Page 90 of The Voices are Back

Oh, and also, she was the one who asked me what I’d been doing at Hobby Lobby.

Which had then had Folsom explaining about my pubic hair bouquet.

“I don’t know how to put it more clearly.” I pressed my hands against my cheeks.

I felt flush.

Thank God I was sitting down.

“Well, now I have to make one,” Diana said. “I mean, I can’t have Aodhan running around with his good luck charm, and my love not having one.”

She grinned wickedly at me, then gestured to my shirt pocket, where I’d hidden it after sitting in the parking lot and putting it together as we waited for everyone to arrive.

The damn thing had beads, a leather cord holding it all together, and even some sparkles.

There was no way in hell I was ever giving it to Aodhan.

It was only after I’d put it together that I realized how freakin’ weird that it was.

My thought of “it’s good luck” wasn’t going to be good enough to explain my weirdness.

And I’d worked myself up into a freakin’ flurry.

I’d have to remain sitting for the foreseeable future, because my severe anxiety had turned my head into a wasteland. And, when my head got like that, other things went, too. Like my heart rate, and the incessant sweating, and everything else that would trigger a faint.

“I’m going to make one, too,” Dutch confirmed. “But my hair is red as fire. There’s no way in hell that mine’ll be as inconspicuous as that.”

“Same,” Diana grinned.

“I’d have to grow mine back out. Or he’d have a really small one.” She paused. “I guess I could collect the small shavings and put them in a glass bottle. Then he could carry that around. Same thing, right?”

“I wish I had a man that I could make a pubic hair bouquet for.” Danyetta paused. “And I really like that shirt, Morrigan. Where’d you get it?”

I looked down at the shirt I was wearing.

“Actually, you bought it,” I admitted. “Apparently, this was in Aodhan’s storeroom to be donated. It must’ve been Bowie’s last year? He said that it didn’t fit anymore, and he was supposed to take it to the donation center. But he only had his bike, and had no way of getting it there until he figured out a better way to transport it since it’s so big. He’s apparently been taking it a few Walmart sacks full at a time.”

It was the sweetest thing in the world when he’d told me. I’d actually let out an “aww” at his explanation when I’d questioned the Walmart bag full of clothes in the corner of his office.

He’d explained that he’d asked Danyetta if he could help in any way with anything one of the first few days that he’d been out, and she’d told him that she had three huge bags of clothes that needed to go to the donation center that were full of boys clothes that once used to fit Bowie.

They’d been sitting in his storeroom for a year as he slowly emptied them out one trash bag full at a time.

A few days ago, I’d decided to get the clothes out myself, but they’d been too heavy. So I’d had to empty them out the exact way he’d had to do it. And ended up finding a few new shirts in the process.

“I actually remember that.” Danyetta looked sad for a second. “I wish he’d loved me.”

I blinked at her, surprised that she’d admit that.

“Or that I loved him, for that matter.” She grimaced. “Being in love with someone that isn’t willing to put in the effort, and scale back on his efforts to further his career, is a punch to the gut.” She looked at me then. “When he left you, I think that broke Aodhan’s heart. I think he was just counting the days until he could get you back.”

“What’s your full story, Danyetta?” I asked. “Wake hated me pretty hard. So y’all must’ve sold the lie really well.”

“Amen.” Dutch shook her head. “That first night when he found out about you, Morrigan? I think he might’ve killed someone to protect his sister’s heart.”

I grimaced.

Dutch winked.

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