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“What makes you think?—"
“The chocolate sauce on your sweatshirt, dingus.”
“Hiding behind the frozen peas.”
She huffs and goes to the freezer. “Neither Ben nor Jerry is a substitute for a boyfriend, June.”
“Toss that in the trash and I will set your hair on fire.”
She giggles. “Fine.” Closing the freezer drawer, she turns to face me. “But put on real clothes. We’re going out.”
“I can’t go out. I’m sick.”
“You are perfectly fine. You’re just feeling sorry for yourself.”
I stare directly into her eyes and let out the world’s most feeble cough.
“I will flatiron your hair within an inch of your life if you don’t get dressed right this instant.”
Whining, I flop my way to my bedroom and she follows. “But why?”
“Because you need to be among other humans, and don’t look at me like that. If you roll your eyes any harder, they will stick that way.”
“Other humans are the ones who got me into this mess.”
“No, it was one human. And he’s an asshole. And if I can work my connections in the Chamberlain Mansion to get them to blacklist him, then I will. But it’s a tricky situation, so that will take time. Meanwhile, you need to get out and see that not every man is a gigantic jerk. We are going to Leonard’s, so you can meet eligible, hot men with jobs and maturity.”
“Can’t do it,” I tell her firmly as I dive back into my ice cream. “By eligible, hot men with jobs and maturity, you mean lawyers because Leonard’s is a lawyer bar, and I am fucking done with lawyers.”
“You are a lawyer.”
“Which is exactly how I know I’m done with them.”
She plops onto the end of my bed and steals my spoon so she can have a bite. “That is spectacular. But it’s not better than sex. Remember sex, June?”
“You mean the thing that got me into this mess in the first place?”
Her eyes glaze with sympathy, and there’s a tiny part of me that wants to smack her for it. “You got burned. Let’s not sugarcoat it. But that doesn’t mean you give up on happiness. Or having a life. Anderson has already taken so much from you. Do you want to give him that, too?”
Click. All of a sudden, everything she just said makes something in my brain align. “Holy shit. You’re fucking brilliant.”
“Thank you for finally seeing?—"
“No, I’m serious, Callie. I’ve been looking at this all wrong. I’ve been needy and pissed off and so angry that I couldn’t see straight, so that’s probably why I’ve been looking at this all wrong, but holy crap, I’ve been letting the same bastard, who ruined my childhood, also ruin my adulthood. This is ridiculous. Fuck that guy. Give me five minutes and I’m out the door with you.”
On my way to the shower, I hear, “Take ten and do something with your hair.”
“You got it.” Turning the water to full hot, I strip faster than I ever have. Hatred is fuel, and my tank is topped off. The shower scalds, and I don’t care. I’ve got a few days of filth to deal with. I scrub myself clean, nearly taking a layer of skin with the dirt. Every whoosh of my loofah is fueled by the fury of righteous anger.
Can’t start a revenge business without getting out of the house. Those lawyers she wants me to meet? They can all help me get my business off the ground. Callie might want me to meet my next Mr. Right Now, but I’m thinking co-counsel.
I got screwed. Then I got screwed over. Now, I’m getting revenge.
Chapter 24
JUNE
Unfortunately, I am the only one who got the revenge memo.
