Page 26 of The Intimacy of Control

Cal

Call me back when you get this.

Just got back to the house. Saw Tobi’s mom.

Hello?

Do you hate me now? Is that what this is?

I’m being punished, aren’t I? All because I don’t like to text.

Hope you’re not dead. But also if you aren’t, fuck you for not texting back. Hate texting.

I’d really put him through every emotion possible, apparently. I hadn’t even known they’d gone out of town. Did that make me a bad friend?

The phone rang for a few seconds before he picked up. “Oh, good, you aren’t dead.”

I rolled my eyes, even though he couldn’t see me. “No, I’m not dead. Sorry for going MIA.”

“I’d say no worries, but I was kind of worried. Are you okay?”

Sighing, I rolled back onto my side. “I’m fine. I’ve had quite the past couple of days, but I’m all good.”

“Hm. Yeah, us too. Are you at home, or are you at the bar? I want to come see you. Talk face-to-face. I miss you.”

“Uh…”

“Uh? Must be a new city I don’t know about.”

“No, sorry.” I shifted uncomfortably, trying to think of what exactly I wanted to say. “I’m at a guy’s house. I accidentally stayed the night. And the entire day.”

“Oh, wow.” Callum laughed. “Did you indulge in your bar stock? How do you accidentally stay with someone like that?”

“It’s complicated. I fell asleep. I haven’t been sleeping well lately, and he fucked me to a near-death experience, and then I slept for, like, just shy of twenty-four hours.”

“Same guy who gave you that hickey?”

I’d forgotten all about that. I’d blocked it out of my memory in an effort to save myself the embarrassment. “Maybe.”

There was a voice in the background with a heavy Southern twang. I could point out Tobi’s voice in a lineup of a thousand people. “He must be good, then. I’m glad you went back to him. Is it just sex, or are you hiding something from me?”

“I’m not hiding anything, paranoid ass. It’s just sex. One night turned into two, okay? But speaking of going back, when did you guys leave? Isn’t Tobi from Arkansas?”

“Yup. We left a couple days ago and only got back today while you were having your beauty nap. We only went to his hometown to see his mom.”

“Wow. I can only imagine how different it is there.”

“Oh, very.” There was a rustling sound in the distance. “Tobi wants to talk to you.”

I waited for him to pass the phone off. Tobi came over the line with a big sigh. “Hi, Jack.”

“Hi, Tobi. Nice to hear from you. Was your trip good?”

“Yeah, it was. I haven’t seen Mama in a long time, so it was good seein’ her. Hey, can I come hang out at your bar sometime, or do I have to buy somethin’?”

I squinted my eyes together in confusion. “Uh, yeah. That won’t be a problem. Why?”

“Well, I wanna challenge myself. Like exposure therapy. I wanna see if I can handle being in a bar while sober. I haven’t tried since I moved in with Cal and moved out of your little makeshift place.”