Page 3 of Your Love

I soak in the tub for what feels like hours, until the water cools from scalding lava-hot to almost too-tepid. I’ve already finished my bottle of water, and although I haven’t eaten anything in almost a full day, the mere thought of food churns my stomach. So instead of ordering room service, I change into the plush cotton robe provided and climb into bed.

Even though I’m exhausted, sleep is out of reach, so I lay on my side and stare out into the night through my open curtains. My mind is racing, replaying the events of the day like a movie montage. But when I try to envision the future, there is nothing but an empty, desolate void.

With a groan, I sit up and swing my legs off the bed. I have some important tasks to complete. I need to call the airlines and secure my return flight, but that’s not something I want to deal with now. I’ll call in the morning.

I also need to reach out to my friends and catch them up with this fiasco. As a strong unit for the past several years, this affects them as well.

Damn. Is there anyone I didn’t fuck over today?

A quick glance at the clock reveals that it’s already 9:17 p.m. in Hawaii, while in both Denver and Edmonton, it’s 1:17 a.m. My friends have probably been asleep for hours. I contemplate letting it go until tomorrow but decide to gamble on them not answering and being able to leave a brief message about what happened. Once I return home, I’ll call and fill them in on the details. It’s cowardly, but it’s better than having to confess everything tonight.

I call Sascha first, knowing she works in the morning and Taz has early practice, so they should be asleep. After two rings, I’m certain it will go to voicemail, but then a muffled voice answers with a tired, “Hello?”

I curse under my breath. Of course, they have caller ID and will see an unknown number if I hang up, leading to an inevitable callback and more drama than we already have here.

“Hey, Sash!” I say, mimicking my cheeriest voice.

“Ker-Bear?” She asks sleepily.

“Yep, it’s me. Look, I didn’t mean to wake you up. I was going to leave you a message.” Half asleep or not, Sascha Bell has a bullshit meter more fine-tuned than Daddy’s tractor. I need to say this and get off the phone as soon as possible.

“Why wouldn’t you want to speak to me?” She accuses.

The underboob sweat from earlier is returning. “I know it’s late, and I didn’t want to bother you. I just thought I’d tell you that I, um…”

“That you what?” she asks, now fully awake and invested in the conversation. A voice beside her grumbles sleepily.

“Is that Kerri? Is she okay?” Taz asks sleepily.

“That’s what I’m about to find out,” she replies. “But I need to pee first, so say ‘hello’ to her.”

I try to cut her off quickly. “No, Sascha. That’s not necessary. I don’t want to—“

“Heeeelllooo?” He sings-songs, and even though I didn’t want to chat with him, Taz has always had a way of making me smile.

“Hey, Taz,” I reply with the first genuine smile that graced my lips in the past day.

“What have you gotten yourself into now, Daisy Duke?” Uggh. He loves that nickname. The more I show him I hate it, the more he leans into it, so I ignore it as much as I can.

“I did something really stupid,” I admit.

“I’m familiar with the concept,” he jokes. “Tell me what you did.”

“It’s weird and awkward and horrible. I’m so embarrassed.”

“You went to Hawaii, didn’t you?” he asks matter-of-factly.

My mouth drops open in disbelief. “How could you have possibly guessed that?”

“It’s what I would do,” he replies casually, and I’m unsure if that should make me feel better or worse.

“Also,” he continues, “Remember how when we were in high school, some people thought Sash was a witch?”

“Yeah,” I say apprehensively, fearing what might come next.

“Well, I kind of think she is. And we have all this sex, and I think it’s turned me into a warlock.”

And there it is.