Write Me A Love Story

23:

Sleeping wasn't easy. I regretted my text after I sent it. I spent an entire month working on this draft, pouring my heart into it, but last night's panic sent me back to square one. Not even, back to the day before Nancy had even shown me the paper. To when I couldn't think of a sentence and settled on the idea that it was fine.

I was afraid then. Last night, something came over me; I was terrified. Fear and anxiety boiled in my stomach until I felt sick; enough to tell the one person who made me feel on top of the world to leave.

Groaning onto my pillow, I turned my head to look at my window. The curtains were partly opened, letting a little light in. It was enough for me to see my socks lazily thrown on the floor, the extra pillow that'd fallen while I probably tossed and turned in my sleep, and the blinking light on my phone. A notification.

Biting my lip, I reached over to my side table to grab it. My thumb unlocked the screen.

The thread conversation between Reece and me had been the last thing I'd opened last night, and I never closed it. His last reply was there.

Reece—I believe in whatever you decide to do.

When I read it last night, it hurt me. I felt like he'd given up on me, but I gave him all the reasons, right? I had it coming. But this morning, rereading it after some sleep, I sighed because he let me be me. He let me fall. Sometimes you need to fall to learn.

Biting my lip, my gaze panned up to the notification that lit up my phone. A white bold 'M' for my email. Unless it was important, I rarely got them. I hadn't done anything recently to receive one. Curiosity told me to open it. Immediately, I jumped straight up in my bed, practically rolling off. "What!"

Camila Rodriguez, your contest submission has been received. Good luck!

"No, no, no." I dropped my phone on my bed, reached for my socks, and put them on. "What? How did this happen?"

Nervousness swelled in my chest. I grabbed my phone again and quickly walked into my kitchen. My laptop was still there, closed and untouched. I sighed. Was this a spam email? No. Looking back at my inbox, that was the correct sender, and I knew it was intended for me.

Sitting in my kitchen chair, I stared at the stickers on the top of my laptop. I bit my lip. Franny appeared beside me and meowed. I glanced at her. "I'll feed you in a second, Queen," slowly lifting the screen, I held my breath, "I just need to check something."

She chirped and purred, circling my legs under my chair.

I entered my laptop pin code. My document sprang back to life. Everything looked normal until I saw an additional two lines at the bottom of the document. The same two lines that I'd written but deleted multiple times. The last edit time was after I'd gone to bed; after I decided I wouldn't take this chance.

The change was made after I texted Reece.

"Okay, Franny, come on." I moved quickly. I hurried over to her box of canned foods and opened one for her breakfast. Then I skidded back into my room and pushed my feet into my shoes. My heart slammed in my chest as I turned back for my front door.

He has ACCESS to my story.

"Franny, I'll be right back." I grabbed my sweater, putting it on without zipping it up. "I need to ask someone a question."

As I rushed out of my apartment, Franny meowed goodbye.

***

I hadn't bothered to call Reece. Or text him. I needed the sound of my slamming fists on his door to be a surprise, like the email that hit my inbox this morning.