I update Trix on the past week with all the ups and downs. “I honestly don’t know if Lucy will ever talk to me again, but even if she doesn’t, I want to help her get rid of that fucker Weston.”
Trix shakes her head. “I don’t know Lucy that well. But I'd be surprised if she’s not regretting letting you go.”
I raise my head a bit. “You think so?”
“I know so. Now get out of here, I gotta get some shit done.”
“Thanks, Trix.”
“Of course,” she says, slipping her headphones back on, acting like it’s nothing. But it’s not nothing to me.
Trix has everything she needs, but I know she always appreciates food. After I say goodbye to Trix, I stride up to Bill, handing him some money. “Can I get Trix a burger and fries and whatever drink she wants? Nothing for me this time. But I’ll be back soon, I promise.”
Bill grabs the cash and places it in the cash register. “You got it, son. Good to see you.”
“You too.” I head out the jingling door. I was planning to wave at Trix, but she’s already buried back in her laptop.
No matter what happens between Lucy and me, helping her with Weston will make all of this worthit.
True to her word, a few hours later, I get a text from Trix.
Trix: I hit pay dirt. Want to get together to talk about it? And I think Ian can help, so he should come too.
Me: Okay.
Now, what do I do? I can’t move forward without contacting Lucy. Should I call? Text?
After a moment of indecision, I decide to text, which I’m hoping will be less invasive. Then I type, delete, re-type, delete again, multiple times before I settle on what I’m going to say.
Me: Hey. Don’t feel obligated to respond, but I wanted to let you know that I reached out to Trix, and she has information on Weston that I think you’ll want to hear. I can either set you up directly with her, or if you want, I can plan to be there too. She also says that Ian should come. I don’t know why, but she says he can help.
The three dots appear and disappear, and I wonder if Lucy is having as much difficulty finding the words to say.
Lucy: Thank you so much for reaching out. I’d like you to come too if you could.
My heart leaps at her text. After a few more exchanges, we agree to meet the next day at Bill’s.
Who knows what will come of this, but the thought of seeing Lucy again is the best news I’ve had since our fight.
Chapter thirty-nine
Lucy
After crying for a full day, I decide to talk to Amelia; maybe she can help clarify my tumbling thoughts. She immediately tells me she’ll be over at my apartment in half an hour with coffee from Coffee Conglomerate. Thank God. What would I do without her?
“What’s up?” she asks immediately after we sit down on my couch.
“Jake and I had a horrible fight,” I blurt, unable to meet Amelia’s eyes, tears streaming down my face.
She reaches over and squeezes my hand. “What happened?”
My sentences pour out in jagged pieces amidst my sobs. The recent amazing dates we had. My conversation with Jake about Sam and their breakup. The confrontation with Weston. Then my mom’s phone call and my meltdown with Jake. Finally, Peter.
Amelia sets her cup down. “Before we get to you and Jake—why didn’t you ever tell me about Peter?”
I sigh. “I never wanted to talk about it because I felt so guilty and ashamed.”
“That call with Peter must have thrown you for a loop,” Amelia says. “How are you doing with all of that?”
