Page 28 of Indigo

The look she gives me when she realises I’m being serious is hysterical, but she moves on quickly and begins unpacking the last box in the kitchen.

I’d feel bad if I didn’t know she got so much enjoyment out of being given free rein to do as she pleases with all my stuff.

“You know Renee and Claire still hang out,” Paisley says, smirking around her mug as if she’s got a secret she can’t wait to tell me.

“Oh, yeah?”

Mum chuckles as starts placing the utensils into the drawer she picked out for them.

“Mhmm. She hasn’t changed much since high school, like Renee. Total homewrecker. She slept with Dr. Murphy last year.”

I choke on the remaining coffee left in my mouth after taking a sip. “She what? Dr. Murphy? As in your boss, Dr. Murphy?”

“The very one.”

Paisley is a nurse for the only veterinarian in town, and until this very moment, I thought he was lovely. I grimace, realising he’s also old enough to be Claire’s grandfather and that he and his wife must have been married twenty years before he cheated on her.

“She also told everyone that Pax bent her over the hood of her car in the parking lot of Josh’s pub.”

Jealousy like I’ve never felt surges through me. I know I have no right to be jealous of anyone Pax has been with since I left, considering I was with Michael for two and half years, but still…

“Oh, don’t mess with her,” Mum scolds Paisley as she begins collecting pieces of torn up newspaper from the floor. “He didn’t sleep with Claire. The woman started a rumour and because Pax never defended himself, everyone just assumed it was true.”

I narrow my eyes at Paisley, and she throws her head back and laughs. “Oh, the look on your face,” she teases, placing her coffee cup beside her. “Honestly, I’ve never actuallyseenhim with a woman. Jagger hasn’t either. Don’t get me wrong, though, he gets a lot of fucking attention. Women look, girl. They talk. He’s hot as hell, even I can admit that. If you want it, you better jump on it.”

It’s not new information. Girls have always swooned over Pax, even when I was standing right next to him. I got used to it after a while, and he never really seemed to pay them any attention. The thought of Claire, a mean girl from high school and Pax, though? That leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, even if it’s not true.

Mum laughs at Paisley's comment and then wipes her hands on her multi-coloured pants. “Alright, boxes are semi sorted.” She looks down at the silver watch on her wrist before asking, “Where’s the rest of your stuff? On its way?”

Confused, Paisley and I look at each other and then back at her. “What do you mean? This is my stuff…”

There are a couple of boxes in the bedroom full of clothes and linens, one containing the brand new mattress I ordered online months ago and never found the will to open, another, in the bathroom with my beauty products, and then one more in the living room.

Once they’re unpacked, we’re done.

Her eyes widen. “What do you mean? Where’s the rest of it?”

I gesture around the house with my arms. “This is it. I told you I didn’t have a lot.”

“You have no furniture,” she says, her voice reaching that high-pitched tone she only brings out for special occasions.

This conversation is reminding me a lot of the one I had with Pax this morning when he came to the same conclusion.

“You knew the apartment was furnished when I moved in. I’ll be fine. I’m a minimalist now,” I tease, trying to lighten the mood.

“Not by choice,” she snaps, running both hands through her curly brown hair. “Your father couldn’t even give you the couch? The TV cabinet? A fucking bed frame?”

I shrug, ignoring the pang in my chest at the mention of my father’s lack of interest in my well-being. “I don’t want his stuff, Mum.” She scoffs, and I jump off the kitchen counter and walk over to her, hoping to stop her from having a bloody melt down. “Look,” I say, trying to defuse the situation. “I’ll order some stuff online, go to the farmers’ market tomorrow and sort it out, okay? Don’t stress.I’m fine. I’ve got money to burn now, seeing as this place is way cheaper than the apartment, and I’ll have a steady paycheck again once I start working at Shep Auto Repairs.”

“Oh, you will be fine. Don’t you worry about that,” she mutters under her breath, and when I ask her what she means, she waves me off and pulls out her phone.

I peek at the screen and groan.

Oh, Jesus. She’s online shopping.

Someone knocks at the door, and I throw my hands in the air and stomp over to answer it. “Mum, don’t buy anything. I told you, I’ll handle it,” I call over my shoulder.

Opening the door, I’m faced with Pax, Jagger, and half a dozen random men standing behind them holding large boxes of all shapes and sizes.

---