Page 33 of One Night

"Then come over," I tell her, figuring I could use her company. We haven't had sex since last weekend, which was the last time I saw her.

I return to the living room, where Kira and Austin are kissing. "You guys can go. Allison just called me. She's coming over."

Austin groans under his breath. He hates Allison. He hasn't actually come out and said that but he's made comments about how she's using me. But I'm using her too so he really shouldn't judge her for that.

There's a knock on the door.

"Shit, that was fast," I say, going to get the door. But when I open it no one's there. I look left and right, trying to see through the darkness. "Anyone there?" I step outside and my foot slips on something. It's an envelope. I pick it up and go back inside. "That's weird," I say, closing the door.

"Where's Allison?" Austin asks.

"I don't know. She's not out there, and her car's not there."

"Then who knocked on the door?" Kira asks.

"Whoever left this behind." I hold up the envelope. It's a regular business-size envelope made of thick beige paper. My name is written on the front but there's no stamp and no return address.

"What is it?" Austin asks.

"Hell if I no but it can't be good. Who drops off an envelope late at night?" I sit down on the recliner, staring at the envelope and my name, written in fancy cursive using thick black ink. For a moment I think maybe it's from Amber. She said she'd write letters. She said letters were romantic.

"Are you gonna open it?" Austin asks.

"Whoever wrote this has good handwriting." I show them the writing on the front. "Check this out. It's like calligraphy, or whatever they call that scripty type."

"Wait a minute." Kira steps up to get a closer look at it. "That looks like..."

"What?" Austin asks her. "It looks like what?"

"Nothing," she says. "You should open it," she says to me.

From her reaction, I'm starting to think my earlier thought was true. Could it really be from Amber? Does Kira know about the letters? Did Amber tell her?

My heart beats faster, knowing it's possible that the letter I'm holding is from the girl I've wanted since she left my side six months ago. The girl I think about and dream about and spent months searching for.

There's no way it's from her. But what if it is?

Chapter Nine

Dylan

I rip open the envelope and pull out a piece of paper. It's folded in thirds, and as I unfold it, I see there's writing on both sides. It's the same handwriting that was on the envelope.

"What is it?" Austin asks.

"A letter," I say, smiling when I flip it over and see her name. She ended the letter with Love, Amber.

Holy shit! It's really from her. But why now? Why did she wait so long?

"A letter?" Austin says. "Who the hell writes letters anymore?"

I hear Kira whisper, "Let him read it."

I tune them out as I focus on the letter. Turning it back to the front, I read the first page, devouring each word.

It reads,

Dearest Dylan,

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