Pocket Full of Posies

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"Marley?" Landon called out after me after I'd barreled into him.

Honestly, I hadn't even realized he was there until he was spiraling into the wall—really, it was quite comical and I totally would've laughed, had I been in my right mind. There was a sweet second and a half where he didn't say anything and I thought Yes! I've gotten away with it! But then there came my name...

...and the way he said it.

There was so much confusion, hurt, and judgment in that single tone uttering my name. I've never hated my name so much—and I'd hated my name plenty of times. If he had said it any other way I probably would have kept running half blind down the stairs. But I owed him a semblance of an explanation.

So I, slowly, turned around. He stared at me, What the fuck? written all over his face. I gulped. My eyes were blurry, my clothes were half on, and my hair was all in my face. This looked bad for me. How did I even start?

"So this is what happened..."

It was twenty minutes before my shift ended. I took over for my friend Brooke at the front cause she desperately had to pee. I usually didn't take people's checks but this was Christmas Eve so what the hell. I'd been so busy with my tables and with Leland—the fool never quit—I hadn't noticed them. Generally I tended not to notice anyone who wasn't at my tables. But there they'd been in the back corner the whole time, and here they were now—paying for their meal.

When I'd looked up from my secret phone, I'd plastered a generic friendly smile on my face. And the second I recognized them, I faltered. Panic began to set in. I hadn't seen them in months. What did I say? What does one say to parents of the shittiest human being on the face of the earth? Hey sorry about your douchebag asshole cowardly son not marrying me and running off with my traitorously floozy best friend?

"Oh....hi," I stammered out instead.

Mr. Carter, Phil, smiled awkwardly. "Marley. So nice to see you."

Mrs. Carter, Linda, shuffled and wouldn't make eye contact. Funny, we'd been pretty close back in the day. I used to fancy her my second mother. And now she couldn't look at me. Was it in shame, guilt? Did she, in some bizarre way, blame me? Did she support her son being off with Joanna?

"You too." I gulped once. Well, time for that fake customer service. "Did y'all enjoy your dinner?"

"We did," Phil answered with more enthusiasm than was necessary. "How are things?"

Oh ya know. Lots of baggage and sadness and mistrust. Just lots and lots of issues I never had before. And all thanks to your dirtbag son! "Good. Great."

"We heard you moved on, too," Linda suddenly blurted out. She looked away again as if that had been taking it too far.

At first I was completely confused as to how she had come to that conclusion. Then I remembered. Lulu's wedding. Mrs. Fenderson. God the old bitty was getting really good with her gossip range.

I swallowed once before bobbing my head. "Yeah. A little. It's casual."

"The Harrisons are great people." Did I detect a hint of jealousy in her voice?

I softened a little. Linda being jealous meant the world to me. I had really wanted to be a part of her family. Giving a somewhat sad smile, I said, "They are. I mean, Landon is. I don't know the rest. Well, I know Leland....but barely." Why was I still rambling on?