Back Side Trip
Chapters (44)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. DEDICATION
  4. CONTENTS
  5. START READING
  6. CHAPTER 1
  7. CHAPTER 2
  8. CHAPTER 3
  9. CHAPTER 4
  10. CHAPTER 5
  11. CHAPTER 6
  12. CHAPTER 7
  13. CHAPTER 8
  14. CHAPTER 9
  15. CHAPTER 10
  16. CHAPTER 11
  17. CHAPTER 12
  18. CHAPTER 13
  19. CHAPTER 14
  20. CHAPTER 15
  21. CHAPTER 16
  22. CHAPTER 17
  23. CHAPTER 18
  24. CHAPTER 19
  25. CHAPTER 20
  26. CHAPTER 21
  27. CHAPTER 22
  28. CHAPTER 23
  29. CHAPTER 24
  30. CHAPTER 25
  31. CHAPTER 26
  32. CHAPTER 27
  33. CHAPTER 28
  34. CHAPTER 29
  35. CHAPTER 30
  36. CHAPTER 31
  37. CHAPTER 32
  38. CHAPTER 33
  39. EPILOGUE
  40. JOYRIDE
  41. COMING SUMMER 2021
  42. AUTHOR NOTE
  43. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  44. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

“Just give it to me. Plug in your password.”

Joy does and hands over her phone. “I’m cleaning up your social media accounts,” Taryn explains. “Everything’s going to private.”

“Whoa, wait a sec.” She reaches for her phone. Her phone is her business. Taryn steps out of reach, tapping the screen. She then shows Joy her Facebook profile. “You have everything set to public. Do you know how many wackos troll your profile? Have you checked your message requests in Messenger?”

Joy shakes her head.

Taryn laughs, evil-like, and shows her. The inbox is filled with unread messages, all from men she doesn’t know. Joy’s eyes widen. “Who are those guys?”

“Trolls.” Taryn deletes the messages.

“What if there’s one from someone I know?”

“Trust me, there isn’t,” Taryn says, updating Joy’s privacy settings.

“What does my Facebook profile have to do with your idea to help me?”

“You post as if someone is watching. You’re hoping Dylan sees your photos. Admit that you do.”

Joy can’t. “Give me that.” She takes her phone and clicks through her profile settings to see what Taryn changed.

Taryn looks over Joy’s shoulder. “What are you doing?”

“Finishing what you started. Updating my profile. See?”

Taryn squints at the screen. “Relationship status: it’s complicated.” Her gaze jumps to Joy’s. “Is there something more going on with you and Mark that you haven’t told me?”

Joy shakes her head. She’s drunk and feeling pissy. She wants to be angry at Mark but can only find it for herself. Dylan was right. Relationships, especially marriage, are a complicated mess. When she tripped across the relationship status setting, she couldn’t resist.

“What’s next?” she asks, sliding her phone into her back pocket.

Taryn digs around her purse for loose change and drops a handful of coins in Joy’s palm. “Step two: the Purge, and not like the movie, which was horrible. How about we call it the Dude Purge?”

Joy slides her friend a look. “How drunk are you?”

“No more than you. Just go with me on this.”

Joy looks at the coins in her hand. “How is this supposed to work?”

“It’s a mash-up between this cable show I once saw and our most favorite movie ever, Ten Things I Hate About You.”

Joy groans. “Favorite movie like fifteen years ago.”

“Poor Heath.” Taryn sighs. “Let’s have a moment.”

Taryn prays. Joy giggles. She feels ridiculous. People are milling about.

“All right, let’s get started,” Taryn announces. She retrieves a coin from Joy.

“Do you know what you’re doing?”

“Nope. I’m winging it. Take a coin like this.” She shows Joy the penny. “Close your eyes and say out loud one thing you hate about Dylan. For example, I hate that you never told me about him. Then toss the coin.” She overhands the penny into the fountain.