skipped, knowing the letter was there in plain sight.
At first I didn’t look up, still holding on to hope that he didn’t see it. I felt so content in that moment. I didn’t want it to be ruined.
Paper crinkled and I felt the light brush of the letter on my shoulder.
“What is this?” Ricky sat up, rolling me off in the process. I sat up next to him, and leaned my head against the headboard.
“It’s nothing... ”
“The fuck is isn’t,” he said, the lightening brewing in his eyes. “You lied to me.”
“I d idn’t want to bring it up.”
“So you lied?”
“Ricky…I’m sorry. I just want to forget about it. It doesn’t matter to me anymore.”
Ricky dropped the letter, letting it float to the floor.
“Don’t tell me it doesn’t matter anymore,” he said, getting up. He sat on the edge of the bed, his back muscles flexing with tension as he leaned his elbows on his knees. “If it didn’t matter then you wouldn’t of lied about it.”
“I lied because I didn’t want to make you upset.”
“A lot of good that did.”
Ricky rummaged through his bag, hurling clothes in his clenched fists.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“What does it look like?” He put on his jeans, buckled his belt, and threw on a shirt.
“So , that’s it? You’re just going to leave?” I said. “Typical.”
Ricky paused and looked back at me, his bag slung over his shoulders. “There’s nothing to say,” he said.
“What bothers you more?” I asked. “The fact that I lied to you or that the letter is from him.”
He didn’t respond, but I had my suspicions.
“Excuse me if it bothers me that my girlfriend is getting love letters from another guy.”
The word made me do a double take. “Girlfriend? Since when?”
The question only aggravated him more . He swung the door open so hard that it bounced off the doorstop. He stomped down the steps, and I ran to the window to watch him get in his car and take off.
Chapter 14
Night Out
RICKY HAD LEFT his phone in my nightstand so there was no way I could reach him. I stared at it for a moment, pushing the button on the top to turn it back on. I tapped my finger on the kitchen table, the steam rising from my coffee mug. I got up and plopped the phone in my purse, fighting off the urge to snoop through it. Whatever was in that phone was none of my business. As much as it would have satiated my raging curiosity, my gut was telling me to back off.
I waited on the porch for Ricky to pick me up for work, looking down at my watch as the big hand marked the twentieth minute I was late. I called Mia to come give me a ride.
She didn’t seem like herself on the ride over , and I had a sinking suspicion my brother had something to do with it.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
“Hm? Oh, yeah,” she said, distracted. “Just tired. Ricky came home slamming every door he walked through last night.”
“Oh…sorry about that,” I said.
“It’s fine,” she shrugged. “I’m use to it.”
“How’s my brother d oing? I haven’t seen him in a while,” I asked.
“He’s good…behaving himself finally. School starts next week , and I’ll be moving back on campus. Hopefully we’ll be able to spend more time together.”
The door to Ricky’s office was closed when I got to work, and he only came out once. He left for an hour only to lock himself back in. We ignored each other all night, and I rolled my eyes when he walked right by me without saying a word. By nine o’clock nobody had come through the door in almost an hour.
“I vote to close early,” Mia said, slumped over the bar. “ And hit up the city. Whaddya’ say Lexy? Wanna do a girls night?”
“Woot! Woot!” Casey chimed.
I smiled, glancing over at the office door. “Sure,” I said. “Sounds like fun.”
I’d been home for almost two months and spent most of my time at work. It had been a while since my last girl’s night out, and I was actually excited by the idea.
I
At first I didn’t look up, still holding on to hope that he didn’t see it. I felt so content in that moment. I didn’t want it to be ruined.
Paper crinkled and I felt the light brush of the letter on my shoulder.
“What is this?” Ricky sat up, rolling me off in the process. I sat up next to him, and leaned my head against the headboard.
“It’s nothing... ”
“The fuck is isn’t,” he said, the lightening brewing in his eyes. “You lied to me.”
“I d idn’t want to bring it up.”
“So you lied?”
“Ricky…I’m sorry. I just want to forget about it. It doesn’t matter to me anymore.”
Ricky dropped the letter, letting it float to the floor.
“Don’t tell me it doesn’t matter anymore,” he said, getting up. He sat on the edge of the bed, his back muscles flexing with tension as he leaned his elbows on his knees. “If it didn’t matter then you wouldn’t of lied about it.”
“I lied because I didn’t want to make you upset.”
“A lot of good that did.”
Ricky rummaged through his bag, hurling clothes in his clenched fists.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“What does it look like?” He put on his jeans, buckled his belt, and threw on a shirt.
“So , that’s it? You’re just going to leave?” I said. “Typical.”
Ricky paused and looked back at me, his bag slung over his shoulders. “There’s nothing to say,” he said.
“What bothers you more?” I asked. “The fact that I lied to you or that the letter is from him.”
He didn’t respond, but I had my suspicions.
“Excuse me if it bothers me that my girlfriend is getting love letters from another guy.”
The word made me do a double take. “Girlfriend? Since when?”
The question only aggravated him more . He swung the door open so hard that it bounced off the doorstop. He stomped down the steps, and I ran to the window to watch him get in his car and take off.
Chapter 14
Night Out
RICKY HAD LEFT his phone in my nightstand so there was no way I could reach him. I stared at it for a moment, pushing the button on the top to turn it back on. I tapped my finger on the kitchen table, the steam rising from my coffee mug. I got up and plopped the phone in my purse, fighting off the urge to snoop through it. Whatever was in that phone was none of my business. As much as it would have satiated my raging curiosity, my gut was telling me to back off.
I waited on the porch for Ricky to pick me up for work, looking down at my watch as the big hand marked the twentieth minute I was late. I called Mia to come give me a ride.
She didn’t seem like herself on the ride over , and I had a sinking suspicion my brother had something to do with it.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
“Hm? Oh, yeah,” she said, distracted. “Just tired. Ricky came home slamming every door he walked through last night.”
“Oh…sorry about that,” I said.
“It’s fine,” she shrugged. “I’m use to it.”
“How’s my brother d oing? I haven’t seen him in a while,” I asked.
“He’s good…behaving himself finally. School starts next week , and I’ll be moving back on campus. Hopefully we’ll be able to spend more time together.”
The door to Ricky’s office was closed when I got to work, and he only came out once. He left for an hour only to lock himself back in. We ignored each other all night, and I rolled my eyes when he walked right by me without saying a word. By nine o’clock nobody had come through the door in almost an hour.
“I vote to close early,” Mia said, slumped over the bar. “ And hit up the city. Whaddya’ say Lexy? Wanna do a girls night?”
“Woot! Woot!” Casey chimed.
I smiled, glancing over at the office door. “Sure,” I said. “Sounds like fun.”
I’d been home for almost two months and spent most of my time at work. It had been a while since my last girl’s night out, and I was actually excited by the idea.
I
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