Page 54 of Hello, Listener
Me:
I’m here.
The grease on my fingers slides down my screen with my quick text. It takes only a matter of a few seconds for her reply. My phone vibrates on my leg when I wipe off the juices from my sandwich on my pants.
Thalia:
I’ll meet you in the parking garage.
She responds, and like a fucking smitten teenage girl, I can’t help but smile. It’s been too long since I got to see my girl.My girl.
Quickly, I turn off the ignition and wait a few seconds before I see her walking towards my car. I step out of the driver’s seat and wipe the rest of the Philly grease down my jeans and shut the cardoor, leaving the remainder of the sandwich in the passenger seat. Her red lips turn up into a small smirk the closer she walks closer to my car.I wonder if she can see my big grin hiding under my beard and how fucking pathetic I look.She hugs her leather jacket around her body and her boots click on the concrete floor the closer she walks. We both meet in the middle of the garage.
“Hey, Lee.” Her sweet beam stays frozen on her face while she continues to hug her jacket close.Something’s wrong.I see the worry all over her face.
“Hey, Sweetheart.” I bring her into my chest and wrap my arms around her and kiss the top of her head. “What’s wrong?” I ask full of worry with her head tucked into the crook of my neck.
“Can we talk about it inside?” Her tiny voice is muffled against my jacket.
“Of course,” I answer and she takes my hand and leads me to the side of her building.
My knuckles turn white under my black leather gloves as I grip my steering wheel.What the fuck is he doing here?I watch the two of them while I’m parked a few rows back in Thalia’s parking garage. They can’t see me as Lee’s whole body practically covers her when he brings her into his chest. My body vibrates with ragewhen I see the two of them make their way towards her apartment building.
What the fuck is this?I bite my lip until it bleeds when I see his fingers intertwined with hers.Calm down, Alan. Nothing has happened until you see it for yourself.I take a long breath to relax my nerves.Ten, nine, eight, seven…
I continue to count backwards before finally climbing out of the driver’s seat. Quietly, I shut the door, making sure it doesn’t echo throughout the garage.
I stuff my hands in my coat pockets and begin following Lee and Thalia, keeping myself hidden by standing in the shadows of the tall concrete pillars and large cars. I notice her eyes light up with every glance he gives her.She looked at me like that.Inside my pockets, my hands ball into tight fists as I close my eyes and take another deep breath.Calm down.
Still spying from the darkness, I lean my shoulders against one of the columns in the garage and observe the two of them make their way into the side entrance of the apartment complex. My fist releases and feels for the metal ridges of the key I had made. The pads of my fingers run along the cold edges as they disappear into the door to her complex.
The soles of my dress shoes click against the concrete as I pick up my pace towards the building. They echo loudly the closer I get to the large exit of the parking garage.Pace yourself, Alan. Don’t give yourself away. Lee isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
The thought of him on the same couch I was on just a few nights before has my blood boiling. The image of her grinding against his lap while he kisses her makes the hair on the nape of my neckstand at attention.Don’t jump to conclusions.Take another breath and collect yourself.
Before I know it, I’m standing right under her window. I can’t help myself, and I peek up through her sheer curtains. The light in her unit is on.They’re already inside.Just wait.I pause before I decide on whether or not I should start making my way around the building to the door that leads to the white tiled stairs.
Lee cages my hand in his and I pull us inside my small apartment.What is he thinking? I know my tiny space isn’t much compared to his home.He catches me gawking while taking off his leather jacket and lying on the back of my couch. Those thoughts vanish when I realize he isn’t looking around my apartment; he’s only looking atme.
“You okay, Sweetheart?” His eyes narrow like he’s trying to read my face as if it's his car manual. I shake my head, unable to hide the inevitable expression that moves across my sad eyes. Slowly, I slide my arms out of my jacket.
“Not really,” I admit while laying my coat on top of his. He moves in close and sits down on my black couch which in no way measures up to his. My loveseat becomes unbalanced by the weight of Lee’s size when he sits down. I join him on the slightly raisedside on the other half. Lee crosses his arms around his chest and raises his eyebrows, looking at me as if he demands an explanation.
“What is it, Thalia?” His gentle voice doesn’t match what I've heard from him before.Is he worried about me? Is it wrong if that makes me feel hopeful?
“It’s Jace.” I turn to face him. “I haven’t heard from him in a few days.” Lee’s eyes scan my body up and down as if he’s studying me. It’s a whole new side to him that I've never seen. He nods.
“I thought you guys were always together, and you guys talk all of the time. Why the hell won’t he talk to you?” He continues to study my actions and waits for my response.
“I have no fucking idea, and that’s why I’m freaking out.” My voice gets louder, and I move in closer, filling in the small space that was between us. “It’s not like him to just stop talking to me. Even if he was angry with me, it’s not like him to just cut me off. I have mentally run through every possibility in my head, and nothing adds up. Somethinghasto be wrong.” I can't stop the turning in my stomach as tears start to well in my eyes. Before I realize it, one falls down my cheek.
“Listen, Sweetheart. He’ll turn up.” He wipes my tears with the pads of his thumbs. “We’ll find him. Whatever it fucking takes, we’ll find him.” His confidence brings me a semblance of comfort as he pulls me into his chest, and I rest my head on his shoulder.
Thalia’s body vibrates on my chest. I can feel her hot tears fall on my neck. She feels so small in my arms while I kiss the top of her head without breaking our embrace. With glossed-over eyes, she looks up at me as I take her head in my hands and kiss her red lips.I may be a man of few fucking words, but I know other ways that I can comfort my girl.
I bring her in for another kiss, this time pulling her in deeper. I love the feel of her full lips when she kisses me back and wraps her arms around my neck. I pull her on top of my lap, and she moves her thighs in just the right way. She sits herself perfectly on my hard dick under my jeans.
I kiss the middle of her neck and grab her waist. “You’re fucking mine, Thalia,” I say with my teeth almost grazing against the edge of her jaw. Her breath picks up with my mouth so close to her skin. My hands move up to the middle of her back and bring her in to meet me. “Do you like that, Sweetheart? Do you like that when I tell you who the fuck you belong to?” I ask with my lips almost touching hers.
