AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Dad scoffs loudly and opens the door of the car, silently telling me to get inside. Giving Stanley a last look, I say goodbye and hop in. I watch dad surround the car before he comes in. I fill him in on what happened last night, detailing everything that I remember, which isn’t a lot.
As expected, the cops scold me for not reporting the robbery when it happened. It’s not something that I didn’t know. I’m familiar with the proper procedure, but honestly, it wasn’t worth it. The only reason why I’m even filling the report is that I need it for the insurance of the phone. I didn’t see the guy; I don’t know if he had tattoos or physical details about him. He used clothes that completely covered him.
It’s as useless as reporting it now.
Three hours later, exhausted, and with a new phone on my power, I enter my apartment only to be interrogated by my friends. They’re all waiting for me in the living room when I arrive; their concerned expressions tell me that they’ve been worried sick for me. They speak at the same time, driving me insane for a minute. I can grasp a few sentences of what they said.
“Why do you have Ry’s number?” It’s the first thing that I say after reassuring them that I’m okay.
Ash’s white skin turns red as a tomato.
“That’s not the point!” she exclaims. “You should’ve told us! We spend the whole night up.”
Guilt settles in my stomach. They were worried, and I was busy kissing the hell out of Stanley.
“Guys, I’m fine, seriously,” I repeat. “I know I look like shit, but it looks worse than it feels.”
“We’re glad that you’re okay, Bree. Just don’t disappear from us like that,” Cora intervenes, taking a turn to hug me, squeezing me hard.
Ash sighs and hugs me too. Karma follows her, making sure that I’m entirely okay, and I’m not lying. That’s when they start to have a suspicious glow on their eyes.
“So, you spent the night with Stanley...”
I choke, but I try to hide it with a cough. I’m not ready to cause them euphoria and give them material to tell me that I was stubborn. Thinking of a way out, I hold my phone up.
“I need to call my mom.”
It’s a lie. I already spoke to my mom when I got out of the station. Before they have a chance to protest, I sneak into my room, making sure that the door is safely closed. So, I jump on the bed, considering if I should sleep the thoughts away or not. Instead, I unlock the phone to let Stanley know that I’m back at the apartment. I didn’t have to change the number because the company made sure to deactivate the other chip, and thanks to the cloud, I have all of my contacts and photos.
Immediately, a new message pops in.
Lu: I heard what happened to you. I hope that you’re okay.
Me: I’m okay! My parents are just making a big deal out of it, LOL.
Lu: Don’t minimize your experiences, dumbass.
I groan because I know that she’s right, but I don’t want to saturate my mind with what happened. Jumping on that carousel of overthinking is not a choice.
Me: *shrugs* I’m ok.
Lu: BTW. I’m finally coming back home! I’m going to be there by Sunday!
Me: FUCK, YES!
An incoming call doesn’t allow me to get too excited about Luanna moving back to the city, but I don’t mind it either when my brother’s name shines on the screen.
I answer immediately.
“Let me guess, mom already filled you in,” I anticipate the conversation.
He scoffs.
“Do you ever process things like a normal person?” James quips.
“Please, since when are we normal?” I snap back in a lighter tone. “It wasn’t a big deal, honestly. I’m lucky that things didn’t escalate.”
The truth is that I need to minimize the damage because it helps me get over the traumatic experience. If I keep thinking about it, the terror will shatter me. Nausea courses through my stomach just imagining what could’ve happened if the guy had a knife or worse. I could be dead, but I’m not, and I’m not going to sit down and cry about it. I’m grateful that I’m safe at home, that I’m able to live for another day.
