Mr. Wrong Number(41)

Brady ran over and raised his arms for me to pick him up—which I did, of course—and Kyle made a face and mouthed the word poop at me because he knew he wasn’t allowed to say it but also knew he could use it to make me laugh.

“You guys, I can’t believe you brought me pizza.” I was seriously touched that they’d come over for my moving day. I opened the top box and snagged a gooey piece of cheese. “Wanna help me unpack box?”

Will’s eyebrows went together. “Box?”

Colin’s mouth slid into an easy smile and he explained, “Because of the fire, the only things she had to move all fit in one box.”

“On-brand for Queen Dipshit, I’d say,” Jack muttered.

Colin and I shared a secret smile, but before I could get light-headed, Kyle was running up the stairs to my loft and beers were being opened. It quickly became a laid-back gathering of friends instead of a moving thing.

We drank beers on the floor and ate pizza, reminiscing and telling stories and warming the walls of my pretty new home. In spite of the shitshow that I was, the first evening in my new place was made-for-TV perfection.

When I went out on the balcony to show Kyle the lights, Colin followed us.

I raised an eyebrow. “You want to see the lights, too?”

He put his hands on the railing and looked out at the city. “Actually, I wanted a second to thank you.”

Kyle squealed something about a train and ran inside, closing the patio door behind him and leaving Colin and me alone in the moonlight. It felt quiet, even though the sounds of the city surrounded us. I put my fingers on the iron deck railing and said, “For moving out?”

His eyes crinkled at the edges and he said, “For that letter you fixed.”

I rolled my eyes. “You already thanked me, Einstein.”

“I know that.” He leaned closer and teasingly bumped my shoulder with his. “But today the client signed the contract.”

I gasped. “Oh, my God, you got the deal?”

“Yup.” He smiled and nodded. “I got the deal.”

“That’s incredible!” I was instantly filled with adrenaline, beside myself with excitement that something I’d done to help Colin had, well, actually helped. “Congratulations!”

“It’s not a big thing,” he said, looking at something just past my shoulder, but I could tell by his expression that he was trying to act like the deal didn’t matter.

I could also tell that it totally did.

“Well, big or small,” I said, bumping his shoulder back, “way to go.”

Kyle came back outside and my brother followed. They were taking off because Brady was getting tired, and I pretended to be bummed as everyone gathered their things and made their way to the door, but the truth was that I was excited for everyone to leave.

I’d never lived alone before, and I couldn’t wait to get started.

I hugged everyone and said my thank-yous, rolling my eyes at Colin when he gave me an eyebrow waggle before ushering them all out my very adorable front door.

The minute they left, I ran around the apartment. I danced to Prince on my phone. I watched the city from my very own balcony. I envisioned the furniture I was going to purchase after a few more paychecks, and I even bought a cheap desk online from Target clearance.

It wasn’t until hours later, when I was finally lying on the air mattress up in my loft, that I started to calm down. I was kind of in a blissful haze of happiness, but it was keeping me from sleeping. After tossing and turning for an hour with no luck, I texted Mr. Wrong Number.





Colin


    Miss Misdial: I know you’re dead to me, but I can’t sleep and you’re the only one I have to bug.



I sighed and just stared at the phone; when was Liv going to stop texting?


Miss Misdial: I just moved into a new apartment and I think I’m too excited to sleep. It’s the first time I’ve ever lived alone.



I wouldn’t have guessed that. She was so independent that I would’ve assumed somewhere between high school and now she’d had her own place.


Miss Misdial: I wish you weren’t in a coma, because I need your half of our idiotic banter to make me sleepy, dammit. A tiny part of me wants to say something to you like “I didn’t do something, did I?” but I’m not some kind of pathetic whimpering girl so screw you if you’re sensitive.



I felt like total shit for ghosting her. It had to be done, but I hated hearing her sound insecure about it.

My phone buzzed again. Good lord, she wasn’t going to go away.


Miss Misdial: Tbh the main reason I can’t sleep is that I’m sleeping on an air mattress. A night or two while camping is fine, but I’ve been on this thing for a month now. It seriously takes me like a solid minute to sit up in the morning because my back is so sore.



No wonder she’d napped on my bed.


Miss Misdial: I’m contemplating throwing it off my balcony and just sleeping on the floor.



I could see her doing that.


Miss Misdial: But the weirdest thing about night in my apartment? Thank you for asking, oh comatose one. The weirdest thing is that since I don’t have a TV yet, it’s deathly quiet. Like I could hear a cockroach if it were running around. Which it’s not because my apartment is dope, but still—I could if it were.