One true love | Eddie Munson

13 : H A I L E Y

. . .

Nancy had just gotten back from the grocery store, struggling to enter the door with three plastic bags in each hand trying to avoid having to make a second trip to the car.

I walked over and took three of them, "You could've called me over, I would've helped."

"I'm good," She said out of breath and plopping the bags on the floor, "Ran into Eddie when I was at the store, he wouldn't stop asking me about you."

"You didn't tell him I was here did you?"

"Of course not!" She shook her head at my accusation.

I closed the door making sure the locks were on and brought the bags to the kitchen.

"I love what you've done with the place." Nancy joked taking out boxes of crackers from the bag.

I giggled as I rolled my eyes, "All I did was clean up a bit. I made sure there weren't any bedbugs or regular bugs around, and I'm currently washing the sheets."

"Wow, look at you, being a little maid." She giggled and sat in a chair at the dinner table that was in the middle of the kitchen.

"All I need is the outfit and I'll be a prop-" I began to joke but I heard knocks at the door, which made both Nancy and I jump. I quickly put my finger up to my lips to tell Nancy to stay quiet while I walked to the closet and pulled out a shotgun. I'm pretty sure it wasn't loaded and my grandfather used to use it for hunting with my dad. I had seen it when I was searching for the broom.

Nancy followed quietly behind me while I tiptoed my way to the front door. I unlocked it and swung it open pointing the gun at the unwelcome stranger standing at my door.

"Jesus Christ!" The familiar voice shouted and soon I realized who the voice belonged to.

I looked at Nancy, "I thought you didn't tell him." I sighed.

"I didn't, I swear" A soft panicky tone escaping her mouth.

Eddie looked at me, "She didn't, I followed her here, because I wanted to make sure you were actually okay."

I handed the gun to Nancy, "Could you put that back in the closet, I'll be back." I said, closing the door behind me as I took a step out onto the porch.

I went over to the porch swing and sat there. Eddie stood there awkwardly until I invited him to sit next to me.

"Why are you here?" I asked softly, I wasn't upset at him and I hope my voice would let him know that.

He nervously played with the rings that were on his hand, "I wanted to see you. I went to your house and you weren't there so I got worried. I called your mom and she said you normally disappeared like this, but it didn't seem like something you would do."

"You went to my house?"

"Mhm" He hummed and laid back onto the porch swing making it rock a bit, "You know how that little boy has gone missing, I forget his name, but I thought you had too. Started blaming myself for it because if I had ran after you or if we hadn't fought, and I had just comforted you then maybe you and I would be hanging at your trailer watching whatever cartoon was playing." He shrugged and didn't once look up at me.

I frowned, feeling a bit guilty, "I'm sorry." I said placing my hand on his shoulder, "I'm not good at dealing with big emotions, never have been, so my only solution has been running away from my feeling instead of dealing with them. When I saw the sign and all the people staring at me I panicked, and then you were there and you were looking at the sign like everyone else was... I thought you would look at me differently, and think I was disgusting." I spoke honestly, "I know I overreacted, and I'm sorry I left without saying anything."