Page 109 of Tumbling Hearts

“I think Gene’s more likely right,” Pat says. “She’s probably in the area because of the holidays. Maybe she wanted to visit me, too?”

“Oh, yeah, I guess you are still friends. Have you guys talked at all, since we broke up?” Ray asks.

“We’ve talked on the phone a couple times, with her letting me know what she’s up to in New York. She’s suggested meeting up with me, but we haven’t actually made plans,” Pat says.

“Huh. She just invited herself, then.” Ray shrugs.

“Shit, Ray, she’s coming over here.” Gene puts his free hand on Ray’s shoulder, alerting him.

“Fuck.” Is there anything he can do? Should he try to walk away, hide? But no, as soon he looks at her, she makes eye-contact.

Assaulting eye-contact.

She bee-lines for him, Tim on her trail with a duffle bag over his shoulder. Her brows are furrowed, hands in fists at her sides, the most devastating scowl on her face that he’s ever seen.

Oh my fucking god, no.

“Raymond Roderick! Just the person I wanted to see,” Carol says with mock enthusiasm as she reaches the loveseat.

“Uh… hey Carrie!” Ray gives an awkward, forced smile. “What are you doing here?”

“I was curious about this party you all were having,” she says, putting a hand on her hip. Her outfit is stunning as always: slim corduroy pants with a matching turtleneck sweater, and a large, gaudy necklace overtop. “Don’t worry, I’ve got somewhere else I’m planning to be later with Tim. But I still just wanted to pop in, and make sure I wasn’t… forgetting something I left here.”

Ray can’t handle her standing over him. She’s so intimidating with that scowl, the anger in her eyes—it gives him chills. She must know something. But what? He stands up from the loveseat, a more comfortable level if he’s going to deal with this. “Th-that’s alright. Did you forget something? I thought you’d already grabbed everything.”

“I thought so too. But I wanted to be sure. Something just seemed… off. Lo and behold, I was right. I didn’t forget anything. You stole something from me.”

His breath hitches.

His heart thumps faster than ever.

He really fucking wishes he wasn’t holding his drink right now.

“I don’t even need to say what it was that you stole. You know perfectly well what it is.”

The lingerie.

He gulps, yet it does nothing to dissolve the lump in his throat.

“You lied to me. Yet again, you lied to me!” She points at his chest. “No, even worse, you were gaslighting me! You made me believe someone else stole it, when it was you all along!”

“Carrie, I—I’m sorry…” There’s nothing else he can say. She’s one-hundred-percent right. He thought he could get away with it too, hiding it with his clothes. He didn’t expect her to go through his own stuff.

“‘Sorry’ doesn’t even matter to me anymore. It’s not like I want you, anyways.” She scoffs, throwing her hand out to the side. “Tim’s got the thing in question in his bag. And when I get home, I’m going to burn it. I can’t stand thinking of what you might’ve done with it! You lying, horrible, piece of shit jerk!”

She raises her fist, as if she’s about to throw a punch⁠—

But before it can reach Ray⁠—

Gene stands in front of him, taking the blow to his cheek instead.

The sudden motion knocks them both back. Ray falls into the open spot on the loveseat next to Pat with Gene’s weight on top of him. Ray lets go of his glass, the liquid spilling all over the carpet, the soft flooring cushioning its landing.

“Ow! Fuck,” Carol says, shaking out her hand, Ray barely able to see past Gene’s head. “Really, Gene? Really?”

“Ugh…” is all Gene says, bringing his free hand up to his cheek.

“Carol! Please, calm down,” Pat says, standing up from the loveseat.