Everyone knew that in the six months since her return, Naomi had botched one procedure after another and was on the verge of being let go.
She needed my surgery to save her reputation.
"I won't—"
A sharp ringtone cut me off. The screen lit up with the name *Naomi*, trailed by a little heart emoji.
Leonard's expression shifted, a flicker of embarrassment crossing his face. "Naomi changed it. She's young. It's just a silly thing girls do."
Always the same excuse.
I stared at the custom sticker on the dashboard in front of the passenger seat—*Reserved for Nomi*—the words seared into my eyes like a brand.
Every single fight I'd ever picked over that sticker, and Leonard always came back with the same lines.
*She's young, she's immature—why are you acting just as childish?*
*Go ahead, rip it off. She'll stick a new one up. What's the point?*
*Would it kill you to just let her have this? It's a sticker. It's nothing.*
When it came to Naomi, I was always the one being ridiculous in Leonard's eyes—always the jealous girlfriend throwing a fit over nothing.
Six months of swallowed grievances, too many to count.
I rolled my eyes and didn't bother responding, just watched him pick up the phone.