Page 64 of You Were Invited
What angered Julian the most was that his father hadappliedfor parole. How did Clive not want to kill himself every day? He’d made the choice to drink and drive. He’d killed his wife... and now the man had the gal to believe hedeservedfreedom?
Julian gripped the kitchen counter. His ears rang, and his heart pounded in his chest like it might explode. He felt like yanking out all the drawers, letting the contents scatter about the room.
In less than two months, the worst part of Julian’s past would walk free into the world, as if nothing had changed. For the first time in years, life was going okay — not great, but okay. Julian had his home and his space to breathe and was doing work that he loved. He’d done everything to ignore his father, and nowthe man was trying to get back in. Like a toxic mold sealed up, but, having gotten into the air ducts, it was now infecting the entire house.
Julian wasn’t the same man his father had said goodbye to upon incarceration, and upon that day, his father had been dead to him.
I’ll keep ignoring him.The next time we’re together, one of us better be in a casket.
twenty-four
Annie yanked a black t-shirt over her damp hair as she got ready to leave the house. Sunshine whispered through the white window shades of the guest room. She heard Peter outside. He was messing with the sprinklers while Molly took a mid-morning nap.
A series of bizarre texts from Chris that morning threatened to unsteady Annie, despite their paltry and unimpressive content.
I dreamed of you last nite. (sent at 10:05 am)
When i woke i had to talk to u about it. (sent at 10:11 am)
Dread pooled in Annie’s gut. “Great... Just great...” She muttered, tossing her phone on the bed. Groaning, she cast her eyes upward to the ceiling.
In the weeks since her vacation, Chris had texted a handful of times. Mostly to ask if she was okay or wanted help with anything. Seeing nothing inherently wrong with being friendly,she’d replied politely. Now she kicked herself mentally.He’s being so extra today.
She’d reached her breaking point a couple of weeks before. With Molly's encouragement, Annie had started going to the therapist Molly herself had been seeing. Just to getsomerelief from the stress of Chris, her work, and finding a new place to live.
Therapy was… helping. Perhaps she should have reached out for someone to hold her hand while she healed much sooner, but what mattered was the present and the future to come. She thought that if she was taking better care of herself, she could show up for others more fully, too.
Now, despite the whispers and her ex haunting her from the graveyard of their failed relationship, she’d began to feel more at peace — or, rather, more in control. Bad days still existed, but work was less burdensome, and her writing was once again deserving of praise. New leads peppered her inbox. It unnerved her to leave Molly alone, and she wondered if it held her back from committing to an apartment, but her fresh startwascoming soon.
It had to.
Almost two hours after leaving the house, she walked out of her third therapy session. They’d discussed finding a place to live and the distant attachment she had to her nearly-absent mom. Although talking through things had been intense, she felt like some weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She didn’t feel happy… but she definitely felt more content. More at home in her own skin.
She checked her phone in her car.
Immediately, her mood soured.
Chris had left another rambling text, saying how in his dream they were getting back together. And that he missed her.
Let me go, dude...Annie’s hands twisted and strangled her steering wheel. Couldn’t he take a hint? Her jaws clenched in a harsh line as she drove to her next errand.
A couple of minutes later, her phone dinged again. From the tone, she could tell it was Chris and quickly decided to look at it later. She ran a hand through her hair.
There was plenty of time to kill before her appointments with two apartment managers. She spent the afternoon buying decorations for the anniversary party. Peter had let her borrow his debit card.
How long is Chris going to keep this up?she thought as she decided between floral and yellow napkins and plates.
While talking on the phone with Molly, after viewing the safest-looking apartment complex, Annie’s text notification buzzed in her hand. She looked when their conversation ended.
i feel empty and now you’re gone maybe forever. Im a fucking idiot. (sent at 3:59 pm)
Need to talk. Pls. Would you reconsider going to counseling with me? I’ll go. (sent at 4:15 pm)
Annie’s cheeks flushed.
You’ve lost your texting privileges. Blocked.The growing wall of unanswered texts tossed her stomach. She archived the conversation.Out of sight, out of mind, right?
“It’s just too bad Julian isn’t texting you, huh?” Serene Hallowbrew spoke up. “But why would he do that when you asked foryour heart back?”
