Page 30 of The Tape Job

Page List

Font Size:

“No.”

“How’s Liam? Too bad his call-up didn’t last long,”

“I’m fine actually, Dad. I appreciate you asking.” The look on his face is forever etched into my mind. He doesn’t care how I am. And I shouldn’t be surprised. “How are things with you?” I’d thrown it out there, but it did not surprise me when he ignored me.

“I need to head out, Victoria. Your mom should be home by midnight.”

He left then, without even looking back. I’d never felt lonelier in my entire life.

My mom had kept my room the same, which I was grateful for. I crawled into bed and stared at the photo of Lois, Liam’s mom, that was visible via a ray of moonlight creeping through a gap in the curtains.

My phone had vibrated next to me on my bed.

Liam

Hope you’re doing okay?

And that same text message brings me back to the TV; Liam again asking if I’m doing okay. I type out a few replies before deleting every single one of them. Lying back to think, I must have drifted off because I awake to see Jen draping a blanket over me.

“Hey, Vic,” she says, moving around the sofa. “He spent all night watching the door, you know. Like he was waiting for you to walk in. When are you going to talk to him?”

I don’t know what to say, so I give her a weak smile.

“You should talk to him. You both have a lot to say.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

Because I’m scared. “Look what happened earlier.”

“Well, that was a hiccup.”

“A fuck-up, Jen. It was a fuck-up. Now, please go back to your perfect lovey-dovey life and leave me to wallow.”

She frowns before plucking an envelope from the side table.

“This came for you, by the way. It’s been there for a few days now.”

I thank her and slip it under the cushion my head is resting on. Another thing I’m not ready to face.

Chapter 8

Vicky

Johnny and I endeavour to have brunch together every Sunday. I thought we’d both be dreading this occasion after our last full interaction, but he strides in through the door as if he’s floating on air. Completely un-Johnny-like.

“What’s made you so happy?”

“Nothing,” he says, but I don’t buy it. I don’t get to press him either, because a fan interrupts us. We’re in the coffee place closest to our apartments today, which is also the one closest to the rink. Soon enough, a fan shoves a pen under his nose. He loves it, though—I know he does.

He signs the last napkin and looks at me with wonder. “You stayed out of sight last night.” He picks his phone up and scans the QR code to bring up the menu. “I was wondering what crap you’d be asking us.”

I shrug. I did my best to stay out of sight last night. I kept focused on my job; and luckily, I can get photos from a distance when I need to.

“At least you did nothing to annoy Liam,” he says.

“I didn’t come here to talk about Liam,” I reply.