After sending that message, I set my phone on the nightstand and tried to fall asleep, hoping it would be easier now without that weight sitting on my chest. But before I could get comfortable enough to drift off, my phone chimed with an incoming text. Instantly, my chest tightened. I knew it had to have been from Tasha, which gave me conflicting emotions—worry that I’d woken her up, and anxiety over what she had to say.
Tasha Lewis: I realize we haven’t known each other long, and considering this strange situation we’ve found ourselves in, our time together is limited and in secret. I also understand that trust is earned, not freely handed out to everyone you come across. I can’t say “you should know me better than that” because that’s unrealistic. Neither do I expect you to immediately trust that it wasn’t what it looked like. But that doesn’t mean you should’ve DIS-trusted me. That’s what I have a problem with. Not trusting is one thing, but immediately assuming that I am a liar is completely different.
I understood where she was coming from, and I hated myself for the way I’d treated her. Just reading those words broke my heart. I had two options in front of me: concede and walk away or fight.
Me: You’re right…we’re in a really weird situation. So with that in mind, I would like it if you could put yourself in my shoes for one second. This isn’t to deny that it’s all my fault or make any excuses, I would just like a second to explain the distrusting aspect that you pointed out. Is that ok?
To my surprise, she immediately responded with a thumbs-up emoji.
Me: I distrust your sister. This evening, I wasn’t accusing YOU of being a liar. I was accusing your sister of lying about having a twin just to mess with me. Not once did I ever think that you, Tasha Lewis, had done anything to hurt me. The whole time, I assumed Tiffany had. Does that make sense?
I held my breath the entire time the dots danced on the screen, indicating that she was typing out a response. The longer they bounced, the higher my heart rate climbed. And by the time her blue speech bubble popped up, I was on the verge of a heart attack.
Tasha Lewis: That makes sense. It doesn’t mean that I’m any less hurt than I was before, but I do understand what you’re saying. And I can even agree with that. My sister would lie to her own shadow if she thought she’d gain anything from it. But you do know now that I wasn’t making any of this up, right? Do you believe that I’m not Tiffany, or do you still question that?
Me: I believe you.
And I did. I never truly thought that she’d spent the last month and a half lying to me; that was just something the voices of my past tried to convince me of. And by the time she finally called, my head was so twisted that I didn’t know which way was up. However, I couldn’t explain that to her. If I tried, it would look like I was contradicting what I’d said before, and I didn’t need to give her another reason to doubt me.
Tasha Lewis: Thank you. I appreciate that. What are your plans for the weekend?
Me: Now that you’re busy with what’s his face, I guess I should use the opportunity to get all the landscaping done around my sister’s place. She’s only been asking me to do it for months. This seems like the perfect time to do something that’ll occupy my mind for a bit.
It was true; I needed something to keep my mind off what Tasha would be doing with Adam. Not that I thought Tasha would get too cozy with her sister’s fiancé, but they would have to act in a way that would convince others that they were together.
The other issue I had with this whole thing was the fact that I didn’t know Adam. I had no idea what type of guy he was. For all I knew, Tiffany had stepped out on him because he’d set the precedence first. And it’s obvious that he found Tiffany attractive, so there was no reason he wouldn’t feel the same about Tasha. Honestly, it was impossible to differentiate between the two in pictures.
However, I’d pretty much just told Tasha that I trusted her, and this would be my chance to prove that to her. So to make it through the stressful weekend I had ahead of me, I’d have to give my sister the yard of her dreams. The things she needed done would take me one day, if that. I needed something to occupy two full days, from sunup to sundown, which meant Jessa and Marcus were about to get the works.
My phone chimed with one last text from Tasha.
Tasha Lewis: Well, if you can, keep your phone on you, or at least check it from time to time. I’m sure I’m going to need your voice of reason to get me through this stupid event tomorrow. G'night Jacoby.
I smiled as I replied with: goodnight to you too, Tasha, followed by a purple heart emoji.
* * *
“You’re such an idiot,” Jessa said with a laugh and dramatic eye roll.
I finished packing the soil around a freshly planted hibiscus shrub and then leaned back on my haunches to look at her. Her only job today was to keep me hydrated and offer me a little bit of company, not sit around and call me names like we were kids. “We’ve established this already, but thanks for your valuable input.”
“Sorry,
