Page 7 of Come Back To Me
I bite the inside of my cheeks, looking around, and then nod. “Yeah, okay. Sure. Oh, and I guess you can bring those books too.”
He chuckles, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Will do. I’ll see you next week, then.”
“Yeah. I get off at four and should be home no later than five.”
“Seven it is then. Lucky for you I have the later shift.”
“Yeah. Lucky me.” I force a smile, leaning on the doorframe. Am I flirting? I’m not the least bit interested in this guy, but it does make me feel good to be looked at like that again. Too bad it’s not by the right person. It doesn’t matter that Gareth wascheating. I mean, it matters, but it doesn’t make me miss him any less.
We could have figured it out. We could have fixed what was broken. We can’t now. That accident took whatever last chance we had at being us again.
“Take care, and set that alarm at least.”
I wave him off, closing the door as soon as he reaches the end of the sidewalk and is only inches away from his car. I press my back to the door, looking down at the phone in the bag. With my heart feeling like it’s about to escape my chest, I quickly yank it out, but when I try to turn it on, the battery icon flashes on the screen. Dead. Of course it is. It’s been sitting out in the dirt for over a week.
Grinding my teeth, I enter my bedroom and plug in the charger. I watch it until it’s charged enough to turn on, hitting the power button so hard it leaves an indent on my finger. The phone flashes on with the little welcome tune, the screen a little messed up from the crash, but it’s clear enough for me to find his text messages. Time for me to see what he was looking at instead of the road.
Sliding my finger up and down, it stops on Arkansas. He nicknamed the person the number belonged to after the state he got the snow globe from. He knew I’d think nothing of it if I saw it, assuming it was something work related. He’d asked me to join him on his trips before, but I could never get enough days off to go with him on both his work trips and the other vacations he had planned.
It was either one or the other. Maybe I should have chosen the work trips. There are so many maybes running through my mind as I scroll through all the messages. They don’t sound like conversations between two lovers when they first start. It just sounds like two friends discussing their day and what color they want to paint the den.
I stop on one, my heart racing. He was with someone too. They were both having an affair. My eyes skim over the message twice.
Arkansas:I told him I flew out to Arizona. My first lie to him. He doesn’t know where I really went.
Gareth:Did you say why?
Arkansas: I said to visit my brother who lives there. He doesn’t really like my family so didn’t bother to check. I wonder if he’d even care if he knew where I really was.
Gareth:I think he would. He looks at you like he would at least.
Arkansas:Are you trying to convince me to stay?
Gareth:No. Just pointing out what I see.
Arkansas:I don’t love him anymore.
Gareth:Then why marry him?
Arkansas:I don’t know. I guess it’s because it’s where I’m comfortable. But I don’t want to just be comfortable. Tell me not to marry him and I won’t.
Gareth:It’s not my decision to make.
Arkansas:No, but if you really wanted me to leave him for you, I would.
Gareth:I have to go.
Arkansas:You always do this.
Gareth:I’m sorry but Riley is calling for me. We’re running late for this dinner thing.
Arkansas:Do you even still love him?
Gareth:I can’t do this right now.
Arkansas:Just a quick yes or no.
Gareth:Yes.
