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“Hello, Allison.”
“Hello. Listen, I’m sorry about that little scene earlier. I know I have no right to question what you do or don’t do when you’re not with me. I’m sorry.”
“It’s OK. Listen, I have to go.”
“You’re still mad,” she stated.
“I’m not mad. I’m tired.”
“Tired? I thought you were resting at your old girlfriend’s house?”
“Allison…” I began, but she was already apologizing again.
“I’m sorry. Are you feeling better?”
“I’m going to lie back down for a bit. I’ll talk to you later. Thanks for calling.”
I was dimly aware that she was saying goodbye even as I ended the call. I put the phone in silent mode and grabbed a glass then drank down several refills of water. I was parched, which was probably also why I was tired. I walked into the bedroom and climbed into bed with the large ginger cat that had already taken up residence on what she deemed her side of the bed. She opened one eye to look at me and then rolled onto her back to be scratched.
“Too lazy to even get up and come greet me now, are you? So much for being my best girl, Scout. Where’s your partner in crime?”
The fact that Scout hadn’t come running for food and Atticus was nowhere to be seen told me they had been out hunting. The cat door in the kitchen allowed them to slip in and out as they pleased, and they made good use of it. Atticus would turn up when he was done prowling about. He was neutered, but that didn’t stop him from trying to charm any lady cats that crossed his path. Scout, on the other hand, was content to mostly stay inside and sleep whenever possible.
I climbed under the covers beside her and slept, too drained to give any of it much thought, but my dreams saw things differently. I was soon transported to another time and place, one where things had not yet begun to go wrong. It was a dream I’d been having for years, though her face had begun to fade over time. Now, it was back, clearly in focus, but it wasn’t the innocent face of a girl. It had been replaced by that of a woman, her blue eyes somehow brighter and her long honey-colored hair streaked by the sun. She was as breathtaking as the first time I had noticed her, sitting alone in the library with books open all around her.
The sound of glass smashing brought me out of the deep sleep I’d been in. Bolting from the bed, I rushed blindly toward the sound. It wasn’t what a normal person would have done, but I had few fears out here in this secluded home. The culprit was far more likely the black cat who was quickly disappearing under the sofa, leaving his tail exposed to give away his presence. One glance toward the kitchen revealed the drinking glass I had left sitting on the counter, shattered on the floor.
“You’re a little bastard, Atticus. How many glasses is that now?” I groaned, grabbing the broom and dustpan to get it cleaned up before one of them cut their paws. Scout had followed me out and now sat looking curiously at the mess and then up at me as if to convey her innocence. “It’s OK, Scout. I know it wasn’t you.”
Dumping the glass in the nearby bin, I glanced at the clock, surprised to find I had slept for nearly three hours. I grabbed a couple of frozen burritos from the freezer and put them on a plate in the microwave. It wasn’t fine cuisine, but it was handy. I could cook, but most of the time I was coming in after a full day of working on a house somewhere and just couldn’t be bothered. Anyone else would be overweight, but the manual labor I did kept me moving more than enough to burn off the extra calories. I couldn’t complain about it. Flipping houses had been good for me in many ways—financially, physically, and mentally.
After a quick meal, I walked down to what used to be the Pickens family’s master bedroom and opened the door. Other than the living room, it was the largest room of the house, and I had opted to turn it into a hobby area, taking a smaller room down the hall as my bedroom instead. Even with its impressive size, it was bordering on maximum capacity. When I finished the house next to Leigha…well, next to Rain now, I supposed…I would put an addition onto the back of the house, opening up the room to have a separate storage area or work area.
I had considered moving into the larger house I was currently working on instead. The large garage attached to it would make an ideal space for building models and dioramas. Now, I was back to plan A. That idea had been fine while Leigha was alive. I had helped her out around her place, so it was a good idea all around. Rain being there now changed everything. I wasn’t sure if I could ever find peace living in such proximity to her. The water under that bridge was murky and perhaps even dangerous. Maybe I needed a break from being so close to her. I’d be seeing her enough as it was.
