Page 96 of Five Alarm Love
Her face, sideways, eyes closed in sleep, filled the frame.The post read: “Relationship status: it’s complicated.Can’t wait for more mornings like this with my Louise.We’ll work through life together, genetics and all.”That picture must have been from this morning.Dimly, she acknowledged that she looked extra-kissed and well-loved in the photo.On one inappropriate level, a tingle from last night’s passion shot through her.Yeah, it had been a good night.
But her picture?Online?She rocked back on her heels and checked the post statistics, hand pressed to her chest.
Oh God, there were thousands of likes and comments, with more popping up every few seconds.Her hands shook.
She couldn’t breathe.
Mav’s voice reached her, from a distance.He said something, but she couldn’t understand him with the pulsing in her head.
When had she sat down on the cement?She patted the cold, dusty ground.Solid.Real.Her ears rang.
“Lou?Are you okay?”His big brotherly voice undid her.“Are you hurt?”
To her absolute horror, she burst into tears.
“Oh, wow.Uh, what can I do?”
“I d-don’t know.”She gestured weakly at the phone clutched in one hand.
“Did something happen?Did you get bad news?Is it Gordy?”
All she could do was shake her head and drop her forehead to her knees.
For a few minutes, he knelt and patted her awkwardly on the shoulder until she wrestled control over her emotions with sheer force of will.She never cried in front of anyone.Ever.Until right now.
She forced air in and out through her lips, gripping her work pants in her free hand.Over and over.Her thoughts raced one another for attention.
Her face was online.
Her face waslike thatonline.
The mention of genetics.
Everyone in town followed Tuli’s account.
Mom’s text.Her parents.Oh no.They had seen it.
What had Tuli done?
What else had he posted?
If they got an EMS call right now, Lou didn’t know if she could show her face outside of this garage.She couldn’t do her job.
“You’re kind of scaring me, buddy,” Mav said, his boot making a dusty scuff on the concrete floor as he shifted position.“Want to talk about it?”
“Gordy’s fine.”
“Okay, that’s a good start.Your parents?”
“Fine.”
“So…”
Her heart was breaking.She had been so exposed last night with Tuli, so vulnerable.Beyond vulnerable.But she had trusted him.
Now, here she was, exposed in ways that brought up her past issues and rammed them down the throat of her present issues.
Rather than explaining it, she pulled up the post and handed the phone to Mav.Why not?Everyone else had seen it.
