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“You two hungry? Let’s have a snack, huh?” I drop to my haunches and pet their heads before moving to get dressed.
I put on a camisole nightie that reaches midthigh, the white silky fabric cool against my freshly heated skin from the shower. I put my hair up in a towel and head downstairs, the pups in tow. Opening the fridge, I pull out some of the special dog food I got this week. It’s supposed to be super healthy for them, and they are already on their second bag.
They start to devour it, and I leave them to it, heading toward the living room. I leave the light off, the kitchen’s giving me enough illumination to see everything I need. Laying out the blanket, I make the couch up for the night, turning to grab my pillow off the chair in the corner. Suddenly, I’m stopped when the room brightens from headlights hitting the wall as someone pulls up the dirt driveway.
It happens then, for the first time. The anxiety rises into my chest, causing my heart to beat at a rapid pace.
New York.
I see myself in that small apartment, afraid of who was on the other side of the door, trying to get in. The familiar sensation of being watched anywhere I went creeping in. My chest rises and falls quickly as I try to calm myself enough to walk to the window. I fail miserably… until warm fur hits both sides of me.
This brings me back into the moment, aware of my surroundings. All doors are locked, and I’m safer in this house than I was in that apartment. And to top it off, I have the alarm system.
“Shit.” I forgot to set it, like I often do. Moving quietly as if they can hear me, I go to the front door and set the alarm. I release a deep breath, close my eyes for a moment, then peek out the window beside the front door to see a black truck with headlights and a spotlight on. But whoever is in there isn’t getting out, and with all the lights shining directly on the house, I can’t make out who it is. My heart is running rampant, and my palms are sweating, my nails digging imprints in them. I pick up my phone to call Brenda, and right as she answers, the truck backs out and heads off down the highway.
“Hey! You okay?” Loud music plays, telling me she’s still out.
“Shit. Yes, sorry, I just freaked out for no reason. Someone pulled into the driveway and stayed there without getting out. They just got back on the highway. They probably got lost.” Placing my hand over my heart, I step back and head into the living room to take a seat on the couch and attempt to calm down.
“Oh, hun! You’re okay! Want me to send my brother back?”
Instantly, I’m able to take my mind off what happened, and I blurt out, “No! I mean, no thank you. It was nothing. I was just a little spooked for some reason. Maybe the beer got to me. I haven’t drank in a while.” I awkwardly laugh.
Seriously, I sound mental. Brenda doesn’t know anything about the whole situation back in New York. After telling her so much already, this one seems like it should be a couple months of knowing each other before I drop a “yeah, so I think I had a stalker,” or “something weird, when I found out about my grandpa, I left in the middle of the night, ditching everything without a word and brought only a few things with me.”
I have yet to call the landlord and tell him I left. Right now, I’m focusing on getting settled, and with a new job and some of his inheritance, I’ll be able to pay the rent there until I feel I can go back, get rid of everything, and end the lease.
One overwhelming task at a time, Hanna.
“Are you sure? He would be more than happy to. It was most likely a lost out-of-towner, but you can never be too sure.”
“They left, so there isn’t anything he could do. If they come back or it happens again, I will take that raincheck. Thanks, Brenda, and I’m sorry I left so abruptly.”
“No! Don’t worry! I will come by after work tomorrow, and we can have dinner and chat a bit more. I hope Theo wasn’t a total shithead.”
“No, he wasn’t. He was surprisingly decent.” I leave out the part where he dropped hints of wanting to hook up with me, because it’s too hurtful, and I think she and I both know he’s doing it to be a dick. I don’t need to cause a family feud over it. I’m a big girl. I got it.
“Good. I’ll see you tomorrow. You fed me last time, so I will bring the dessert—store bought, because I can’t cook nor bake, so that’s the best way I can repay! Unless you want me to order takeout?” she hollers as the bar-goers and music seem to get louder and rowdier.
