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“Idaline?” a quiet masculine voice says.
I stir from a sleep I apparently fell into, open my eyes, and see FC and Sawyer sitting on the edge of my bed. I gave FC the spare key to my house; otherwise, I would be concerned with how he got into my apartment.
“What are you doing here?” I ask as I sit up.
“You weren’t answering your cell and I was worried. You got so much done today. No wonder you wanted a nap.”
“I actually didn’t mean to fall asleep.”
“Ahda.” Sawyer crawls over to me with his toy in hand and shows it off to me.
I entertain him, happy to see them both. With a quick glance at a nearby clock, I see it’s way past dinner time.
“Hungry?” FC asks.
“Nom!” Sawyer shouts, causing us to laugh.
“Looks like two of us are hungry,” I say.
“He’s always hungry if food is brought up. I may have already ordered something since I know you haven’t been grocery shopping yet. It should be here soon.”
FC is the best. We move into the living room, where we play, have dinner, and then I say goodbye to FC and Sawyer. Living in a new place is always weird and it always gives me some anxieties. At least I can do my best to shrug it off as normal nerves. FC checks in every now and then before we go to bed, and that helps soothe me.
But my anxiety goes insane the next day. There’s not much for me to do, other than complete some grocery shopping and wait around, hoping I hear about a job. If I’m not walking around the apartment, I’m sitting with my knees bouncing, my fingers constantly tingling, and my heart beating too fast. I also get referred to a new therapist, who I’m supposed to see tomorrow. I’d much rather be interviewed for a job.
What if I never get a job? Then what? What if my previous employer gives a bad reference because of how I left? How will I survive then? Maybe I should calculate how many days my money will last me.
A day goes by and on the second, I feel even worse. I need to hear something from someone. There’s a knock on my door around noon. Thinking it’s FC, I open the door without checking the peephole first. When I see Lila, my heart stops. My body freezes. I don’t ev
en have the chance to slam the door closed.
Lila pushes her way past me. “Thanks for letting me in. Idaline, right? Took me a long time to remember that.”
I turn and face her, closing the door. “What do you want?”
She laughs. “I want you to leave FC.”
“So you can abuse him again?”
Her mouth drops in outrage and shock. “I never did such a thing! Is that what you think? I mean, look at me and look at FC. How in the world would I abuse him? Every couple has arguments, Idaline. That’s all that happened between FC and me. And now, here you are, ruining what we’re supposed to have together. Do you get off being a homewrecker?”
I stare at her for a moment. Is she serious? Does she truly believe the words coming out of her mouth? “You’re delusional,” I say the very words I’m thinking. “FC doesn’t have scars on his back from an accident or simple arguments. Those are from you and your hatefulness. He didn’t have black eyes and bruises from anyone other than you. I don’t know what you’re doing here, and quite frankly, I don’t care. But you aren’t welcome and you’ll never have FC. Not because of me, but because of you and what you did to him.”
I’ve never seen eyes light up with an evil glow before now. The slap comes before I have a chance to blink. My cheek burns. Did she seriously just hit me? There’s another knock on my door and I rush to answer it.
FC. Thankfully.
He sees me and my reddening cheek. He glances behind me and sees Lila. And that same fury I saw before in Lila’s eyes fills FC’s. He storms past me, grabs her arm, and drags her out of the apartment, nearly throwing her out of it.
“Stay the fuck away from her. My patience is gone, Lila. Gone. Go home and don’t ever come back.” He slams the door, locks it, and then turns to face me. “Why in the hell would you let her in here?”
“I didn’t!” I shout, angry that he’s directing his anger at me. “I opened the door, thinking it was you, and she barged in. She slapped me, FC! I could blame you for that because she’s your ex-girlfriend. What are you doing?” I snap as he steps forward and wraps his arms around me.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers. “I was angry at her and worried for you. Let’s breathe and calm down.”
“I don’t want to calm down,” I pout. “I’m mad you yelled at me.”
FC chuckles. “Then be mad at me while I take you out to lunch. And let me give you a kiss.”
