Page 47 of Sweet Like a Psycho (Secrets of Suburbi 2)

“Tucker, look out!” she said a second too late.

I collided with someone behind me and dropped the container Lizardopolous 2 was in. It fell to the floor and the top popped open. “Shit.” I quickly grabbed him around the middle before he could scurry off like his predecessor. I wasn’t going to lose another lizard. “I’m sorry,” I said without looking up.

“Tucker?”

I recognized that voice. I looked up to see my ex, Julie. And I felt…nothing. I expected to feel something. After she had dumped me, I had moped around for months, according to Damien anyway. But seeing her again after all this time? There was nothing left between us. “Oh. Hi, Julie.”

“Are you sure a pet’s a good idea? You don’t exactly have a lot of free time from what I recall.” She glanced over my shoulder and frowned.

The lizard squirmed in my hand. I shoved it back into its container and popped the lid back on. I made sure it was completely secure before I stood up. “This little guy is actually for Violet’s son. Violet, this is Julie. My ex,” I added because for some reason this situation didn’t feel awkward enough already. “Julie…Violet.” Now it felt even more awkward because I didn’t say what Violet was to me. I couldn’t say girlfriend. And friend seemed harsh.

Violet didn’t take a step forward to introduce herself. She just nodded and held the bag from the shop closer to her chest. It looked like she wanted to be anywhere in the world but here.

“We already know each other,” Julie said. “Isn’t that right, Vi?” She turned her attention back to me. “We went to high school together.”

“Oh.” I didn’t know the whole story about what had happened to Violet. But I knew all her problems started in high school and that no one seemed to have offered her any help. Violet was clearly uncomfortable standing in the middle of the mall like this. And I didn’t care to make small talk with my ex anyway. “Well, it was nice seeing you, Julie. If you’ll excuse us, we were just heading to lunch.”

“Together?” Julie looked even more surprised than she had when she first saw the lizard in my hand. “Tucker, can I talk to you for a second? In private?” she added.

“Like I said, we were just…”

“It’ll only take a second.” She wrapped her manicured hand around my forearm. “You don’t mind, do you, Violet?”

“Of course not,” Violet said. She glanced down at Julie’s hand on my arm.

I pulled my arm away from Julie.

“I’m just going to look around in there for a bit.” Violet pointed back to the store we had just come out of. She walked away before I had a chance to say anything at all.

“What the hell are you doing buying a lizard for crazy Vi’s kid?” Julie hissed before Violet was even out of earshot. “What are you doing hanging around her at all? Are you insane?”

“I’m not having this conversation with you. You broke up with me, remember?” After I caught you sleeping around.

“Um yes, I remember. I did it because you never had any time for me. And here you are prancing around the mall in the middle of the day with a psychopath. What the hell, Tucker?”

“Violet isn’t crazy.”

“I think I know her a little better than you do. I freaking grew up with her. We used to be really good friends.”

“What a friend you turned out to be.”

“It wasn’t my fault that she lost her mind senior year.”

Violet could have used a friend. She lost everyone in her life. I shook my head. “I gotta go, Julie.”

“That crazy bitch murdered her parents and ex-boyfriend. Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

“She didn’t murder anyone. You shouldn’t believe everything you hear.”

“Right because her parents died in a boating accident down in Florida?” She put air quotes around accident. “And poor, sweet Joel just up and left for Hollywood before graduating? It’s too convenient. Everyone from your life doesn’t just suddenly disappear. I heard she cut them up into little bitty pieces and hid them under her floorboards.”

I knew Julie and I weren’t compatible. But I had no idea she was so coldhearted. Two women walked by whispering to one another and pointed at the store that Violet had just disappeared into. This whole town was coldhearted. I was done with this conversation. “This has been a very enlightening conversation. But if you’ll excuse me…”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” She put her hand back on my forearm. “Maybe we should get drinks tonight and catch up?”

“I have plans, sorry.” I pulled my arm away from her.

“With her and her son?” She shook her head. “I’m worried about you, Tucker.”

---