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June Second
Roxy was proud of how much she had gotten done at the cafe, so she went again. She went down to the cafe after Ben had left and she had gotten ready. She ordered the same drink and sat at the same table and pulled up the website and continued her search. Nothing really new was listed this time.
She looked up as a man slowly walked past her table, staring down at her. It was the same man as yesterday. His pale green eyes dug into her. Was she supposed to know him? “Roxtyn?” he questioned her.
Her brow furrowed with complete confusion. “Yes?”
“Do you remember me?”
She shook her head “no.”
“It was a long time ago, you look the exact same.” He tried to convince her, “I used to call you June.”
“I'm sorry,” She closed in on herself to block him out, “I don't think I know you.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to have bothered you. Have a good day.” He stepped into the cafe towards the line. She watched the back of him as he ordered a water before going back to her work.
As he sat at the table facing her, Roxy felt unsettled and decided to leave. She lied to Ben that night, saying she had gotten a call for an interview. Some progress was better than none, even if she had to lie about it. She planned on saying how she didn’t get the job because she could already hear him accuse her application or resume.
June Third
She had thought about the man, thinking that he must be a transient in that area but unsure of how he would have gotten in their building garage. She brushed off the worry and headed for the coffee shop on the other side of the building, two blocks over. She had told Ben she was going to her job interview and left her laptop at home. She left, knowing she would have an hour at most to be alone. To breathe.
The day was nice, the air was light and the sidewalk wasn’t as crowded as she assumed it would be for a Saturday morning.
The black door squeaked as she opened it and walked to the counter. She ordered her coffee black because she would add her own cream and sugar. It was cheaper and they never added the right amount. The man behind the counter slid her a lidless cup and she handed him the exact change.
This time Ben had offered to pay for her coffee the last few days, because she was doing so much and making such an effort to get a job, like she was his dog and he was trying to reward her. She accepted his offer anyway, Roxy wasn't going to admit to him that she combed his apartment, findinghisloose change. She snapped the lid on and turned from the little condiment counter.
The homeless man she had been seeing was towering over her and she jumped, spilling a small amount of coffee out of the hole and onto her hand. He reached around her to grab napkins, “June?” He questioned again, dabbing the liquid off her hand and her body positively responded. “I mean, Roxy.” He blocked her in.
Following what sheshouldbe doing, she pulled back, “Look I’m sorry, I don't know you, and I don't know how you know my name or why you're following me.” She stepped to the side frustrated.
“Please,” He begged as she walked around him. “Just listen to me, you were withme, we had a life, where do you think you were for the last five months?”
“Stop!” She said turning back at him, wondering at first if he had mental problems but assuming she was with him for the last five months and her not knowing him? Or the fact heknewshe was gone for five months was too much. “You're creeping me out, leave me alone or I'm going to call the police.” Were they homeless together? She couldn’t understand his obsession with her.
He followed her outside, not giving up. “Will you just listen?” His voice grew louder.
She stopped and faced him full of fear, “I don't know you, please leave me alone!” Scared of knowing the truth she turned without looking and stepped in the road.
The man screamed, “Juniper!” gripped her arm and pulled her into an embrace. Tires screeched as her coffee splattered onto the hood of the car and the driver blared her horn at June.
Eye level with his necklace, Roxy recognized it. She was staring at her mothers necklace and before she could question him about it, she looked up at him with wide eyes. Everything came back to her, slamming into her at once as if it was the vehicle she almost met. Overcome with emotion, tears welled up in her eyes and her chin began to quiver, “Wolfgang Montgomery, how did you find me?” She rememberedeverything. The island, their first date, her roommates, his mom, the ball, the council, up until she saw his face in that back medical room window. She was afraid and relieved at the same time. She was saved.
Wolfie kissed her on the lips and hugged her tightly. His arm wrapped around her waist and his hand in her hair. She felt him inhale deeply before pulling back without letting go of her, “Leave with me.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks, “I can’t.” She remembered everything, that was her problem.
“Why?” His face softened and his brow raised.
“Ben will follow me again. I can’t just leave, I can’t just break up with him. He’s become possessive of me thinking I owe him for being gone.”
“Sit with me.” He pulled her to an outside table.
“I have forty five minutes. I’m supposed to be at a job interview, he’ll start calling or come down here.” She sat across from the empty chair.
Wolfie grabbed the spare chair and dragged it next to her, smiling wildly. “I love you Juniper.”
