scream. Dammit. I haven’t heard from the man in a week, and now I get a text? Ugh.
Do I answer?
No.
He doesn’t need a reply. Besides, what the hell would I say?Yes, I’m getting really hot to see your old friend who I kind of like, but I still love your unworthy ass.
I stare at the phone as it lights up again. Slowly, I bend to grab it, as if it’s a bomb ready to go off. The next text flashes across the screen.
Trent: Grace, I know you saw that. You have those stupid read receipts on your phone. Were you planning to tell me about your date?
I grip the phone and groan.
Me: Yes and no.
There. I responded.
I wait for the next text, and my anxiety starts to grow. When it gets to be too much, I begin to pace. I know him, and that will not have appeased him. Trent demands answers, and he can be extremely pushy. One-word responses aren’t going to fly, but nothing comes.
When I realize I’m being ridiculous, I toss the phone on the couch and head into my room. I need to get ready.
The outfit sits on the bed, and I run through a mental list of everything I need to do. On the bedside table, sits my tiara. I wore it today to remind myself not to eat. Then my mind flashes to Trent and his ridiculous pop quiz.
I walk over, grab it, and put it back in the closet. I want nothing to make me think of him. He isn’t part of my life anymore. Sure, he may be the one thing that keeps me awake at night, but I can’t control my subconscious.
I can, however, control my mind right now. And there’s no way I’m going to spend another minute thinking about him.
Nope. Not one.
Tonight is about my friend date slash date, date with Cooper. He’s where my mind should be.
Not five minutes later, there’s a knock on the door.
