I found the nearest gas station and refilled my tank. As I was paying the clerk, I asked where I was, and discovered I had somehow driven almost two hours away from my house.
Shit.
“You lost?”
“No, well, kind of. I’ll find my way back, no big deal. Thanks.” I paid him and hurried back to my car.
I started back the way I came. As I drove, I slowed at all the places with lights on, looking for a payphone.
The more I drove, the less hope I felt about finding a payphone. I was surrounded by nothing but trees.
I practiced breathing slowly and tried to focus on the road instead of my worries, and eventually, I found my way home.
It was nearly morning as I pulled into my driveway. The sun was just starting to rise, and I saw a figure on my front porch.
I climbed out of the car and called out to the guy, “Can I help you?”
He turned, and it was Mick, one of Desi’s friends. He was holding a manila envelope. He turned and his eyes widened in fear, as if I caught him in the act of something treacherous.
“Mick? What are you doing here?”
He hid it behind his back. “Nothing. I don’t know. I should go.” He kept his head down and tried to brush past me but I raised my hands and held him back.
“What’s going on? What do you have?”
“Nothing, I didn’t think I’d see you here this early. I didn’t want you to know it was me. I… I gotta go. I’m saying a lot of stuff I shouldn’t.”
“Mick!” I demanded. “What is going on? If you don’t tell me what is in that envelope, I’ll have to ask Desi why his friend was here at five in the morning hanging something on my door.”
He froze. His long dark hair hung over his eyes, shielding them from my scrutinizing gaze.He began to tear it into pieces.
“What are you doing?” I scrambled to try to collect them but he shoved me away and picked them up, shoving them into his pocket. “Are you nuts?”
“I was stupid to come here. I shouldn’t have. Desi is going to kill me if he finds out.”
“Well, he’s going to know.” I put one hand on my hip. “Unless you tell me what the hell is going on.”
He stammered again until blurting out something I never expected.
“I-I’m in love with you!”
