Page 33 of The Monster and the Masochist

Theo:

Good morning, princess. Always nice to hear from you :)

Cass:

Don’t get cute with me, Theodora. Where the fuck are you?

Theo:

I just went for a walk, baby girl. No need to curse.

I could almost see the adorable scowl on her perfect face as the little dots appeared to indicate she was writing me back.

Cass:

You went for a walk? All night? If you fucked that bartender, just say so.

Theo:

You seem to be pretty hung up on this bartender. Are you… jealous?

Cass:

Bye.

Theo:

Awww, come on, I’m sorry. Come back. I was just playing. I didn’t fuck the bartender. I swear. I just went out for a walk and lost track of time. Crashed at a friend’s house.

I glanced up at my dad’s grave, smirking.

“Just play along, Dad,” I murmured, and that breeze whispered through the trees again. I imagined he was laughing.

Cass:

Be so fucking for real, Theodora. You have fewer friends than I do.

I snorted. She wasn’t wrong about that.

Theo:

Who needs friends when I have you, baby girl? <3

Cass:

You’re impossible.

Theo:

If I were easy, you’d be bored already.

Cass:

Whatever.

There was a long enough pause that I wondered if she was done with me. I was about to slip my phone back into my pocket and start working on finding a way home when it buzzed again.

Cass: