Page 97 of Strange Seduction
Alyssa squinted at Jayda. “Ain’t you gonna stop this?”
Jayda folded her arms. “Nope.”
“Ugh!” Alyssa groaned. “Come on, guys. This is so childish.”
Izzy’s eyes widened. “He blocked me, too!That motherfucker is my kid’s godfather and he blocks me?”
Alyssa looked genuinely stunned now. “Wow… this is serious, huh?”
Jayda gave her a look that saidTold you so. “He’s with that bitch and doesn’t want me to know.”
Izzy was already scrambling. “Fuck that.Darwin! Gimme your phone!”
Mantis went quiet for a second, then cursed. “He blocked me, too!”
I blinked at the screen. “Thewhole group??”
“Yeah…” Alyssa sighed heavily. “I’m blocked too.”
Jayda sounded tired when she said, “I’m sorry, Alyssa. But it’s best you realize the type of asshole your friend really is.”
Mantis shook her head slowly. “This is so strange.”
“Darwin! Phone! Now!” Izzy yelled again.
Darwin’s voice came booming in the background. “Isabella! Stay out them folks’ business! This is exactly why he blocked your nosey ass!”
From somewhere nearby, Darius echoed, “Ass!”
“Darius, no!” Izzy barked.
Alyssa covered her face. “I’m getting a headache.”
“Same,” I muttered with Mantis and Jayda chiming in unison.
I rubbed my temple. “What are you gonna do, Jay?”
“I’ll be fine,” she said quickly. “I don’t wanna talk about it. Change the subject.”
There was a pause before Izzy jumped in. “Okay. Lyssa, did you get to apply for college?”
Mantis’s eyes widened. “Wait, what?”
Alyssa glared. “Thanks for ruining the surprise, Izzy. Yes. I applied to Eden.”
My brows lifted. “Really? It’s so late now.”
“My dad pulled strings.”
More string pulling.
“I start in a month, I wanna do Social Work.”
Jayda cocked her head. “But. Why now?”
“Because.” Alyssa sighed. “I need to get away from my mother. I need to get the fuck out of Tennessee.”
Izzy’s face turned solemn. “How are things with her?”
