Page 97 of The Rules Of Attraction
I got back home about half an hour ago. It was six o’clock so I didn’t expect Alex to be back.
His schedule took him up to six thirty today.
I did appreciate the sweetness he showed me back at the office.
It was what I needed, different in comparison to the emotion overload I felt when I was with him.
The phone started buzzing when I went into the kitchen to grab a snack. I froze before looking at it and rested my hands on the smooth surface of the island.
It buzzed on until it stopped, but then it started again.
“Shit.” It was him. It had to be.
I took the phone out of my pocket and confirmed it was Tom.
It was ridiculous to keep on like this in this anxious state with him practically traumatizing me.
I left Ohio to get away from the shit, and didn’t come here to have it here too.
I couldn’t move on if he was going to keep doing this. The thought of the hindrance kicked my sense of bravado in gear and I answered the phone.
“Summer.” He spoke before I did. “Is that you?” He sounded drained out.
Speaking to him in real time was a lot more effective than listening to a recording of his voice.
“It’s me.” I replied, tone cold.
“Oh God, I thought that I would never hear your voice again. Summer, baby please tell me you listened to my message.”
I found my hands shaking and tried to steady them.
“I have.” My voice sounded so cold and emotionless it surprised me.
There were a few seconds of silence then he spoke. “I really need to explain things Summer.”
“I don’t think there’s anything left to explain.” Thank God, I was talking and saying the words I wanted to say. I could feel his surprise from here. When we were together I’d never sounded as defiant as I did just now.
“There’s a lot. Summer, everything is complete shit. You have to understand what happened.”
“Why? You and Becca not working out doesn’t give you some sort of access to come back to me, as if I’m the fail safe.” I felt proud of this me and welcomed her back.
This was the version of me that took people on when they tried their nonsense with me. This was the Summer I was in court.
Boy did I miss her.
“You aren’t. I just realized what I lost, what I gave up and how I hurt you.”
“And you didn’t before? Tom, my father was buried for two days when you came and told me about the two of you.Two days. And, I knew you were with her before that.”
“Summer, I swear it wasn’t a continuous thing.”
Hearing that confirmation gripped my insides and I started to welter like a rose that had stayed out in the sun for far too long. Parched from the beaming rays of the sun.
Hearing him say that sapped my energy. It was one thing to have a feeling something had happened but to get the confirmation.
Jesus, this was hell.
“A continuous thing?” I didn’t know why but I felt I had to know the details. “When did it happen?”
