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“What?”
“You need to drink again, buddy. That’s the only way.”
“That just postpones the inevitable,” Rooster points out.
“I know, but live in the moment, man. We should—”
The line goes dead.
“Rooster?” I ask. “Hello?”
I look at my phone and realize there’s no signal at all. I try to dial out, but nothing.
“Fuck,” I mutter.
I wanted to ask Rooster to come out drinking with me. I need to get Raven out of my system. I need to stop thinking about her. If I can go out and get drunk, I might even find someone to fuck so I can forget about her.
As if that will happen. I don’t want anyone else anymore. Even if I can’t have her, I can’t imagine picking someone up in a bar just for the night anymore.
Damn it, how does one woman change everything about my life in a week?
I walk to the kitchen and open the fridge. I have a couple of beers there, but nothing that will take the edge off. I try to eat and drink clean and healthy, the way I would have if I was a player. I know it’s pointless, but hell, it was always worth it. Now, I wish I had junk food and whiskey, or something I can use to make this shitty ache in my chest go away.
I walk to the living room with a beer and flick through the channels for something to watch. Nothing is working because the wi-fi is obviously down. The beer on the coffee table starts condensing, but I don’t feel like drinking it, so it remains untouched.
Without my phone, without television, without being able to go out, I can’t do anything to distract myself from thinking about her.
Fuck, fuck, fuck!
I kick back on the couch and close my eyes. I slept until now, but if that’s all there is to do, I can will myself to sleep more. I’m not going to sit here doing nothing, letting my mind drive me crazy.
A knock on the door pulls me out of a deep sleep. I’m half-twisted on the couch and my body aches when I straighten up. It takes me a moment to orientate myself. I don’t know what I was dreaming, but it was something to do with Raven.
The thought just makes me feel sick.
The knock on the door sounds again, and I realize that part was real; it wasn’t my dream. I get up and walk to the door. I’m hoping it’s Rooster, with alcohol. I can’t imagine who else it would be.
When I open the door, Raven stands in front of me, huddled in her coat. She has a suitcase with her and her dark eyes are bright.
“Hi,” she says.
I blink at her. “What are you doing here?” Is she an apparition?
Her face falls a little. “I…my flight was grounded. I wanted to see you at least one more time. But if this is a bad time.”
I’m still staring at her. I realize I don’t look as happy to see her as she hoped for. But I can’t believe it’s her. I step forward, and without saying anything, I wrap my arms around her and hold onto her so tightly, I hope she never leaves again. She’s tense for a moment in my arms before she relaxes against me, and this is where she belongs.
“Come on,” I say when I finally let go of her. “Come in. You’re staying tonight, right?”
“If that’s okay.”
I grab her and kiss her. “No way I’m letting you go into that storm again.”
I want to tell her that there’s no way I’m letting her go. Period. But that’s not fair.
She’s breathless after the kiss, and her cheeks turn red as she blushes.
“I’ll make us coffee. We don’t have any wi-fi, cable is out, but we have power, and that’s a good start.”
