Page 338 of Call Me Baby: Side

I grunt,

flipping her off without lifting my head.

“Why not send him some dumbass GIF?

“Shit—drop that Cowgirl picture.” she cackles.

“That’ll get his ass real attentive.”

I scoff,

pretending to be more confident than I feel.

“My point exactly.

“He’d expect the standard shit?—

“nudes, clever meme, cute GIF.

“Predictable as hell.

“But a rap?”

I flick an imaginary lighter.

“Blindsides the motherfucker.”

She mutters into her coffee?—

“Or, you know,

“has him filin’ for a restraining order."

Maybe she’s right.

But maybe I don’t give a fuck.

She settles her gaze on me,

peeling the bullshit off me layer by layer.

“Never seen you act up like this for a guy,”

she says, smirking. “You big bothered.”

"Not bothered. Just balancing the karma before it comes back to bite me,” I mutter. “That's it. For real—cleanin' up the bad juju I left lyin' around.”

I'm a big-bothered fucking liar. 'Cause truth?

I haven’t breathed right in five hours.

“Good, 'cause I'mma remind you of two names.” She throws up two fingers. “Cooper. Hunter.”

The names hit.

Cooper—

who thought bruises were love letters.