Page 31 of Here With Me

“How the hell did that happen?”

“I have the same question.”

Next, I move on to the conditioner, and while my ends soak, I grab my razor.

“What’re ya shavin’ for?” She arches a brow.

“I missed a spot on my leg, you perv.”

“Mm-hmm, sure. Daddy Fisher likes it smooth, I bet.”

“Donotcall him that,” I scold. This situation is fucked up as it is without those words being engrained in my head.

“Why not? He’s someone’s daddy.”

“Jase is too old to call him that, so shush.”

“Speakin’ of that, ya think he knows you nailed his dad?”

“Christ. All of Sugarland Creek is gonna know if you’re any louder.” I rinse my hair, ready to get dressed and smell human again. “And I dunno. Assuming they’re even talkin’, it might not be long before it comes up in a conversation of who I am to Jase.”

I need to text him and find out why he didn’t tell me his dad moved back here. Even during our “off” moments, we still talked and told each other everything. Well,almosteverything.

“So you don’t think Fisher knows?”

“He didn’t look that surprised to see me, so I think he knew I lived and worked here. Not sure on the other thing where I’m his son’s ex.”

“Ooh, a stealthy stalker. We love to see it.”

“No, we don’t. Only in your de-lulu-brain.”

“A man who gets a job just to see you after ghostin’ them is romantic as fuck.”

“You’d be that person who gets abducted, then ask them to live out your captive fantasy.”

“Don’t knock it till ya try it. Travis and I did it once.”

“Your psycho ex? Seems fittin’ for him.” I scoff at the thought of how he treated my best friend and how long she put up with it.

I turn off the water and grab my hair towel. “Doubt he even had toactthe part.”

“Let’s just say it consisted of handcuffs, rope, and a lot of hair pullin’.”

“What, no hand necklaces?” I giggle, wrapping a larger towel around my body before stepping onto the mat.

“He tried, but he couldn’t figure out hownotto choke me to death while doin’ it, so I made him stop.”

“Yeah, I bet that was his problem...” I dramatically roll my eyes in front of the screen.

“We’re not supposed to be talkin’ about him anyway. How did seein’ Fisher end up with you in a pile of horse shit?”

As I get dressed and brush my hair, I replay the humiliating moment that led me here. She doesn’t hold back her laughter either.

“That is the mostmething I’ve ever heard. I can’t believe you froze like that.”

I grab my makeup bag and put on concealer and lip gloss. She rambles about how I need to explain to Fisher why I ignored his calls and texts so we can live out a forbidden fantasy.

“That’s not gonna happen, Mags. Besides the obvious reasons of awkwardness, there’s a no employee fraternizin’ rule.”