Page 131 of Keep My Heart
I don’t understand this. I don’t know who’s telling the truth,who’s lying, or who to believe. All I know is I need to get back there, back to Nick and his family. Even if Nick did cheat on me, which I’m starting to think he didn’t, I need to be there as his friend and to show my support to his family. I love his family, especially his mom. She’ll need all the help and support she can get right now.
‘I’ll try to get a flight out first thing tomorrow.’
‘You sure that’s a good idea? I mean, it’s great you want to come here, but you sound pretty pissed off at Nick and I don’t think now’s the time to—’
‘I’m not going to fight with him. This isn’t about us and our relationship. This is about me helping out a friend. I’ve been through this, Matt. I lost my dad. If anyone knows what Nick’s going through, it’s me.’
‘Yeah, you’re right. You should be here. You want me to tell Nick?’
‘No, I’ll talk to him.’
‘Visiting hours end in ten minutes. Try him then.’
‘Okay. Bye, Matt.’ I end the call and toss my phone on the bed, then race around my room, grabbing clothes to pack. I throw them in the suitcase I just emptied, then get my laptop and start searching for flights. I find one that leaves in the morning, getting to Wisconsin just before noon. I start to put my credit card number in, then remember the gift card Nick gave me for the airline. My heart melts, remembering the night he gave it to me. He said he wanted me to be able to go home whenever I needed to. A guy who would do something like that wouldn’t cheat on me. But then who is Iris and why is she claiming to be his girlfriend?
I hear the front door open and Chris’ loud, annoying voice. ‘Lyndsay! You home?’
‘What do you want?’ I go in the living room and see him therewith a girl. She’s short and skinny with long black hair. She doesn’t look older than 20 or 21.
‘I need to get my leather jacket,’ he says, opening the hall closet. He looks at the girl. ‘There should be beer in the fridge. Go grab me one.’
‘Don’t!’ I yell as she goes to the fridge. ‘Those are mine. I paid for them.’ I storm up to Chris. ‘You can’t just come in here and take stuff. I’m changing the locks. If you want your stuff, you’ll have to make an appointment with me to get it.’
He looks over at the girl, who didn’t listen to me and took a beer from the fridge. ‘See why I divorced her?’
‘Get out!’ I yell, pointing at the door.
He finds his jacket and puts it on. ‘What do you think?’ he asks the girl as she walks over to us. ‘Should I wear it tonight?’
‘Yeah, babe, you look great.’ She smiles and hands him his beer.
I stare at her, feeling like I know her somehow. ‘Have we met?’
‘No,’ she says, looking me up and down and making a face. ‘Do you always dress like that?’
I’m wearing a long baggy t-shirt and sweats. I just threw them on after my shower because I wanted something comfortable.
‘When I’m alone in my apartment? Yes. I wasn’t expecting company.’ I glare at Chris.
‘We’re heading out,’ Chris says, putting his arm around the girl and taking a drink of his beer.
‘Have fun being alone in your apartment,’ the girl says, smirking at me. She has this whiny, high-pitched voice that I swear I’ve heard before.
Chris swigs the rest of his beer, then holds the bottle out to me. ‘Toss it for me, babe.’
‘I’m not your babe. Toss it out yourself.’
‘Bitch,’ he mutters, setting the bottle on the floor.
‘Let’s go,’ the girl whines. ‘This is taking forever.’
As they walk to the door, I realize how I know her, or how I think I know her. I run in front of her. ‘Did you call me today?’
‘No.’ She laughs. ‘Why would I call you?’
It’s her. It has to be her.
I look at Chris. ‘Do you really hate me that much?’
