Epilogue #2
“You aren’t losing me. I won’t let you! And I’m more than all right with you and Dash shacking up. I’m so happy for you. He’s a really great guy. You did good, Brin. Really good.”
“Then what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Bullshit. We don’t lie to each other. I think it was you who made that rule up when we were in the fifth grade. If you don’t want to talk about, or aren’t ready to talk about whatever’s bothering you, then tell me that. But don’t lie and say it’s nothing.”
“You’ve been through a lot. I don’t want to burden you with my shit.”
“Your shit is my shit,” Brinley said firmly. “Is this about Echo? Don’t think I’ve forgotten the fact that you never did tell me what happened at The Staggering Moose between the two of you.”
“No, it’s not him. That wasn’t a big deal, it was just me overreacting, as usual.”
“Stop, Cypress. Now I know something’s up, because it’s been a long time since you’ve talked bad about yourself. We promised ages ago that we’d both try to break that pattern. You’re obviously stressed and falling back on old habits. Talk to me. Please.”
Her best friend sighed. “Fine. There’s a guy at work who’s been bothering me. It’s nothing I can’t handle, but he’s got a crush on me and has apparently decided I’m the woman he’s waited for his entire life. He’s more annoying than anything else.”
“That sounds kind of scary.”
“No, no, no. It’s not. It’s just…he’s spending more time staring at me than working. And lately he’s started saying stuff to other guys I work with, acting as if he’s got some sort of claim on me and getting mad if they talk to me too long or some such shit. I’m dealing with it.”
“How?”
“How what?”
“How are you dealing with it? Because I have a feeling this has probably been going on for longer than a few days.”
“I’ve talked to my boss, asked her not to assign the guy to my projects. I’ve put everything he’s done in writing—you know, so if my body is found, one day the cops can use my diary as me ‘speaking from the grave,’ as so many crime shows like to say.”
“Please don’t ever say that again,” Brinley said in a low, tortured voice.
“Oh, Brin—I’m sorry! God, that was so insensitive of me. Honestly, it’s not that bad, just super irritating.”
“That’s what I said about Tamika and look what happened. Cy, you’re my best friend, and I have no idea what I’d do without you in my life. We need to do something more. And I know just the thing.”
“Not sure I like that gleam in your eye.”
Brinley smiled gently. She loved her best friend so damn much.
She’d already experienced enough tragedy in her life.
Being molested for five years, from the ages of seven to twelve, wasn’t something she’d wish on her worst enemy.
But Cypress had survived and thrived, even though there were times Brinley knew she was putting on a brave face.
When she felt anything but strong…when deep inside, she still felt like a scared little girl.
Cypress was the smartest person Brinley knew, and the world needed her. She was doing important stuff with climate studies. Work that could make a difference for generations to come. No one should make her feel uncomfortable or unsafe while she was at work.
“It’s the perfect solution. You need to get married.”
Cypress spat the drink of water she’d just taken all over herself, looking at Brinley as if she had three heads. “Um…I think you need to have a boyfriend for that to even be a possibility. And I’m fresh out of those.”
Now Brinley grinned. “Yeah. But I happen to have a boyfriend who has six badass friends, and I’m sure we could ask any one of them to help.”
“I am not marrying Echo to make an irritating coworker back the hell off,” Cypress said, sounding horrified.
Brinley’s grin only widened. “I never specified it should be Echo, but good to know that’s who you’d prefer.”
Cypress sputtered a little bit, then got up to grab a paper towel to clean up the mess she’d made.
Her actions made Brinley realize that her best friend might actually like Echo more than she was letting on.
She was usually very blunt and honest about her feelings and what she wanted.
Now, it was almost as if she was protesting too much.
“And you don’t actually have to marry him.
But what if you brought him around work a few times, when this asshole is there, and held his hand and introduced him as your fiancé or something?
That should make the guy back off. And if it doesn’t, you can pretend to get married one weekend, then go into work with a cubic zirconium ring on your finger and show it to everyone and act all love-struck. ”
She was half-kidding about that part…but to her surprise, Cypress didn’t immediately reject the idea.
Which surprised the hell out of Brinley.
“Cy? I was kind of kidding.”
Her bestie sighed, a frown furrowing her brow.
“I don’t know what to do, Brin. I think he’s started following me.
He’s shown up in the grocery store when I’m there, and at a couple other places, seemingly out of the blue.
I know Fairbanks isn’t that big of a place, but it’s gotten a little ridiculous.
I think I’m willing to do just about anything to get him to back off at this point. ”
“You should call Echo.”
“And say what? Will you marry me?” she asked sarcastically.
“That’ll work for starters.”
But Cypress shook her head. “No, this is silly. I’ll just talk to this guy—again—and tell him that he’s nice, but I’m just not interested.”
“You know as well as I do that it won’t work. You’ve seen more than your fair share of true crime shows. You know that will only make him more desperate to have you. Talk to Echo, Cypress. He’ll help you.”
Her friend’s shoulders slumped, and she sat back down on the couch with another long sigh. “I don’t know him that well.”
“Sure you do. You’ve hung out with him several times, especially in the last week. You guys even drove together to get lunch for Dash and me the other day.”
“He’s nice, but man, that guy can eat. I have no idea how he can afford to eat the way he does.”
“Nice try on changing the subject. Will you talk to him? Tell him about this guy and see what he thinks? Ask if he’d consider fake-dating you?”
Cypress’s voice was nothing but a whisper, but her words lifted some of the heavy weight that had settled on Brinley’s shoulders during their conversation. “Okay. I’ll talk to him.”
*