Heaven Can Wait || Eddie Munson Story ||

Eat Your Heart Out

I wake up to something poking my shoulder over and over again. With a grunt, I swat it away and shove my head under my pillow. The poking stops and I sigh, snuggling into my mattress. 

A foot comes crashing into my side and I tumble off the side of my bed with a thud, pulling the blankets with me. 

"What the hell!" I yell. 

"Hey, language!" Uncle Wayne warns, standing over me. I squint up at him. My head is throbbing, and I bring my hands up to run them through my hair. My room is too damn bright. I notice Wayne has a cup of water in one hand and the other is palm up. He holds his hands out to me, offering me the glass and aspirin. I sigh with relief, taking them greedily. 

"What time is it?" I ask, groggy. 

"3pm." 

I groan again and down the medicine and water. I start to get up and realize I'm in pajama pants and a white tank top. I can't remember how I got home, much less how I got changed. Images of AnnMarie driving me home, my hand on her thigh as she drives dance behind my eyes and I freeze. 

"Relax there genius," Wayne said with a smirk. "I helped you change. The pretty girl just dropped you off." 

I don't look at him as I pretend to be busy, tidying my overly messy space. I play with some of my split ends and throw my blankets back up on my bed. 

"Did she come inside?" I ask. 

"Nah," Wayne shook his head. "You wouldn't get out of the car. I could hear you from inside and came out to see what you were going on about before you woke up all of Indiana. She's a real sweetheart though. Kept apologizing for bringing you home so drunk." 

Wayne was smiling brightly at me then and I felt overly giddy. I tried to play it cool with a shrug, but I felt the corner of my lips tugging up, threatening to smile. 

"You hadn't even told me someone moved in next door." Wayne played it up, putting his hands on his hips and trying to seem stern and I lost it. Laughing I clapped my hand on his back before wincing and bringing my hand to my head. 

"Well see that's what you get," Wayne said with a chuckle. "Now get dressed. I need to go pick up a friend of mine before work and I need you to go get some groceries." 

I groaned and threw my head back with dread. "Why we have food here?"

"Ah, yes the stale Cheerios and cans of SpaghettiOs are really meeting all my core dietary needs these days." Uncle Wayne said rolling his eyes. "Money is on the counter. Shop responsibly." 

He turned with a wave and left my room, shutting the door behind him. I flopped back on my bed and stared up at the ceiling. Last night really was a blur, but I remember AnnMarie.

I remember her smiling and dancing behind the bar as we played on stage, headbanging along. I remember her joking with Gareth and Jeff and the small pang of jealousy I felt at how easily they spoke to her. I remember her taking a quick break and kicking our asses at darts. I remember her smile, her smell, her laugh. I remember her calling me Eds and letting me call her Rie. I remember her telling me about her childhood friend. 

If nothing else, I remember AnnMarie and my heart is left pounding in my chest. I play with the necklaces I'm wearing, wondering when I will get the chance to see her again. My mind wanders to the night on her porch. The look in her eyes as we stared at each other and the shift in them when I made it obvious I wanted to kiss her. It was as though she pulled the shutters shut on herself and I was left out in the dark. I didn't know what to do. I just knew it hurt. I feel achy and long for something to do to take my mind off of her. I turn to take my guitar off the wall, dying for a distraction and freeze.