Chapter 24: Accept

I answered before the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Linds."

It was my voice.

But it wasn't hoarse.

It was warm and a little out of breath.

Behind her, a kettle was starting to whistle, and a dog barked twice.

"Is this," I said, and stopped.

"It's me. Don't panic. Nothing's wrong. I checked."

She laughed.

I had never heard myself laugh like that.

"You sound different," I said.

"I sleep now. It helps."

I looked at Nolan asleep on my blanket.

I lowered my voice.

"The one who called before. She said she stayed."

"I know. I remember every word she said to you."

"Are you her?"

"No," she said. "I'm who you turned into instead."

The kettle stopped whistling.

Somebody had taken it off the stove.

"Are you going to tell me what happens?" I asked.

"Nope. No tips this time."

"Why not?"

"Because you don't need them. You never really did. You just needed somebody to tell you to click."

I pressed the phone harder against my ear.

"Then why call?"

She was quiet for a second.

"Because I remember sitting on that bed," she said. "Every night for weeks after, waiting for her to call back."

"She never did. I didn't want you to wait for nothing."

My eyes stung.

"And I wanted to say thank you," she said. "You clicked accept. You didn't send him the three hundred."

"You put Grandma's house on a workbench in a garage because a voice told you to."

"She called to save your ruined life, Linds. You're the one who stopped paying for his."

I laughed, and it came out wet.

"Can I ask one thing?"

"One."

"Is it good? Where you are?"

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