Page 18 of Pretty Heartache

The musty smell emanating from the sheets invades my senses. I really should have given them a wash before deciding to climb under them for a nap.

Exhaustion hit me as soon as I unloaded the last grocery bag, and my eyelids grew heavy. All I wanted was sleep. It feels as if I haven’t slept in years. I want to believe it’s due to the time change, but I think it’s a combination of my world crashing down around me.

Leaving Maddox.

Being back here in Cambridge.

Seeing Micah.

All of it has been overwhelming.

With the curtains shut, I’ve pulled myself into darkness. Drifting in and out, I turn on my side and hope to fall asleep again, but my mind wanders again. This time, to Micah. I’ve spent part of the day replaying this morning in my mind. Seeing him again after all these years. I don’t know when he plans on returning to the house. I didn’t want to ask. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the pain I saw in his eyes.

Ten years have passed between us, and he’s no longer the same man who saved me from the water.

My heart twists and aches. I need to shut my brain off. Frustrated, I toss the sheets aside and place my bare feet on the hardwood floor, and a shiver ripples up the length of my legs. The cold air fills the room, and for a moment, I consider scrambling back under the musty sheets just to stay warm but decide against it. I grab my phone from my nightstand. There’s a missed call from Ember and a message from Ruby asking if I made it to Boston safely. I quickly respond to her and decide to call Ember later. I’m thrilled at the prospect of seeing my best friend, but something buried deep in the back of my mind keeps me from responding right away.

Dropping my phone back on the table, I spin around and strip the sheets from the bed. I leave them in a pile on the floor, debating whether it might be best to just toss them or if I should search the house for the laundry room to wash them. I decide to leave them there and start exploring the room.

Along with a dresser on the far wall, a small, round table sits in the corner beside a large, overstuffed, green velvet chair. Crossing the room, I run my finger along the bookshelf lined with dozens of old books, weathered spines, and faded covers. Every single one looks like it wasn’t printed this century or even the last.

I open the closet to find it filled with undisturbed clothes. Above the row of hanging clothes is a long wooden shelf at the top lined with old cardboard boxes. Standing on my toes, I attempt to pull one down, but I can’t reach. I stretch as far as possible, using the tips of my fingers to scrape the lip of the box. My entire body tenses as I look down and lift one foot to rest on a wooden shoe rack pushed against the side wall. It wobbles under my weight, but I’m able to grab the edge of the box and begin to slide it back off the shelf, but then my hand freezes when I hear a loud noise come from another part of the house. I holdmy breath as goosebumps crawl their way down the back of my neck.

I quickly step down, abandoning the box. My heart races, picking up with every shallow breath I take in.

Crash.

Another loud bang.

Pressing my hand to my chest, I tiptoe across the room to grab my phone from the nightstand, and with a shaking hand, press my thumb to the screen to unlock it. Slowly, I walk to the door, praying my steps don’t give me away. My chest squeezes, hoping another board doesn’t creak under my weight.

Crash.

My breath shoots to the back of my throat and I start panicking. Every possible scenario plays in my mind.

Maybe there’s a broken window or hole in the side of the house that’s allowed an animal to come inside. Maybe someone else has broken in. Micah said he wasn’t coming back, so it shouldn’t be him.

Did Maddox follow me once he’d discovered I left? Did he press Ruby to find out where I am?

I quickly try to rationalize the answer to these questions. Although I told Ruby I was coming back home, I never gave her the address to Micah’s house, so even if Maddox somehow figured out where I was, I don’t think he would find me this quickly.

I don’tthink.

Keeping my thumb hovered over the emergency call button, I step into the hallway. When I reach the top of the stairs, I peer over the railing and see the entryway is empty. I take the first step at the top of the stairs, and the floorboard whines underfoot. I wince, pausing and holding my breath.

I wonder if I should call out to whoever is making the sound in the kitchen, but I don’t. That doesn’t sound smart.

When the noise continues, I continue to make my way down the stairs until I reach the entryway. I reach for an umbrella hanging by the front door and hold it up. I’m not exactly sure how much damage it will do to the intruder—probably not much, but it’s the best I’ve got.

Making my way down the hall, with my umbrella ready for attack, I follow the continued slamming and rustling sounds of kitchen drawers and cabinets. I round the corner and jump at the sight of the man standing in front of the refrigerator.

“Holy shit!” I yelp, jumping back. My eyes widen in shock. The umbrella falls from my hand, bouncing and crashing at my feet. I bring my hand to my chest, certain I’m having a heart attack, and my phone slips from my hand, dropping on my toe before landing on the old tile floor. I bring my hand to my mouth to stifle another scream.

Micah shuts the cabinet door and spins around. His wide eyes land on me before moving to the umbrella beside my feet.

My entire body bursts into flames and I’m suddenly aware of what I’m wearing. Rather… thelackof what I’m wearing.

I pick up my phone to see the screen is cracked, but otherwise, it still works, so I drop it on the counter, catching Micah’s hardened stare.

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