Page 6 of Welcome to the Heart Of A Maniac
Purring stirred me from my slumber. My eyes slowly drifted open to the sun beaming through the pink curtains in my bedroom. Fur brushed against the side of my face. I reached over and gently stroked Smoke only for him to snap at me.
“Ouch!” I shoved him away from my face and sat up in bed. Looking over at the clock on my nightstand, it was going on six in the morning. I needed to get up so that I can fix me some breakfast and get ready for work.
Before I head to the library today, I’m supposed to stop by Tyree’s so he can take a look at the truck. I called him the day before but he wasn’t picking up the phone. The only way to get in touch with him is to pop up on him.
Smoke jumped down from my bed and slipped through the crack in my bedroom door and doorway. Tossing the covers back, I threw my legs over the edge of the bed and lifted to my feet. Soon as my feet touched the pink rug alongside my bed, I got on my tippy toes and reached my fingers toward the ceiling. Leaning backward, my back popped and I straightened my posture.
My bare feet pad across the wooden floor to my bathroom. I hit the light switch and stepped in front of my sink. The pink tile cool underneath my feet, sending a sock to my brain to fully wake up. I’d stayed up last night, reading a book and the bad decision was written all over my face with the bags underneath my eyes.
“I gotta stop staying up late with those books.”
But they do be good though.
I released a sigh and reached underneath the cabinet to grabbed my box of eye patches and removed a pack. Ripping it open, I carefully placed them underneath my eyes and turned on the faucet. Luna jumped up on the counter and walked directly in front of the mirror. She was my black cat with these gorgeous blue eyes.
“Hey, girl,” I spoke and grabbed my floss. “Where’s Gremlin? Huh, girl?”
Gremlin was my third cat. He’s the one that I’ve had the longest. Also, the one who likes to stay to himself. He didn’t want anything to do with the others’ shenanigans.
After brushing my teeth, I went into the kitchen to fix my babies something to eat before making my breakfast. I grabbed their cat food out of the pantry and dumped it into their bowls, making sure to mix in their vitamins with it. Gremlin hated taking his vitamins. I had to get smart about it and cover it with his food where he couldn’t see it.
Placing their bowls on the floor, I waited ’til they all ran in here to eat and then went over to the refrigerator. A knock at the front door halted my hand midair. No one was supposed to be here this time of morning. I scurried toward my bedroom and grabbed my robe off the back of the bathroom door and slipped it over my shoulders. As I sprinted down the hallway back toward the living room, the knocking grew stronger. I tied myrobe around my waist and stopped at the door. Heart skipping beats in my chest.
“Who is it?” I asked through the door.
“Open the door, Wren.” I gasped at the sound of Cassius’ voice. This man supposed to be in the hospital somewhere, not standing on my porch.
Maybe he was the one who sent me that text.
Ever since I left him up there, I had to battle with my heart to not go and check on him. I blocked him where he wouldn’t be able to reach out to me either. What he did to me was wrong. He broke my heart, and I didn’t want to hear anything that he had to say.
“Go away, Cassius,” I shot back, pressing my back against the door. My heart palpitated, and I knew that it wasn’t gon’ slow any time soon with him standing on the porch.
“C’mon, Wren. You know I love you. I’on know why you’re acting like this.”
“Are you serious?” I asked just above a whisper.
Apparently, it was loud enough, because he responded, “Yeah…you didn’t even bother to come and see me at the hospital.”
Okay, now he’s acting as if he doesn’t know what the hell is going on. Unlocking the door, I yanked it open and mugged him. “You seemed to have enough people up there with you. You didn’t need me.”
“What are you talking ’bout?”
“You’re really gon’ stand here and try to play me like I’m stupid? All those other females you had up there. I saw them with my own two eyes, Cassius.”
“C’mon, babe, those were just friends.”
“You’re nothing but a liar.” I pushed the door, and he stopped it with his foot.
“We’ve been through too much for you to be trying to give up on us now.”
“Cassius, we haven’t been through anything and that should’ve been a red flag. I don’t have time for this. I have to get ready for work. Please get off my porch.”
“Porch?” He chuckled and tossed his head back. “Bitch, this ain’t nothing but wood.” He stomped his foot to prove a point. “You live in a fucking trailer park.”
“Okay? And what point are you trying to make here?”
“You walk around here like you’re so fucking much and ain’t got shit to offer. You gon’ die in there alone with those fucking stank ass cats.”
