Page 65 of I Love You, I Hate You

He picked up Luke against his yowling protestations and wandered towards the large French doors. In the fading twilight he could see thin patches on the lake where the ice was slowly thawing. He opened the door and caught the first faint hint of mud on the breeze, wrapped in a bouquet of frost and slowly melting snow. The world was mostly grey, spring’s colors too far off and winter’s austere sharpness slowly bleeding into greys and browns. It was a landscape that matched his soul, he thought, and then chided himself for being so damn melodramatic. But there was a sort of poetic justice to it, he mused, with the outside world matching the bleakness in his chest.

Victoria was gone, and he was going to have to deal with it.

Sincerely Your Bitches

@Noraephronwasagenius

Is everyone around right now?

@Neverthelesskararesisted

Present.

@Keanuisadreamboat

Here, although only halfway through my coffee so only like, half here mentally.

And the boyfriend’s boxes are still fucking everywhere, so I’m also half about to snap.

@MadisonHughes95

I have not slept in weeks of course I’m here

@Keanuisadreamboat

Maddy, grad school seems really unhealthy and I am worried about you.

@MadisonHughes95

You and me both, friend

@Noraephronwasagenius

How do you guys feel about Skype?

@MadisonHughes95

As a general concept or as in, you’re going to Skype us all right now?

@Noraephronwasagenius

. . . The latter?

@MadisonHughes95

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@Keanuisadreamboat

You mean we get to see your face??????????

@Neverthelesskararesisted

YES DAMMIT DO IT NOW

Victoria straightened her shoulders and quickly set up the Skype call. Her breathing was a little too fast considering she was just going to be actually talking to the women she chatted with every day, but then again, her ego had taken quite a blow. After everything, it felt so silly to hide so much of herself. It wasn’t the anonymity that made her able to open up to them, it wasthem. Their love, their friendship, their patience. She was done hiding, and there was no better place to start than the present. If nothing else, the blow-up with Owen had convinced her that anonymity was creating more problems for her than it was solving.

Plus, she needed them. Desperately. She’d spent the last twenty-four hours marinating in her own sadness and it was time to get her shit together. And this was the best way to even the playing field.