Page 53 of Tangled Up

Carly’s voice interrupts. “Have you decided what you’ll say?”

“I didn’t give up on us.” I hate what I did, but devotion burns in my chest. “I was blindsided… and stupid.”

A noise like the slamming of a metal door sounds behind us and we both turn, searching for what it might have been. It seems like someone is there in the darkness, but it’s more likely a stray cat… or one of those raccoons.

I turn back to see her passing a hand over her cheek. Did I miss a tear? I never want her to cry, not ever again. Not because of me. I know why she went to Tyler, and as much as I hated him, I hated myself more. I drove her into his arms.

“Look at me.” I hold her arms, and she lifts her face to meet my eyes. “I’m not a kid anymore, Carls, and I know what I want. I’m sorry I hurt you. Can you ever forgive me?”

“I don’t know.” Her voice is quiet, and she drops her chin. “I’m afraid it’s too late.”

My arms tighten around her, and I pull her closer, crushing her against my chest. “It’s not too late. I can make it up to you. Will you let me?”

She’s quiet. I’m holding her, listening to the sound of her breathing, sliding my hand up and down her soft back. I press my nose into her hair and inhale deeply, coconut and fresh flowers. She’s like the best day at the beach, and I never want to let her go.

“Please, Carly.” I barely speak above a whisper. “You belong with me.”

Her shoulders rise, and she steps out of my arms. Sliding her hands across her cheeks, she shakes her head. “I’m tired. I need to rest now.”

“Can I see you again?”

I catch her hand, and she hesitates, looking down at our fingers entwined. Her full lips press together, and she nods. She slides her fingers out of mine and walks to the house. I watch her shapely legs cross one in front of the other, and I know what to do.

CHAPTERFIFTEEN

CARLY

“So they’re lying in bed, basking in the afterglow, when out of the blue, he says he has a fantasy of herpeeingon him!” Mrs. Daigle shrieks.

Jessica’s lips twist into a frown as she picks the curls out of the old lady’s hair. “I mean, it’s not something I’d want to do, but I don’t want to condemn the guy for being kinky.”

“Kinky!” the old woman cries. “You potty train the children so you don’t have to clean up their urine anymore. Now he wants to wet her bed? She’ll never get that stench out.”

“They make plastic sheets, you know,” my friend counters.

I’m holding back a giggle as I sweep the floor, doing my best to stay out of it.

“It’s all that social media, the Instagrams and the TikToks,” Mrs. Garvey shouts from under the hooded blow dryer across the small salon. “They’re learning all these things, and the social media is making them crazy. Back in my day, we only had books, and they were very tame. Not thisSixty Shades of Greynonsense.”

“Fifty Shades of Grey!” Mrs. Daigle yells at her friend. “It sounds like a highlight job for old ladies. You should invent that, Jessica. You’d make a fortune.”

She gestures to her friend under the hairdryer. “Jackie Collins was as dirty as anything you’d pick up today. Or thatLacebook. Remember that one?Goldfish…”

Mrs. Daigle shivers, and my bug-eyes meet Jessica’s. We both press our lips together, trying not to scream with laughter.

“I rememberLace!” Mrs. Garvey quotes, “Which one of you bitches is my mother?”

“Finish the story.” Jessica hands the old woman the plastic face covering. “What did your great-niece do?”

Mrs. Daigle holds it over her face while my friend sprays enough hairspray to kill two ozone layers. “What do you think? She peed on him!”

“Lord Jesus, save us all!” Mrs. Garvey cries, crossing herself.

Mrs. Daigle shouts louder, eyes closed behind the clear mask. “She said it was very cathartic! She said he was sort of an asshole, so she liked having the excuse to piss all over him.”

Jessica and I do bust out laughing, and after a half-second, Mrs. Daigle and Mrs. Garvey join us. We’re all howling with laughter.

“I wish Mr. Garvey had a fantasy of being hit in the head with a frying pan!” Mrs. Garvey cries. “Or being whipped with a belt.”

---