I screw up a couple orders, which probably loses me tips that I need. I can’t stop thinking about it all—how upset Ella was this morning, how horrible that night with Brendan was, how sympathetic and understanding Jacob was. I never wanted to tell him about that. I never wanted to tell anyone about it. I told Frances, the counselor I saw, and that was it. But now I realize this is a huge secret I’ve been carrying around, and it’s been the wall between Ella and me all along. And now she knows. But she doesn’t know all of it. Jacob thinks I should tell her the truth. I go back and forth over this in my mind, trying to figure out what to do. What the consequences of telling her would be, good or bad. What the consequences of not telling her would be. Taisha nudges me. “Hey, girl, table twelve is trying to get your attention.” “What? Huh?” I look around. “Oh!” Damn, I promised them their check ten minutes ago. I hurry over to leave it on the table, apologizing profusely.
