Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 79360 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79360 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
As I walked out of the station and saw him up close and personal with his ex, I decided that it was high time that I either shit or got off the pot.
It’d been three weeks of nothing but Sean ignoring me, and I was officially over it.
Something needed to give, and it wasn’t me.
It was him.
He either needed to forgive me, or I needed to move on, because I was tired of feeling this way.
I walked to my car, a car that I was lucky to have since Sean had been taking me everywhere for the last three weeks.
But he’d wanted to go vote on the way to work, and I’d needed to stop to get some ladies’ utensils, aka tampons.
Something that he’d allowed me to do either because he didn’t like dealing with women’s shit, or he was tired of being around me.
Regardless, I now had my car in my possession, and things were about to get real.
The moment I got to my car, I bleeped the locks and opened the passenger side door, easily extracting a spiral bound notebook from the floorboard and started writing my note with a pen I’d found on the ground outside of a gas station the day before.
My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I bit my lip, wondering if I should answer it or write the note.
I answered the phone.
“When are you coming home?”
My mom.
“Today.”
Her inhale was swift and sharp, and I smiled.
Then I wrote my note.
I don’t want you to be mad at me anymore. I was being stupid. I’m a girl, and we do stupid things sometimes. But ever since I’ve gotten out of the hospital, you’ve broken my heart a little more each day. It hurts. I miss my friend. Don’t be mad at me.
I placed the note on the seat of Sean’s bike, hoping that it didn’t blow off with a gust of wind.
With one last glance at Sean where he was talking with Ellen, I got into my car and didn’t look back.
Wouldn’t ever look back.
Putting my phone to my ear, I dialed my best friend and unloaded.
“I’m coming home.”
***
I drove ten over the speed limit the entire way and didn’t once get pulled over.
Either it was divine intervention happening, or I was just not speeding as much as other drivers.
Regardless, I pulled up in front of Aspen’s house seven hours later and turned my car off in her driveway.
I didn’t even make it out of my car all the way before my best friend was on me, tackling me to the ground and wrapping her legs and arms around me like a monkey on crack.
“Jesus,” the breath left my lungs, whooshing out so fast that I got light-headed.
“Your phone’s ringing.”
That was from Aspen’s husband.
I looked up and grinned at Drew.
“Yeah,” I acknowledged. “Been doing that for a couple of hours now.”
Or six.
He allowed me an hour before he’d started calling, trying to figure out where I was.
I hadn’t answered at all. The only clue he had that I left the city was that I’d at least called Big Papa and told him that I wasn’t going to be home tonight.
Though, that was out of courtesy to the man I was staying with since Big Papa was a worry wart.
“I missed you so much,” Aspen said, squeezing her arms tighter around my neck.
I patted her elbow.
“Yeah,” I wheezed. “But if you don’t let up, I might die.”
She snorted.
Did her grip around my neck let up, though?
Hell no.
“People are staring, Aspen,” Drew pointed out. “And your brother just pulled up.”
I looked up, the inch that Aspen’s grip allowed, and waved with my fingers at her brother.
He grinned at me.
“Looking a little red there, girl.”
I snorted, patted Aspen’s arm again to get her to let me go, and I breathed a sigh of relief when she finally did.
We both made our way to our feet, and Aspen was on me again.
“I’ve missed you so much. Do you think it’d be okay to…”
“No.” Drew and Downy responded at the same time.
I rolled my eyes.
“We can paint each other’s nails,” I informed her. “But I’m not going out drinking. The doctor strictly prohibited that.”
She huffed. “That’s ridiculous.”
I shrugged.
“Not even wine?”
I shook my head. “Nope.”
“Come inside,” Drew said. “And make sure you dust yourself off. Y’all have grass in your hair and on your asses.”
I started to dust the grass off of my shirt, and followed Drew inside, waving at Drew’s daughter who was on the phone talking to someone.
She waved back but didn’t disrupt her phone conversation.
“Who’s she talking to?” I asked as soon as the door closed.
“Her man. He calls at the same time every day…if he can. They’re doing really good together,” Drew answered.
Drew’s daughter had met a boy who’d gone into the military, and he’d gone on his first deployment only three months ago.