Pausing a moment, she said, “Ouch. That makes me sound terrible.”
“I get what you mean. I haven’t really been seeking it out, but it’s worked out that way for me, too. About a year back, I was engaged. After I caught her cheating on me I decided that casual was good. Since then, I’ve been pretty low key. Didn’t really want to put in the work, either. “
Rubbing a hand over his face, Deacon said, “Jesus Christ. I feel like I drank a truth serum. I just can’t shut up.”
Deacon got up, grabbed a bottle of water, then went to lie down in bed. Dimming the lights, he snuggled under the comforter.
Agreeing, Sara said, “No kidding. But I like the honesty. There’s something to be said for knowing where you stand with someone.”
Hearing a grunt, Deacon asked, “You okay over there?”
Slightly winded, Sara said, “Smitty just jumped onto my chest. I’m laying down and he seemed to take that as a sign that I was available to pet him.”
“Gotta admit. I’m jealous of the little guy.”
Sara laughed.
Changing topics entirely now, Deacon said, “Tell me something I don’t know about you.”
“Hmm,” Sara said, thinking out loud, “something you don’t know…but I guess you don’t want something silly, right?”
“Right you are.”
Sighing, Sara said, “Hmm. My father was a Baptist preacher. I grew up really strictly religious.”
Blinking, Deacon said, “Are you religious now?”
“Hell no. I left really quickly after high school and haven’t gone back home since.”
“Wow. I guess I asked for something serious.”
“Now that I’ve sufficiently bared my soul, it’s your turn.”
“Uh. I think my call waiting is beeping in.”
“Lies! Spill it. Something deep. It’s only fair.”
“My mom. I told you she just left when Chloe was a kid, right? I’ve got no idea where she is. She was a terrible drunk and when she just up and abandoned my sister, she was pretty much dead to me.”
“Well, it sounds like we both have less than awesome parents.”
“I don’t think about it so much, anymore. I’ve got some ange
r in there, but I figure once you hit like, twenty-five, you can’t really blame shit on them anymore. I’ve mostly let it go.”
“Yeah. That makes sense. I’m more of an avoider though. I just don’t think about it.”
“Your turn. Something else.”
“My fiancé broke up with me three weeks before the wedding.”
Wincing, Deacon said, “Ouch. That’s kind of shitty.”
“Yep. It was. You go again.”
“This is horrible. My ex? When I caught her cheating, I was angry, but also kind of relieved. I think I had just decided I was ready to settle down and Claire seemed to be close enough to what I was looking for. Yeah, that’s really horrible. You go now.”
There was a silence on the line and then Sara said, “No. That makes sense to me. I don’t think anyone wants to be alone.”