Page 8 of Heat Wave
Ican’t believe the last two days. I never thought my life would spiral out of my control so quickly. Tommy dumped me because I wasn’t exciting enough…or so I thought. That’s what he told me. He needed more out of a relationship. Someone who wanted to go out all the time and party and experiment -I was hoping he meant with drugs and not sex- someone who would have sex with him in public places. Someone who would have sex with him, period.
Something always held me back. We had only been dating for a couple of months, and I wanted to wait until I was sure. It had nothing to do with me never having done it before…I just didn’t want to move as fast as he wanted to. This is a small town. The last thing I want is to be labeled as easy. Of course, I don’t want to be known as a vibe-killing bitch -as Tommy so eloquently called me- either. I figured if he really liked me the way he said he did, he would wait.
Turns out he never really cared who I was, just that I was still young and innocent. He had been playing the long game, I guess since Terry said he had told one of his friends he had been trying to get me in bed for the last six months or more. It’s kind of creepy that he said six months when I only really remember him talking to me recently.
I suppress a shiver that works down my back at the thought of someone watching me for months and me not having a clue. It’s not like I didn’t realize who he was - small town after all, I just didn’t speak to him until he spoke to me. What is taking up more of my mind than it should is the fact that Waylon didn’t come by or call last night. I guess it’s because he never found out a way to stop his Nan from spreading the rumor that me and him are…together, but he asked me where I was going to be. I just assumed it was because he was going to come find me and we could come up with a plan together.
Probably really stupid to think that, but I was even kind of looking forward to it, to seeing him again, to being close to him again. And I should stop right where I am. That can’t happen. None of it can. It would be too weird, right? He is Terry’s brother. What would happen if something happened and we broke up…not that we would ever even be together.
I saw the look on his face when his mom said we made a cute couple. He looked…pissed. Like the mere thought of being with me was making him irate. Then again, he did hold my hair when I was puking. I guess when you see the worst in someone, it kind of diminishes the glow of cuteness.
Before I can depress myself even further with a list of all the ways Waylon would never want anything to do with me, I start to push my key in the lock. I tucked my tail between my legs and decided to come back home. No use waiting around on Waylon like I have some sort of puppy dog crush on him. When I add the briefest amount of pressure to the door, it gives way before my key is even in the lock. The door is already open!
I push it a little more and get my first glimpse of the living room before I take off running back to the sidewalk, my phonealready in my hands. My duplex has been broken into. I jab the last number I dialed without thinking, and Terry picks up.
“Hey bestie, what’s up? You miss me already?”
“Terry…someone broke into my apartment!”
“Then why are you calling me. Call 911. Now.”
I go on autopilot and end the call with her without even saying goodbye. As the voice of a woman asks me calmly what my emergency is, I realize my week is about to get even more messed up. The lady makes me wait on the phone until help shows up ‘just in case someone is still inside’ and doesn’t that just make me want to throw up. I stay hyper-focused on the front door so much so that I miss Waylon coming up behind me.
When he lays his hand on my shoulder, all I can do is jump and scream.
“Easy. Easy, Oakley. It’s me.”
I all but melt into him as he takes the phone and ends the call with the dispatcher.
“Waylon, someone…someone broke in.”
“Did you go in?”
I shake my head. “No. I just…I could see the living room from the front door. It was open before I put the key in the lock, and it just…popped open.”
I shiver, and he pulls me closer to him. Even though it’s the deepest part of summer, I’ve not been warm since I saw what the living room looked like.
“Okay, sweetheart, let me….”
More cops come up, and Terry runs out of the gathering darkness.
“Stay with T and let me go check it out, okay.” I nod, and he looks at Terry. “Stay with her. Don’t leave her side.”
She nods too as we watch him pull his gun and step inside with another guy right behind him.
“Damn, they got here quick. You’d think it was a donut factory being broken into instead of your duplex.”
“Terry!”
“What? I can make fun of them. My brother’s one of them, and they know I don’t mean anything by it.”
Waylon comes out but doesn’t come over to where Terry and I have taken up position under one of the trees that line the sidewalk. He’s standing with the guy he went in with and the Sheriff when one of the firefighters who were called along with the police comes out to talk to the three men. All four of them go back inside, and I am more than curious.
Why are they going back inside? Did they find out how the robber got in? I assume the guy broke in somewhere else and then just walked out the front door. I guess I assume it is a guy too, since some of the furniture was overturned, and I'm notsure if a woman could do it. I couldn’t flip the couch over even if I were good and pissed. Maybe me and Terry could if we tried really hard. It's a sectional after all. But hell, I’m a wimp so…maybe it was a woman.
Ten minutes later, Waylon is coming at us like a man on a mission, and we are standing in his way. He doesn’t stop until he has me by the arm.
“What? What’s happening? Where are we going? Where are you…?”
