AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Heading back over to the bed, I kick off my shoes and stretch out across the middle. I prop my head on my hand and flip through the channels, hoping to find something entertaining. Anything to get my mind off waiting for Addy to reply.
Horror isn’t usually my cup of tea since I prefer romantic comedies, but something about this scary movie catches my eye. For something a little different, I choose the horror film and give it a shot.
I cover my eyes several times, giggling at myself every time because I feel ridiculous. I sit up as the killer is right on the other side of the door from the damsel in distress.
I watch on screen as he shoves his way through the door, and the moment his intended victim screams, a loud knock sounds from behind me on the motel window. I leap off the bed at the sound and scream, my heart jumping into my throat as I turn to find a face staring back at me.
Charlie’s laughter meets my ears even through the thick glass. Her head is thrown back as she continues to laugh, lost in the hilarity of the moment. All I can do is stare at her incredulously. She disappears below the windowsill.
Running over, I swing the door open. Charlie is now bent over laughing like a hyena.
“What the hell, Charlie!?” I yell at her, trying to keep a straight face.
Her hands are on her knees, and she can’t catch her breath.
“Well, damn. Scaring me to death must have been a real knee-slapper.”
My sarcastic comment only serves to renew her amusement, and she dissolves even more, letting out a tea kettle laugh every few seconds while struggling to breathe.
After what feels like an eternity, she finally tries to compose herself. A single tear leaks down each cheek. “You should have seen your face!” She falls apart again, laughing and slapping her leg.
Rolling my eyes, I drag her inside my room and shut the door to avoid drawing any attention to us.
Her voice is strained when she finally stops laughing. “I stood there for five minutes. I don’t know how you didn’t sense me staring at you. That must be some movie!”
I wince at the thought of being oblivious to her being there that long. That could have been anyone standing there for that long. It could have been Christopher. My stomach drops.
“Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you,” she says, noticing my worried expression.
I shake my head. “No, it’s okay. I know you were just playing around. You didn’t mean any harm.”
Walking over, I close the curtains, unable to shake this cold feeling. I don’t want Charlie to feel worse than she already does. I give her a mischievous smile. “Payback is hell, Charlie. Remember that.”
She smiles, but it isn’t her normal smile. I think she knows I’m having a hard time shaking the scared feeling, though neither of us say a word about it.
“Have you thought any more about moving in with Jack?” Charlie’s question breaks the silence.
My head whips towards her, my eyes wide. “You mean rent his garage apartment? That is hardly moving in with Jack,” I say nervously.
“Well, yeah, that’s what I mean.” She giggles. “Unless you want toactuallymove in with Jack, of course.” She wiggles her eyebrows in a suggestive way.
My cheeks heat. “Charlie!” I scold, but it doesn’t hold up. We both crack up laughing.
“Seriously, though… I think you may feel safer at Jack’s place.”
I don’t disagree with her, but I’m not quite sure I’m ready for that conversation.
“I hear you,” I say with a nod.
I hop off the bed as Charlie heads for the door.
“Sorry to barge in. I was just meaning to pop in and see what you were up to…not scare you,” she says, smiling. She studies me, waiting for a reaction, but when I only smile, she follows up with a quick, “See you later, bestie!” And after a quick hug, she’s out the door.
I quickly secure the lock behind her, peeking out the curtain before closing it and sitting back down at the table in front of the Chromebook. I nervously bite my nail as I pull up the fake professor email account I created earlier.
Hot damn!There is a message from Addy!
A,
