Page 133 of Let's Get Textual

Twenty-Four

Much to my surprise, Zach doesn’t come by the night of the goat heist…or the next day.

I’m starting to worry about three things.

One, he doesn’t care that I stole Marshmallow.

Two, he doesn’t care about me anymore.

Three, my building manager discovering that I’m harboring a stolen animal.

My patience and heart are both wearing thin. I can’t keep up the façade any longer.

I miss him like a writer misses their pen. Every day I reach for my phone to text him something funny or random, and every day I remember I can’t.

So instead I text myself, hoping one day I can show him all the funny things I thought of while he wasn’t around to appreciate them.

One day…

I let out a heavy sigh.

“Stop doing that,” Zoe complains.

“What?”

“Sighing. It’s annoying.”

“I can’t help it. I’m in worry mode, and I sigh a lot when I’m at this point.”

“I know, and it’s annoying, so stop it. He’ll come for him. I know he will.”

My teeth sink into my bottom lip. “Just him?”

She eyes me. “He’ll come for you too. I have a feeling.”

There’s a knock at the door, and I stand so quickly that I almost step on Marshmallow, who’s lying at my feet.

I race over there and then straight back.

“Do you think it’s him?” I whisper to Zoe.

“You won’t know until you answer the door.”

“I’m scared.”

“Do you want me to open it?”

I shake my head. “No, no. I can do this.” I smooth out my shirt and blow out a breath. “I can do this. I can open the door and say hello and explain. I can do this.”

“Then fucking do it!”

“Shh!”

As calmly as I can, I march to the door and pull it open, a smile plastered on my face.

I’m disappointed by what I find on the other side.

“Son of a bitch.”

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