Chapter 23 #2
I grabbed my phone and held it on my lap under the table. “No. There’s nothing keeping me here. I mean, I have work but I—”
“Then that’s settled. We’ll pack up and have a road trip!” She came around the table and gave me a hug. “I can’t wait. It’s going to be so fun.”
I patted her arm, then glanced down at my phone under the table. “Yeah. Fun.”
“Okay.” She clapped excitedly. “I’ll get some gas.” She twisted the fabric of her skirt. “You know, if I could borrow some money first? I promise I’ll pay you back as soon as I sell some of my yarn.”
I reached for my purse and handed over my credit card—the one with the lowest limit. I wasn’t stupid. “Pick up whatever else you need, and I’ll finish up with work stuff here.”
“And my laundry?”
“Yes, and your laundry.”
“You’re the best.” She rushed forward and kissed me again. “I’ll be back.”
As with most things involved with Hurricane Rainbow, there was a flutter of insanity in her wake. I pulled my laptop in front of me and cracked my knuckles.
To whom it may concern:
I quit.
Officially.
Not that there’s much left to the day, but something came up with my mother and I have to leave town for a little while. She’s not sick or anything, she just needs my help.
And to be honest, I think this is probably for the best.
We’ve been really hot and heavy for the last few days and we need—okay, I need—a minute to think. I can’t do that around you.
I finished up the bulk of the records room project anyway. April can work on the last of it, I’m sure. She’s super smart.
I really did like working with you. Never doubt that.
RYAN
I edited it and rewrote the end part about three times. I couldn’t even figure out a way to sign off the note. Everything was so mixed up in my head.
I pressed send and then checked my messages on Instagram. I found a direct message from Penn Masterson buried in the non-follower section.
Ms. Moon,
I really was impressed with your drawings. I’ve been looking into signing some indie comics under my imprint. I’d really like to talk to you.
I know DMs are totally unprofessional and can sound scammy, but here is my phone number and my personal email. We can talk on Zoom or FaceTime so you know I’m not just talking out of my ass. Hope to hear from you.
PENN MASTERSON
My hands shook and I read it three times before I put my phone face down on my table.
No friggin’ way.
I pushed away from my chaotic table full of Rainbow shrapnel and my own scattered things from the day before to pace around the room.
“Alexa, call Luna.”
“Calling Luna.”
“Hello?” I heard a voice, but it sounded far away and out of breath.
I turned around and stared at my Alexa speaker. “Lu?”
“Yeah. Just a second.” I heard a muffled curse and then Luna’s voice came closer to the unit. “Hey. What’s up?”
“Did I interrupt something?”
“What? No. Nothing. I was just dancing.”
“Oh. Sorry. I’d call back, but it’s kind of important.”
“Yeah. Totally no problem.” Something was muffled, and then I heard a door close. “Okay, you have my undivided attention.”
“Was someone there? Oh, man, were you…”
“Nope. All good. Nothing to see here. Was just my neighbor.”
“I thought you were dancing.” I curled into the drafting chair right beside my speaker.
“I was. Anyway, it’s not important. You sound stressed, girl. What’s up?”
I frowned, but my brain was still buzzing from…everything. “Hurricane Rainbow showed up.”
“Oh, shit. Are you okay?” I heard the fridge open and her pour something. “How much did she want this time?”
I put my head down on my drafting table. “Oh, if it was only just money. So much other stuff is going on.”
“Do you want me to come over?”
“No. I’m heading out with Rainbow.”
“Wait, what?” A glug came through the speaker. “What do you mean you’re leaving?”
“She wants to do this road trip thing, and I kinda need to get out of here.”
“What the heck is going on? I knew something was up, but I figured you’d come talk to me when you were ready.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not ready. For any of it.”
“You’re not making sense.”
“I know.” I blew out a breath. “I did something.”
Luna was silent. “Like bank robbery? Murder?” She lowered her voice. “Do I need to bring my shovel? Go buy supplies in cash three counties over?”
I laughed and sat up. “No, there’s no body.”
Yet. I reserved the right to revisit that idea after I spent half a week with my mother.
Quickly, I recapped that I’d shared my comic and it had sort of gone haywire. Luna knew I’d been working on the comic for a while, and she was the only person who had ever seen it. And even then, she’d only seen a sketch of my little fox character.
I’d been guarding the comic for over a year. I didn’t know how to let go of it.
How to let anyone see what was inside me.
Roz and Sylvia had been mine for so long it felt like laying myself bare even saying their names.
“So that dude you made me read—Penn Masterson—he contacted you? The famous dude?”
“Yes.” My voice was a squeak.
“This is amazing!”
“No, it’s really not. I’m not ready. I can’t do this.”
“Of course you can. You’re a kickass goddess who can do freaking anything. Let me come over, and we’ll talk about this. We can throw some cards and drink lots of wine. I’ll be a buffer between you and Rainbow.”
“Thanks. I think I just need to get out of here. Go think about it. Maybe go through my drawings and fix them up.”
“Okay, I get that. But is there something else going on? What did PMS do? I’ll kill him.”
I huffed out a laugh. My bestie would slay any dragon for me, that was for sure. “He didn’t do anything. I mean, we did a lot of stuff, but none of it was bad. Exactly.”
I touched the burn on the side of my lip, and then I got up and went to my little shelf of balms and oils Luna had made for me. I swiped it over my lip as if I could erase everything that happened last night.
Sure.
My laptop dinged once, then twice. I crossed back to my kitchen and closed it without reading the email I knew was waiting for me—or would be soon, if it wasn’t already. I didn’t know how to answer Preston right now.
“Ry? My spidey sense is vibrating like my rabbit, girl. What’s going on?”
“I need to figure some stuff out. Then I promise I’ll talk about it.”
“Seriously, do I need to get my shovel?”
“No. But I think we both need to have a little discussion.”
Luna didn’t answer, which of course was all I needed to know.
“Looks like we both have some tea to spill,” Luna said finally.
“With all of the wine. I don’t think tea will cover it.”
“Are you sure you can do this trip with Hurricane Rainbow alone?”
“No.” I laughed. “But I think I need to. I need to ground myself. I’m a freaking mess about everything.”
“I hate this. You should let me come over.”
“Rainbow is gassing up the Rainbow Mobile and we’re heading out.” It probably wouldn’t be that quick, but if I saw Luna right now, I’d just turn into a blubbering mess.
“Make sure you at least text me while you’re on the road, so I can make sure you’re all right.”
“Yeah. I will.” My eyes were stinging, but I didn’t cry.
There was nothing really to cry about. I just had to get a handle on the chaos inside me.
All of it.
“Take care of you,” Luna said, her voice wavering.
“Take care of you,” I replied.
I set my hand on top of the laptop, pushing PMS out of my head. I needed a little space from him. From him and I together especially. It felt like too much too soon. I’d known him for days. Not even weeks. Literally days and I was so damn twisted up about him.
This wasn’t me. Not at all. I wasn’t the girl to swing full on into…
Nope.
No.
Definitely not the L-word.
No way.
That was my mother. Not me. Never me.
I picked up my laptop and plugged it in to charge. I had things to do before my mother got back.