Page 42 of Falling Back to You

“I said that shit in high school. What the fuck did I know?”

“You also reaffirmed it a few weeks ago when we were on a hot-girl walk.”

“I was probably overheated and delirious. Plus, Shelton doesn’t have to be great. I can train him.”

“You’re offering on-the-job training now?”

The knocking had now become banging, and I swung the door open, ready to cuss someone out, but the words stuck in my throat when I saw Melodie on the other side. “I have to pee,” she said.

“There’s a half bath downstairs.”

“It’s in use.” She pushed past me, making a beeline for the commode. I didn’t even have the door fully closed before she was pulling down her pants.

“Well, aren’t you familiar,” Reese said.

“Don’t be silly. You’re not seeing shit you ain’t seen before.”

Melodie was beautiful, with long boho braids and curly lashes. Her nails were painted a soft lilac with hearts all over them. After relieving herself, she flushed, and I moved so she could use the sink. When she passed, I caught a whiff of her perfume, light, floral, and flirty. She was my complete opposite. I was a tomboy and quite proud of it. There was nothing I loved more than emasculating a man, in pool, at shooting, or at chugging a pint the fastest. It was the look in their eyes when they lost; it fueled me.

“So, how are things going with you and my cousin Oz?” Reese asked.

“He keeps asking me on dates, so I’d say well.”

“Dates?” The pitch of my voice was higher than normal.

“Yes, this is our third.”

“Wow, when’s the wedding?” Reese teased.

I reapplied my lip gloss. “I’m so happy you two are hitting it off.”

“No hard feelings?” Melodie asked.

“Absolutely not. If he’s with you, he can’t come scratching at my door.”

“We all know you don’t go scratching at doors that don’t offer scraps.”

“Oh.” Reese covered her mouth to contain her shock.

My fake sunny disposition dissipated. “Okay, Mel, let’s drop the shit. You’re only dating Oz ’cause I’m allowing it. You should be thanking me.”

Melodie fixed a hand on her hip. “You’re right. Thanks, Dial. Oz is just a sweetheart. Holding doors, paying for meals, massaging my feet.”

My heart was pounding in my ears. “Oz gives the best massages. Has he done that shit with his tongue yet? The twirly, flicky thing. I taught him that.”

Reese giggled into her hand. I wasn’t normally a mean girl, but Melodie had to be soft in the brain if she thought I wanted to hear about Oz and his world-class foot massages.

Melodie’s shit-eating grin faltered. “Everyone says you’re crazy, and I’m starting to believe them.”

Puffing out my chest, I inched closer. “If you think I’m crazy, then why are you poking the bear? ’Cause I’m bound to go all When Animals Attack on your ass.”

“Always a pleasure talking to you, Dial. Maybe I’ll ask Oz to do the twirly thing on me tonight.”

“Enjoy my sloppy fucking seconds.”

Melodie left the bathroom in a huff. Who did she think she was, trying to upset me over a man I let go? A man who stood outside my bedroom window when I was seventeen holding a speaker blasting a Darius Rucker song, like in that one movie, begging me to take his ass back.

“Why are you like this?” Reese asked.