I grab the remote from the shelf on the wall and drop to sit on the far end of the couch. He stays quiet as I scroll through my media library until I find my favorite show. Queuing up the first episode, I tuck my legs underneath me and wait for the show to load. The familiar baritone intonation of the narrator fills the room, and I turn my head to see if Holden is paying attention as white letters appear on a black background. His gaze doesn’t stray from the screen, so I melt further into the cushions and focus on the lonely man in an abandoned town.
Birthday Promises
Aloud,incessantbuzzingjerks me from the half-doze I’ve been drifting in for the last hour. I groan, tugging my pillow over my head, unwilling to fully wake up for the day. I’d been awake until after two in the morning to finish a paper I’ve put off for weeks, then the dark silence brought about awful nightmares that kept ripping me from the fitful sleep. Not for the first time, I wonder why I ever signed up for an eight a.m. class.
A loud groan flows from deep in my chest as I push myself out of bed with a herculean effort. I shuffle to the closet and grab the first top I see. As I exchange my sweats for a pair of denim shorts, my sleep-addled brain drifts back to when Holden had come over. He’d been just as easy to talk to on my couch as he was in the coffeeshop on Friday. I had eventually stopped questioning my decision to invite him over, and he didn’t make me regret it.
What had taken me aback most, though, was how interested in Holden that Ashton grew. Still wary, but curious. That curiosity soon brought along demands for the man’s attention, and Holden responded without hesitation. His expression was open and hands gentle as he played with the toddler, though he never stopped talking to me as he played and I cooked dinner.
Holden had even texted me forty-five minutes after he left to let me know he was safely back in his hotel room. The message had loosened a tightness in my chest. I hadn’t known I was worried, but that worry disappeared with Holden’s assurances.
Sighing, I hurry to brush my hair and teeth before unplugging my phone from its charging cable. My bag sits on the end of the couch where I’d left it last night, full of binders, papers, and my laptop. I sling the strap over my shoulder and grab my keys from the hook. The corridor outside my door is eerily silent, echoing with each step I take, each slap of my sandals against the bottoms of my feet. A shudder works its way down my spine. Even after living in this building for two years, the vast emptiness and quiet unnerve me. I make it to the exit without seeing a single person or hearing anything from apartments hidden beyond heavy metal doors.
Heat washes over me as I step outside. Shoving my hair from my face, I press the button on my fob until I hear a double-beep coming from four cars away. Headlights flash in the dimness of the parking garage, and I hurry to my SUV. After tossing my bag onto the passenger seat, I tie my hair back into a sloppy bun then slide in behind the wheel. I hurried type out a 911 text to my friends and drop my phone into the cup holder before starting the engine.
Tristan, lovely best friend he is, has my drink finished before I even open the door to Rise & Grind Cafe and Bakery. I blow out a breath of relief, taking the cup from him, and he pats my head in a clear effort to be comforting. Luciana Alvarado laughs from her spot by the espresso machine.
“Long night, DeeDee?”
“Not the way you’re thinking, Luci Goosey.Definitelynot the way you’re thinking.”
“Aw, no seeing that cutie you were talking to the other day?” Tristan asks as he boxes up a couple danishes.
“‘Cutie’?” Luci abandons her task of rinsing out the portafilters to lean against the counter with her hands cupping her chin. She bats her lashes with wide eyes. “Tell me more.”
I shrug and slurp obnoxiously at my drink. “Nothing to tell. He sat at my table because everywhere else was full, then I went home to wait for Katie to drop off Ashton.”
“But he was cute,” Luci presses.
“He was alright, I guess.”
Tristan scoffs and pushes the box across the glass countertop. “I’m telling you, Luce, this guy was right up her alley. Gray eyes, killer smile, the kind of stubble she likes because it makes a man look just the right amount of rugged.”
“And you didn’t get his number?” Luci nearly screeches, and the man in the corner looks up from his muffin.
“No. No, I did not.” I swoop in to pick up the box, shoving a ten and five into Tristan’s hand. I wait until I’m halfway out the door before I call over my shoulder, “But I gave him mine.”
The door swings shut on their reactions, and I giggle as I all but sprint to my car. Tristan stands on the sidewalk by the time I finish buckling my seatbelt; he waves his hands in the air to get me to stop, and I wiggle my fingers in his direction and drive away.
Tristan
How dare you not tell us you did that!!!! Does our friendship mean so little???
I laugh but put my phone away to ready my notes for the lecture. Unfortunately, my lack of response does little to stem the flow of texts from my friends over the next two hours. There are thirty-seven texts waiting for me to read as soon as class lets out. Only two are from Luci, a rather subdued reaction for the bubbly, excitable woman, and one has come from Holden. I hesitate before promising Tristan more details later then move on to Holden’s.
Holden
It was great to hang out with you and Ashton the other day.
Dealla
It really was fun. Sorry I ended up having to do homework. Maybe next time you’re in town, I won’t be drowning in the weight of research papers.
Holden
I look forward to it.
My heart stutters in my chest, and I bite back a smile. A small part of me says I’m putting too much stock in this friendship, too much too fast if I care about anything he says. A larger part instructs me to enjoy it while it lasts. It has an expiration date—they always do—and what’s the harm in trying, even if it ends in a fiery crash? As long as I keep in mind that I have responsibilities. As long as I remember I’ll be left with nothing more than memories of a gray-eyed man who interrupted my life on a random Friday afternoon. As long as I don’t forget, I’ll be fine.
