Clearly, I have to work harder.

* * *

But it’s not just school I’m behind on. In my initial pom-math, I made a miscalculation, and now I don’t have nearly enough poms. The amount I currently have would perhaps make a shin-height pom wall. Not impressive. I work so hard on catching up that I don’t even visit my dad for the next couple of days.

When I finally do get to Brookwood, guilty and exhausted, Tracey greets me with a wave and a huge grin.

“So what’s going on with Nick?” she asks, wiggling her eyebrows.

I lean over the desk and wave her off. “We slept together. Whatever.”

She places a hand over her mouth to stop herself from shrieking. “Uh, excuse me? Whatever? You’ve been lusting after that dude for, like, ever, and now you’re telling me that you jumped his bones and it was NBD?”

I rest my head on the counter. “I’m just really tired,” I mutter.

Tracey reaches over and gently pushes my head up. “Pull yourself together, woman! Go see your dad, then go home and take a nap.”

I sigh. The word nap provokes a Pavlovian response and I nearly start to drool. “That sounds great, but it’s not gonna happen.”

Tracey shrugs. “Well, your dad’s pretty tired from that big family bingo thing we did earlier today.”

I freeze. “Family bingo was today?”

“Yeah.” Tracey glances at her computer, already back to work, uninterested in the fact that I’m having a personal crisis over here.

“But I was supposed to go to that,” I say, my voice rising. “I must have . . . I must have forgotten. Did any volunteers play with him, at least?”

Tracey looks back at me, eyebrows raised. “Uh, no? Milo was here. I figured you asked him to fill in.”

“Why didn’t you remind me?” I ask her, my voice sharp.

Tracey sits back in her chair, then gestures around her. “No offense, but I do have a job, and it isn’t as your personal assistant.”

I shake my head quickly and rub my hands over my eyes. “You’re right, you’re right. I’m sorry. I’m being a bitch.”

Tracey leans forward and smiles. “You’re being a cranky baby. Go take a nap.”

I nod. “Okay. I’m sorry again. I’ll see you later.”

As I walk down the hallway to my dad’s room, I stare at my red flats moving slowly over the beige carpet. How have I dropped the ball on so many things lately? My dad. School. Wedding prep. I’m behind on everything, and why? Because I was spending so much time with Nick. Entire evenings I could’ve been working, could’ve been with my dad. Gone.

My phone buzzes and the screen shows a text from Nick. Nick. Pinpricks of sweat form at my temples and I toss the phone back in my purse. Not right now.

I knock on my dad’s door, mentally trying to figure out how I’ll possibly catch up on everything I have to do. One thing’s for sure: I was right when I said I didn’t have time for a relationship.