Page 19 of Bed of Roses

My phone pinged signaling a sale from Etsy store. At least there was a bright spot in my week. That was the eleventh sale of the day. A couple more sales and I’d be able to double up on one of my mom’s doctor’s bills. While I was making dinner, my phone pinged again. And again, while I watchedA Christmas in the Klondike. A couple minutes later I received an out of inventory report. Which was odd, because I had literally just restocked the whole store on Monday morning. The store was an eclectic mix of instant download designs for various things like a Cricut or frameable artwork, to hand made creations like wooden signs and pillows. My storefront was five pages long. Containing multiples of every item. It had to be a glitch.

* * *

“I see your light on!” I called into the door jamb, knocking again. My knocks morphed from a polite tap, to a triple tap, to a continual rap until I finally saw his body blocking out the light in the hallway and his watery frame appear on the other side of his glass door.

“Marley.”

The way he said my name, it was a question, and a sigh, and judgement all at once.

“Take it back, Bear. I don’t want your fucking charity.”

“I’m so glad you’re here.”

He ignored my sentence completely, stepping aside so I could come in. Fuck him. I stood my ground, arms crossed, on his porch. I was Sitting Bull, and this was my Little Bighorn.

“Marley, it’s snowing and cold, and you’re not even wearing a jacket. Wait… are you in slippers? Have you lost your mind?”

Whoops. When I saw the order forms for every last item in my shop, rage had pushed me off the sofa and down the mountain.

“Why Bear? What kind of game are you playing?”

“Ted,” he corrected me, with a sad smile.

“Don’t. Cancel the orders. Take them all back.”

“I don’t want to.” His calm, monosyllabic responses were needling under my skin like a tick. “You wouldn’t answer my calls, or any of my texts. I just wanted to talk to you.”

In a million years I wouldn’t have thought anyone would buy out my Etsy shop just to get my attention.

“You have five minutes.”

I actually set the timer on my phone.

“Marley.”

“Four minutes and forty three seconds.”

“I don’t know why you’re freezing me out. I mean I know I was distracted, but that’s me dealing with my shit—trying to like wrap my head around what’s happening between us.”

“—you mean getting over someone by getting under someone else?... Did I get the phrase right or should I confer with your classless sidekick?”

His chin dropped to his chest, and a breath whooshed out. I could almost hear him swearing.

“Raven says things…shocking things…to add levity to a situation. She didn’t mean anything by it. She likes to shock people with ridiculous statements.”

“So, you aren’t trying to get over someone by fucking me?”

“Marley—” he actually growled. Like somehow that noise would somehow make me stop talking.

“Yes?” I blinked my eyes, smiling my brightest customer service smile.

“I’m not fucking you.”

“Well, not presently, no, but that is what we did last weekend, was it not? Look, if you just wanted a fuck—fine, but sack up and tell me. You and Raven cackling like a bunch of hens about you adding another notch to your bedpost under the ‘fan’ category is unnecessary.”

His fist balled, frustration broadcasting from his clenched hand.

“You’re not a notch. I didn’t even want to sleep you Marley!” His eyes bulged as soon as the words came out. “Damnit, I’m not doing this right! It’s not coming out how it should.”

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