Hi all, I’ve had this written for a while, but tried to punch more content out before publishing this portion. I’ve run into some struggles with writing this story, but I hope you enjoy part 12! Thanks for sticking around! 🙂 ❤
Nonetheless, without further ado, we commence…
Previously:
E prayed with all her newly warmed bones and softened core that she’d live in a world like this and even experience it primarily.
Currently:
V’s morning was different from E’s. But she put E out of her mind and decided not to fret over whatever E does. It was E’s choice to leave, and she’d give her that. So, instead, she decided to get curious and go down to the lobby and ask the front desk agent what they knew about S’s arrest last night.
She imagined there wasn’t a whole lot to tell, but it was a story to hear, nonetheless. She threw on a sweater and, deciding to take the stairs, she bounded down to the first floor. When her feet hit the cold marble tiles, she realized she’d stayed in her socks. Oh well, what is life, anyways? Socks are a wonderful part of life and, today, I’m going to embrace it. So she did.
“Hi, how can I help you?” The desk agent saw her approaching.
“Hi, I’m V Ellison from room 621…I wanted to know what went on with that woman last night. What happened?”
“Oh. Yeah, she was crazy.” The person nervously laughed. I wasn’t actually here last night, but my coworker told me some of it.” He scratched his sideburn and continued, “Basically, she like went up to…was it your room?” he looked up at V with a questioning brow.
“Yes, she came banging up on my door.” V’s face showed an attempt at laughing the scary event off.
“Oh sheesh… Yeah so she was just insane, she told Carla that her fiancé was in that room… do you know her at all?”
Come to think of it, V didn’t know if they’d ever been engaged. She’d not seen a ring on E’s finger,…she didn’t think she did, anyways… “Well, I was with someone else who knew her…but I don’t think they were ever engaged. At least not by then.”
“Hmm. So she really is psycho. Dang, I never work on the fun nights.”
based on his response, V was guessing this guy was more of a kid… maybe eighteen or nineteen.
“It was a rollercoaster, at least.” V heavily breathed more than laughed.
“Oh, yeah, sorry, it probably sucked… Anyways. They called the cops and they barely caught her.” He accents the “barely” by squinting his eyes and making a gesture with his hands, “Like, she had slipped out a back door and one of the cops pulled up just then and he jumped out, like in an action movie,” he does a slow motion representation of how he imagined it happening, “and like had to grab her while she was running down the sidewalk. She was screaming and shouting and like,” his eyes go big, “It was insane…I kind of wish I saw it… Did you miss it all?”
“I saw some of it. I saw a couple cars pull up and I saw her look at me when she was getting in one.”
“Dang. That’s intense.”
Intense is one way to describe it, yes, mister front desk person. But, poor V; as much as the kid tried, V’s hunger for the story was not appeased. She wanted to know how S knew exactly which window was hers. How long has she been here to have studied them to know? And why did she really even care to be so keen on finding E? …Why was E running? Maybe it’s good I don’t get mixed up in this. E could be hiding anything, and S could be up to anything. Either could be up to no good. Maybe S isn’t even the bad one? No, V, you know that’s not true. You’re just hurting because she left again. Stop thinking that. Don’t.
V was sure the front desk wouldn’t necessarily know the answers to these questions, but maybe they’d heard something or seen someone else, or… she wasn’t sure…something, though. There’s gotta be something.
As dejected as she was, having to leave the front desk disappointed and leaving the kid standing there nodding at his imagination, she decided not to dig into it. She wasn’t sure that she’d be able to stomach whatever ugly truth she’d find, anyways. And when you seek, you find; and if you don’t want to find something—if you’re not prepared for a negative answer or wouldn’t be okay with one—you ought not to seek it out, otherwise, you’re just pouring hot coals on your own head. Wise move, V. You’re a wise young lady.
Now, as much as she decided to put E out of her mind, V didn’t want to be careless and reckless, and so wondered how long she ought to stay here waiting for her to come back…or if she should just move on. I just need to know if she’s coming back at all, that would help all this…some of it. Nothing will really help this S drama. And V didn’t feel comfortable staying here much longer.
Knowing whether you’re a hopeless fool or not would help you make better decisions, right? Or would it make you just dream and hope and cling further to your beliefs even more, even to insanity?
V didn’t want to be a fool, but she also didn’t want to be a careless bastard. And yet, what rang in her mind was Move on. That’s what I’m gonna do. I’m not going to wait for another shady character to pop up out of E’s past and stumble upon me. With that, and as she spoke to herself, she hurried up to her room and started gathering her things and stuffing them into her bags. She stopped for a brief moment when she came to E’s duffel bag, which she’d not taken. I’ll take it with me. What’s the point of leaving it here? It’s better kept with all our things where it can be used than put in the garbage by the hotel maid.
With all her things, and E’s, finally packed; and the room looked over once, twice, and thrice, it was time to check out and resume her journey.
…
The car was a whole lot quieter without E here, laughing in the passenger seat over some funny remark she’d have made. “I crack myself up!” She’d say. V came back to the present moment, feeling herself smile, and it tightens. She turns the knob on her radio to listen to some country hits as she droned along.
She had decided to go the way opposite E…she didn’t want to intrude on the space E purposely put between them. So she left the city. Beyond this, she passed by forests and little rural homes.
—
E’s belly was full with a good breakfast, and her clothes were washed and clean, and she even had a new change, too. She’d passed time playing chutes and ladders with John and Melinda and Adeline. And Melinda gave her her number and said to call if she ever needed anything.
E was beyond grateful for this morning. Something felt reignited or rebirthed within her—a childlike joy. But now, back to the outside it was. With her new confidence and hope, she stepped out into the afternoon wind. It was warm and breezy. But her step wouldn’t be tripped, not today, not this afternoon.
She made it onto the front lot of the family’s home before her phone rang. She jumped a little, her heart forgetting the peace freshly established there. She knew that ringtone anywhere… it was S. Her palms sweated as she decided to pick up the call. Even if it was a threat, it would be a warning and she could somehow prepare or… no, I can’t hide out here and risk these people’s safety.
She brought it to her ear and she heard S’s voice. “Well fucking played, E. Well fucking played.” The voice came oddly steady and bitterly calm.
“What do you mean?” E was shaking and her voice barely hid it.
“Don’t ask me that; don’t be so dumb. You know what the fuck you did. Left a breadcrumb trail to your cute little hotel room with no one but your new girlfriend in it. Would you really use her as bait?” S’s bitter tone turned defyingly sweet at that last sentence.
Oh my God. E’s heart pounded and crashed within her, as if her heart ran itself against her ribs over and over to be let out. Her already sweaty palms became hotter and she rubbed one with her fingers. “You found V? What do you mean? Do you have her? You’re a fuckin bitch, S. What would you want with her anyways? She’s not your puppet type.”
“Do I have her!?” S laughed. Then a gruff voice in the background addressed her and she heard S lean away from the phone and then come back. “Well, I’ve gotta go. Bye now.”
“S,… Oh my God.” But she was met in reply with the beeping tone of an ended call. “Fuck, fuck, fuck! Shit.”
She stuffed her phone in her pocket and rubbed her palms again. “Shit.” Fine. I can’t leave her high and dry.
So E headed off back toward the city, knowing she’d have a petty S to fight when she got there.
Part 13 is out now!
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