Page 12 of Falling for the Enemy

“I can’t ask anymore of you. I can imagine what you think, me dropping her off like that. I know that Lidia looked a mess when she came in. It was probably frightful for you.”

I disagreed and told him that it was fine. I’d been around people like them before, the rough and tumble sort that got physical more often than not. I didn’t find anything wrong with it, even though those were the type of people, my family, that I was trying to get away from by moving here. I wanted a fresh start and a way out of the life that I’d been living while I was there.

Alice was around though, so thankfully, we really didn’t get to talk again. I tried my best to figure out what was going on, but it was trial and error. Before too long, Frank helped his sister back to his place and Alice followed him around like a little puppy. She looked lost and I almost said that I would keep her with me, but I was trying my best not to get too involved. It was hard to do, especially when I felt I was already deep in it. It wasn’t like I could just back out of it now. I was in it.

The place was quiet and lonely when I went back inside. Everyone was gone and with it, all of the excitement and noise. I told myself that I liked the quiet, but I would have been lying to myself. I needed to get moving, so I went outside and decided to go into town. I used to be really bad about retail therapy, buying stuff to make me feel better, and I wanted to do that right now, but I knew it wasn't going to do me any good. Besides, there wasn't even really anywhere to shop around here.

The truth was I just wanted to get out and try to process my feelings without hearing the noises from next door or seeing any of them. So, I just drove around and got to know the little Ohio town better. I also made a few phone calls, checking in with family and friends from home. I kept hearing how they missed me, and they were waiting for me to come back. Nobody knew that I was going to be out here for a year or more. I couldn’t even imagine me being here, considering what the last few days had brought. It had been interesting sure, but maybe a little bit more excitement and interest wasn’t what I was looking for.

My friend Donna was the last person I called because she had taken me leaving the hardest. We'd been friends for many years, and she felt like I was abandoning her. She also knew that things were rough and should know more than most why I needed to get out of there. I needed a fresh start. When I’d left, she could barely look at me.

She had been mad when I left, but I was hoping that she had a little bit of time to cool off. She was who I wanted to talk to and tell all about what was going on here. She would understand how crazy it was and talk me down from the cliff. If I didn't live here for a year, I couldn't sell the place, and everything that I was going to do with my future wasn’t going to lead to anything. I needed the money to make it happen, so I had to stay. I had to stick to the stipulations.

Donna picked up after the second ring and she immediately told me that it was good to hear from me. I asked her if she was alright, and she said that she was, but that she was sorry how things turned out when I left. I told her not to worry about it, I understood why she was upset. I was upset for leaving, but I hoped that she would forgive me or at least understand why. She said that she didn't, she just didn't want to believe that I was leaving. When she asked me how long I was going to be gone, I honestly didn't know just what to say.

If I told her the truth, it was just going to upset her. Maybe I could start off small, saying it was a month, and I would just extend it out and she wouldn’t get the big shock of a year. Problem was, she was trying to make plans for us as soon as I got back. We were always going out and doing things together. I didn't want her to make plans, knowing that I wasn't going to be able to keep up with them.

It put me in a bad spot, and I finally chickened out about the whole thing and got off the phone. Why was it so hard? Now I felt like I had abandoned her. We were supposed to get through it together, and how could we when I ran off in the other direction? I got off the phone with her, telling her that I had to go someplace and take care of something. I was acting like I had all this important stuff to do, but it was really because I was afraid of my own best friend. Maybe I was afraid of the decision I had made to come here at all. I was starting to think that maybe it was a big mistake. It certainly didn't feel like anything I was supposed to be doing.

I realized I needed to stay away from the neighbor. Frank’s sister was obviously the bringer of drama, and it would probably be better if I kept my distance from her. That made sense, so why was I instead wondering when I was going to see them again?

I thought about the worry I had felt for Frank, how strong it had been. The idea of something happening to him and him getting hurt had been hard for me to imagine. I tried to understand why that was. Why did I care? He was rude and contemptuous, even though he looked like he had been carved from clay by gods. Maybe that was it.

I shouldn't care where he was or what he was doing. I should be keeping my distance and focusing on getting my career back in shape. I looked for a few remote jobs when I got back home but didn't find much in the way of what I was looking for. I went to bed early that night, wondering if Frank would pop by like he had been doing the last few days. I looked at the clock and saw how late it was and when Frank usually showed up, and I figured that he wasn't. Then, and only then, was I able to get some sleep. Apparently, if Frank wasn't coming, there was no sense in me staying awake.

12

Frank

Itook Lidia to her new home. She had already secured another place where she and Alice would be safe. I tried to get her to stay with me a little bit longer, but she insisted on her own space. Likely she would have another boyfriend soon enough, and I hoped this time was a better one. Lidia was a woman who needed to be loved and that need got her into really tough spots. My sister was creative and talented. She deserved better. Hell, anyone deserved better than the last piece of crap she was with. I tried to let it go, but the more I thought about it, the madder I became.

By the time I got home from helping her settle into her new place, the lights next door were off. I had to go over there to properly thank Amber, take her to dinner. I really needed to put some effort in. She said that she was only going to be here for a year, but I was bound and determined to help her be comfortable here for that year. I hated to think what would have happened if she hadn't been there to watch Alice so that I could check on my sister. What would have happened if my niece had been there instead?

Amber changed the course of something that could have been horrible. I wanted to let her know that I was ever thankful for it. She was a lifesaver in more ways than one, especially how she had handled the situation when Lidia had come back the way she had. My sister said that she was calm and helpful.

The next morning was my last day off and even though I usually would sleep in, I found myself getting up with the sun and I knew that it wasn't because I had anything pressing to do. Instead, I was trying to catch Amber outside on the porch soaking up the sun. It reminded me of her grandmother, who would claim the sun would soak into her bones. The two were calm in times of hardship and that was a skill that couldn’t be taught. There was a lot to admire her for, even more to desire her for.

I was almost at the door ready to walk out before I realized that I didn't have a shirt on. I almost went back to put one on, but then I remembered the attention that she gave me when I didn’t have one on. It was a toss-up and I hit middle ground by not wearing the shirt but had one around my neck if her sensibility was too high this morning.

When I got outside she went sitting at her usual spot, coffee in her hands and a newspaper.

“What are you reading?” I asked her as I was walking up. I was trying to read her face and the expression she was giving me over my shirt. She noticed, but didn’t say anything, so I was just going to let it ride. She was looking and I was going to let it happen. If I could soften her up with my chest, then I was certainly not above it. It would make us living together a little smoother. A little tension between two people was good. It would keep her friendly and maybe me as well. I knew though that going any further than friends was a recipe for disaster. If something went wrong, which it most always did, I would have to live next to her. That didn't seem like a good idea at all, but damned if I wanted to roll the dice like Jeremy.

“If you want to know what is going on around here, nothing happened. There is your recap. Nothing ever happens here.”

“I'm not looking for the news. I was looking at the classifieds to see if there are any jobs open, but that was about as big of a bust as the news was.”

“You're looking for a job?” I asked her, kind of surprised. She didn't look like somebody who would look for a job in the classifieds. I didn’t know what that meant, but she acted like she came from money.

“Yeah, don’t we all have to have one?”

“I mean, yeah, but… What kind of job are you looking for?”

Amber scoffed. “What I do doesn’t really exist here, so I haven’t gotten anything online yet. I do PR and no one around here is looking for that. I am going to have to take what I can get it’s starting to look like.”

“You’re probably not going to find anything like that around here,” I agreed.

“I know. I’m screwed.”

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