lavender. (mace)

eight

"Toni, what the actual HELL are you talking about?!" Mamrie yells. She's furious.

"Mamrie, I want you back." She pleads. "Please, please give me another chance!"

"I met somebody else." She immediately says. "I couldn't ever do that to her, I love her."

"But Mamrie, I love you. More than anything. I always have!"

"BS, when you broke up with me you told me that you lied."

"I didn't mean it."

"Then why'd you leave in the first place?"

"Because, I'd met somebody else!"

"What?"

"I met a guy from an internship. He'd just gotten out of a marriage, he needed someone, we hooked up."

"For how long?!"

"Couple weeks. Only a few, I couldn't bare the thought of doing that to you for any longer. And once you and I were over I broke up with him a few days after."

"That doesn't change anything." she replies. "I'm in a relationship now, and she's amazing."

"What's her name?"

"It doesn't matter! Quit calling, Toni, I don't want anything to do with you."

"How could you possibly say that?" She asks, almost angry. "We were together for so long, and you think it's okay to just toss me to the side like that?!"

The front door creaks open. Grace walks in.

"Who's that?" She mouths. Mamrie stares into her chocolate eyes and nothing else matters. The voice that's bickering and sobbing behind the phone phases out. The anger in her slowly dissolves. She's looking at this girl and she's okay. Her past is gone. It's all vanished.

She hangs up.

"Wrong number." Mamrie assures her.

* * *

Fancy dinner aren't, and were never Mamrie's thing. To be completely truthful, they weren't Grace's either. But she figured it'd be a nice gesture to take her somewhere nice.

"If you think that this kinda place suites me..."

"Of course it doesn't," Grace smirks. "I know you too well, Mamrie Hart, but this'll be fun. Something different."

"Speaking of different..." She eyed her water glass. "I got a call today."

"From who?"

Mamrie sighs, "My ex."

Grace's face falls and she awkwardly mumbles an "oh" as she shifts in her chair. She toys with her silverware in attempt to distract herself.

"I'm sorry." Mamrie immediately apologizes. "I didn't talk to her or any--"

"Mames, please." She waves her hand in dismissal. She doesn't look up from her plate. "It's not your fault."

"You're upset," She places her hand gently on the blonde's.

"Look, it's, just..." She stammers uncomfortably. "Don't worry about it. I'm not mad, it's okay."

"You're not?"

"No, of course not." She scoffs. "It isn't your fault, you didn't do anything, we're okay, I promise."

"Really?"

"Yes!"

"And you're sure you're not angry?"

"I'm okay, Mamrie, I'm not mad!" She smiles. Mamrie lets out a relieved sigh and picks up her menu.

"Thank God."

"...Are you serious?"

"Huh?" She looks up and quirks an eyebrow.

"That's it?" She asks louder. "That's all you're gonna say?!"

"You said you were fine."

"I'm obviously not fine!"

"How was I supposed to know?! You said everything was alright."

"Oh my god, it is so not alright!"

"Whatever happened to, not being my fault?" She places the menu down on the table, and leans in closer. "Can we please not do this here?"

"What did she tell you, Mamrie?"

"Nothing, it's irrelevant."

"She said something, what'd she say?" There's fury in Grace's eyes and everyone in the restaurant is turned to her.

"Grace, people are watching." She whispers.

"Let them." She spits back. "What'd she say?"

Mamrie sighs and avoids eye contact. "She said she loved me and she wanted me back."

"...What the hell?"

"But Grace, I didn't say anything! I told her that I'd met you and that I loved you and I hung up on her."

"So that was it, that was the 'wrong number'?" Mamrie nods, brow furrowed, and tears weld in Grace's eyes. She grabs her purse and rushes out.

"Baby, wait--" She stands.

"Don't call me that right now." She yells as she bursts out of the doors and into the parking lot.

* * *

Mamrie runs outside and sees Grace there, smoking a cigarette.

"You don't smoke." Mamrie pulls it from her hand and throws it onto the ground.

"You do." Grace reaches into her pocket and pulls out a Marlboro box, handing it to the redhead.

"Are these mine?" She takes the box into her hand and examines it.

"Why don't you ask your new girlfriend?" She sits on the bench outside and Mamrie groans.

"Gracie, why are you mad?"

"I'm not mad." She wipes tears from her eyes.

"Yes, you are."

"Fine!" She stutters back, looking up at her. The loud tone draws attention from people walking by and Mamrie does nothing more than offer them an apologetic smile.

"Grace, she doesn't mean anything to me." She sits beside the crying blonde.

"Then why'd you answer her when she called?" Mamrie looks at Grace and sees that she's hurt. Deeply. Warm tears pouring out of red puffy eyes, breath shaking.

She grabs her purse and walks over to her car. She dismisses Mamrie's pleads to stay and the sound of her footsteps becomes distant. She watches the blonde drive away in the opposite direction.

And she's alone.

She goes inside and pays the check and sits there, by herself, at the table. She takes out her phone and flips through contacts, texting each one asking for a ride home but all that are able to do so want to know why. She sighs and doesn't respond. And instead dials a number.

"Hey, I need you to pick me up. I'm in a bit of a bind, do you think you can help me out?"

"'Bit of a bind'?"

"My date left me." She sighs once more. "She's pissed. She left crying."

"Oh."

"Do you think you can bring me to your place for the night?"

There's some shuffling on the other end, and a brief pause, before,

"Text me the address." Toni says.