The Start of Time

Chapter 4

The vigorous knocking on my door shatters my dreamless sleep, startling me right out of REM. The sane part of me says to at least make sure my hair isn't sticking out all over the place before I open the door, but the best I can manage is a small prayer that it's someone I know.

Apparently thinking somehow interferes with my ability to walk straight because as I'm rubbing my sleepy eyes, my arm catches the door frame, lurching my body forwards until I knock a small lamp straight into the floor. I commiserate my feeble attempt to catch it with a squeal followed by a grumpy sigh.

See, this is why I need at least 15 minutes to get my brain together in the morning before any human interaction.

The knocking has completely stopped, and it sounds like someone is twisting a key to unlock my door. There's only like three people in the world who have a key to my apartment.

"Umm, MK? Is everything okay?" Kennedy says as she emerges from behind the door.

Now, Kennedy is barely over five feet with an extremely playful personality, but she has these weird motherly instincts kick in sometimes.

"Yes, but you should know the price of waking me up suddenly so early in the morning. What time is it anyway?"

"Sweetheart, it's already 10, and if you would answer your phone like a normal person, then I wouldn't have to come banging on your door."

Is it really already ten? I haven't slept that late in months. "You know I'm terrible at answering the phone."

"Yes, but what else was I supposed to do when you disappeared last night. I know you said you'd just catch an Uber home or something if you wanted to leave earlier, but you never told me! Then, when I get home, your car is still there, but you are nowhere to be found. It was really late, and you wouldn't answer any of my texts or calls. What else was I supposed to do when you never came back? I thought some crazy idiot might have kidnapped you or something! I'm just glad I have your location, or we would have been calling your name down every street at three in the morning."

She finally plops down on the couch next to me, taking a deep breath as she sinks into the cushion. That was a lot of words at once, even for her.

"Well, I'm obviously fine."

Kennedy has the tendency to be a little over dramatic. If she would have just stopped worrying after she checked my location and saw I was home, she would have been just fine. I know how the world is today, but after taking care of myself for this long, I think I'll be just fine. I'm also still unsure whether or not to tell Kennedy about Declan Wilder. I'm not even sure how she'd react. She could think it's funny, or she could think I'm absolutely crazy for saying yes.

Either that or jump to conclusions and start planning a wedding with a guy that she's never met, is the epitome of free bachelor, and I'll probably never see again.

"A guy paid me to leave with him last night, so he could win a bet." I blurt unexpectedly.

I thought I was conflicted and confused until I see Kennedy's scrunched up face analyzing me.

"I'm sorry. You did what?" Her whole body twists towards me. "Care to explain to me what the hell that means."

Now, it's my turn to word vomit.

"So after you disappeared first last night, I got a little overwhelmed. Not uncommon."

"Yeah, people stress you out. I know. Go on."

"Apparently, my resting bitch face is phenomenal because these guys bet their friend that he couldn't get me to go home with him. He actually tried for about a minute, but once he figured out that wouldn't work, he literally told me he'd give me half if I agreed. So, naturally, I did. But these guys must be fairly wealthy because the bet was $400, and the man drives a fully loaded Jeep. So, he won his bet, and I got $200 plus free dinner."