Page 55 of The Handoff

“What’s wrong, Lisa? Are you okay? You never call especially at this time in the morning. Usually, you just text even then not much…"

She was rambling and I could tell that the phone call had made her nervous, I didn't blame her. She was right, I never called, and then to call so early, she probably imagined that people found out the truth about who I was.

"I need to come home. Can I come home?"

I didn't have time to explain it all, especially on the phone. I felt so ashamed and I didn't know if I was going to explain it to her neither. Then again, what would I say to her? I would figure it all out, once I was as far away from there as possible. There was a pause as if she was thinking about it or wanted to ask more questions.

"I can get a bus. I have money, I sold a purse."

"Of course you can come home."

Then, I hung up. Realistically, I didn't need her permission to go back home, but I wanted it. I sent a quick message to Tanya, telling her that I had to go home. Family emergency. Another lie. Maybe this was the reason that Dane and Daxon, and whatever the other one’s name was, had done it. They knew the truth about me and had found out my secret. So, they did it to humiliate me. There were so many thoughts running through my head. If that was the case, then why hadn't they blackmailed me into sleeping with them? Why had they pretended to be the same guy, Dane?

It was as if a bolt of lightning had hit me as I started to walk to the bus station. I needed an Uber and with the rest of the bag money in my account, I could afford one. I stopped walking when I was a few blocks away from their building, far enough away that I wouldn't bump into any of them by accident, let alone on purpose.

"Great!" I smiled, seeing that the Uber would pick me up in five minutes. It would cost nearly twenty to get to the bus station and six hours to get back home. I could figure out what I would say to Mom and Nana on the way. For now, I just wish that five minutes would fly by because I was in such dire need of a bath and a place to cry.

***

I spent the whole of the journey thinking about what happened in the jazz club to this morning. The lie. The big, fat fucking lie. The one that he'd been keeping from me. It didn't stop him sending me texts over and over again.

Lisa, please let's talk. D

I wanted to tell you. We need to talk. D

Let me know if you're okay? D

That was the last one I received before turning my phone off. I'd been with all three brothers without my consent, it just made my skin crawl. I could imagine if someone like Fiona found out about it. I could hear it now.

Not only is she fat, but a whore too.

She'd slept with one of them, or so I'd heard, but just one. Definitely not all three. Then again, I didn’t know that for a fact. I didn’t know anything anymore. They lied to me, I didn't care what they had to say in their defense. Everything about this situation was wrong, I knew that I would have to face them again one day. I would do it when I was ready, and that wasn’t now.

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