Page 20 of Rematch
Outside, I climbed in my car and threw on my favorite playlist. Although it was almost midnight, I was nowhere near tired. My thoughts were too loud, teeming from the abundance of stimuli it absorbed in the club. From my father’s lecture tothe lights to the music to the patrons to thinking of Jayden and realizing my dad didn’t give a damn about him either.
On nights like this, when I was overstimulated and wrestling with emotions I didn’t want to deal with, I usually put my car in drive and cruised until I couldn’t keep my eyes open anymore. Tonight wouldn’t be any different.
Letting the music drown out my thoughts, I hit the road and let my subconscious guide me through the city streets.
My foot wasn’t on the gas for long. Not even an hour later, I found myself pulling up to the curb in front of my mom’s house and shoving the gear shift into park.
I didn’t bother trying to argue with the silent part of my brain. I knew why I was here. Knew it was one of the safest places I would ever find.
I hopped out of the car, made my way into our neighbors’ backyard and climbed up the ladder.
The light on her nightstand was on, casting a soft lavender glow over her bed. There, Audrey’s head laid over the pillow, curls covered in a bonnet and her glasses still on. The comforter covered only her legs, leaving her torso sheltered only by a large tee shirt. Her hand was still curled around her phone, now black from the lack of activity.
Rather than knocking, I gave the windowsill a few soft pushes, testing the locks. Back in the day, we had an unspoken code. Locked was a silent message to fuck off. Unlocked gave permission to come in.
I prayed that’s still what it meant as the window slid up. As I swung my legs inside, I promised I wouldn’t stay too long. I didn’t want to wake her. I just needed to sit in her presence for a few minutes.
Quietly, I shuffled towards my sleeping beauty. She always looked so peaceful when she slept. Her eyelashes fluttered with soft dreams. Soft snores rumbled in her nose, mimicking a tinylawn mower. The diamond around her neck rose and fell with every breath.
I slid the phone out of her hand and set it atop the wireless charger on her nightstand.
Carefully, I pinched the temples of her glasses, slid them off of her face, and set them down beside the charger.
She didn’t stir from the movement. The loss of her items had become routine for her subconscious. She used to fall asleep reading on her phone all the time. Either I or her fathers would be the ones putting everything away so nothing would get broken.
I grabbed the hem of her comforter, pulled it up, and lay it over her torso.
A soft sigh blew from her lips from the novel warmth. Content, she nuzzled her head against the pillow.
A smile tugged at my lips at the sight of her bare face. The soft purple light streaked across her face, emphasizing the curve of her soft cheekbones.
My fingers instinctively reached for her, itching to caress her skin. Stopping inches from her skin, I pretended to cup her face and run my thumb along her cheek. Memories of how soft she was filled in the distance between us, followed by those of her body snuggled against mine and my arms wrapped tight around her. We used to fit together like perfect puzzle pieces, completing each other in places we never thought we’d fill.
If I knew nights like those would be a thing of the past, I wouldn’t have taken them for granted. I would’ve held her a little longer. Kissed her harder. Caressed every single curve of her body and engraved the shape somewhere in the back of my mind.
Maybe someday I’ll have her again. Do all the things I should’ve. Value what we had instead of blowing it up at the first opportunity.
It was stupid and selfish to hope she’d come back. Especially to the idiot I was when I was younger. She deserved better. And I was going to give it to her. If she ever gave me the chance to.
Sighing, I pulled my hand away and wrapped my fingers around the circular light switch on her lamp. With a flick, all the color was gone and her face disappeared in the darkness.
I climbed back out of the window and closed it behind me.
Once I got back to my car, I hit the road again, this time with another destination in mind.
At this hour, it was technically trespassing, but I didn’t give a fuck. I easily climbed up the high fences and made my way through the rows of headstones. Although I hadn’t been here in a while, and I couldn’t see shit in the dark, my feet still knew exactly where to go.
“Hey,” I said as I reached the stone bearing his name. I sank down onto the ground and lay down in the space beside it. Staring at the stars above me, I continued, “I’m sorry I haven’t been around. There’s been a lot going on.”
A soft breeze whistled through the air, carrying his voice.
“Yeah,” I replied. “I’ll catch you up.”
Chapter 9
Audrey
I cannot wait to lay down, I thought as I leaned back against the railing of the elevator.
