Page 69 of Unbearable
It’s my winter break. Fucking winter break before I see Tyler again. Given, it’s only been like a week and a half, but still. When you’re waiting on someone to call or text, that’s like waiting months.
I think he senses when I’m home Friday night, or he just knows because the day I get back to Lebanon for Christmas break he texts me as I’m walking through the door at my mom’s house.
Sighing, I sit down on the couch, the lights of the Christmas tree shining in the dimly lit room. In the distance, I can hear Rawley’s music blaring upstairs and the shower running which means he’s home too.
Tyler: Pizza?
I stare at the message for about three minutes and then reply.Me: No.
Tyler: Please…
Fuck, why does he have to say please?
Because he knows you and manners with men are your weakness.
Me: Why?
Tyler: Because.
Groaning, I drag myself off the couch. Now I’m curious what he wants. It’s the obsessive compulsive side of me that has to find an answer when there may not be one. It’s the same part of me that reads the ending of a book because I can’t stand not knowing how something’s going to end.
Me: Fine. But you’re buying.
Tyler: Meet me there at 7.
Damn you, Tyler!
Looking down at my sweat pants and hoodie, I decide to at least put some jeans on. Upstairs, Rawley’s coming out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist. He looks at me and then grabs the edge of his towel. “What are you doing here?”
I walk past him to my room. “I live here too.” But then I remember what a dick he was at Thanksgiving. “I know you’ve been upset lately but you better not be mean to Mom on Christmas.”
He snorts and leans into the door frame of my room, his arms crossed over his chest and I’m fucking praying that towel stays around his waist. “Whatever, Raven. Don’t come home on the weekends and act like you know what goes on here during the week.”
He’s right. I don’t know what goes on during the week but I do know about his fight with Tyler because Lenny told me and I’m curious as to what happened. “Why’d you get in a fight with Tyler?”
Rawley shrugs and steps back. “Ask him.” And then he turns around and slams the door to his room.
After changing, I walk downstairs. Mom’s standing in the kitchen with a glass of wine in one hand and a cookie in the other, crumbs on her shirt. “Oh, hey, you’re home. Yay.”
I laugh. She’s drunk but I find it cute when she’s a bit tipsy. “Are you okay?”
“I’m good. Just enjoying a glass of wine.”
I stare at the counter. “Or the bottle.”
Her shoulders slump forward. “You’re Aunt Carol’s in the bathroom. I didn’t drink all of that.”
Aunt Carol comes around the corner, her own glass of wine in her hand. “Don’t let her fool you, Raven. She drank most of that.”
I laugh. “I don’t doubt that. I get it from her. Anyway”—I nod over my shoulder—“I’m heading out to have pizza with Tyler.”
“Okay, be safe!” Mom yells when I’m at the door.
I GET TO the pizza joint fifteen minutes later than I told him. Mostly because it’s icy out and also, I wanted him to stress a little, thinking I wasn’t coming.
Walking inside, I see him sitting in the back corner in a booth. He looks a bit nervous. I’m sure he’s wondering how pissed off I am because I haven’t heard from him in the last week. I can’t be all that upset with him because I didn’t call him either. He was right; my drama is too much for him and as much as I don’t want to admit it, Tyler and I aren’t meant to be right now. Maybe that’s why I agreed to meet with him. Maybe I need to tell him this should be the end of whatever this is between us.
Taking a seat in the booth, I relax against the leather and watch as he inhales a breath, preparing to speak. “You hungry?” he asks, spinning the pie plate to me. I notice he’s ordered my favorite, pepperoni and pineapple.
