WHY THEY LEFT (#Wattys2015)

22. How Long Has It Been

Danny
Tangled Up In You by Staind

"Danny?" My head snapped back to see Hank standing behind me. "Are you alright, kid?" He asked.

I tangled my fingers in my hair, elbows on my knees. "Yeah uh, just give me a minute," I said, still processing what had just happened. I heard the doorbell jingle as Hank went back inside, and I took a deep breath.

She told me she loved you. I sucked in a breath, bottling up my feelings before I jumped in my car and drove to her house right now. Easy now, lover boy, I told myself.

Slowly bringing myself to stand, I scratched the back of my head. Love. Loves you. As far as I knew, no one had loved me since mom died besides Bee. It was something so normal for other people to tell each other. A phrase used so carelessly, people use it hanging up the phone. But it's different for me. It's more than that.

Suddenly, I jumped up from my spot on the curb, pushing into the lobby. "Hank," I began, fumbling for words. "I-um... I think I need to leave?" I said it like a question more than a statement, probably because I wasn't sure it was the right thing to do myself.

Hank raised his eyebrows, one hand on his hip. "Where are you off to? You still have a car in the garage-"

"Listen," I interrupted. "I don't know if you've heard, well, I don't know if it's public yet, but my dad's in jail," I began. Hank nodded, not surprised in the least. "And my mom's gone," I continued, running my fingers through my hair. "I-uh, I can't lose my girl, Hank."

His stern look remained the same. "Please tell me it's not that Ashley you've been seeing. I told you, Danny, she's not good for you." I shook my head.

"No, no. It's not her. But I really have to go. I know if it don't do it now, I'll never be able to," I turned away from him, grabbing my leather jacket from the hooks by the door.

"Wait, wait, do what?" Hank asked. I grinned at him over my shoulder before pushing through the door. It had just started to sprinkle outside as I slid into my leather jacket and got in my car.

It was only when I began to drive that it started to pour. I had to squint my eyes to see the road, wipers on the highest setting. When I finally pulled up to Rosalie's driveway, I started to feel it. Scared. Nervous. Intimidated by her lifestyle. I glanced over myself and scoffed. White t-shirt stained with oil and jeans with holes in them. Add self-conscious to the list.

Rosalie's Bentley was parked in her driveway along with a sleek black Porsche. I parked along the curb. My piece of shit car wasn't worthy of being parked next to the others.

When I turned the key in the ignition to turn off the car, I just felt stupid. Stupid for leaving work, stupid for coming here, stupid for loving her. I glanced over at the mansion of a house. The curtains were pulled back in a window on the second level, revealing the inside of the room.

Rosalie stood in sweatpants and a t-shirt, a little boy in her arms, swinging him around in circles while he giggled. She tilted her head back and laughed, looking the happiest I'd ever seen her. I wanted her more then than I ever had, and that's when I decided to get out of the car.

I jogged to through the rain to her front door. After much contemplation, I decided to knock three times on the door. It seemed like a reasonable number to knock. Right?

The wait was unbearable. I stuffed my hands in my pockets so they would stop shaking; no longer with nerves, but sheer happiness. The door flung open. In the doorway stood a woman, maybe mid-forties, hand on her hip and a cell phone in her hand. Her eyes ran over me skeptically, narrowing when they reached my face. "Can I help you?" She asked in a tone of voice that made me hate myself just as much as I could tell she did just by the sight of me.

I cleared my throat. This was obviously not what I was expecting. "Um, is Rosalie here?" I asked. I could feel the sweat beading on my hairline and I prayed she didn't notice.

"Um, no, she's not," she said, mocking me with her tone of voice. I took a step back, frowning while the woman tapped her foot impatiently.

"But, her cars in the parking lot," I stuttered, feeling incredibly stupid as I stood face to face with the woman I assumed was Rosalie's mother. No wonder she doesn't like to go home that often.

She scoffed. "Hold on just a minute, Jeff," she said into the microphone strapped to her ear. "Yes, her car is in the driveway. She went out with a friend. Can I ask what this is all about?" She asked, her shiny black heels clicking with every impatient tap.

"But in the window, I saw her in the window," I fumbled out. "I-I just want to see her, I promise," I said, standing my ground. There's no way I was backing out now, not after contemplating how many times to knock for twenty minutes.

The woman cocked her head to the side, narrowing her eyes. She kept eye contact as she yelled. "Rosalie! There's someone at the door!"

I held her gaze, knowing looking away would only satisfy her need to make me feel inferior. I heard Rosalie's voice before I saw her, coming down the staircase, holding the same little boy's hand. Her eyes met mine and she dropped it.

"Rosalie," the woman prompted. "Do you know this boy?" She turned to look at her daughter, raising her eyebrows. I smiled, knowing I had her now.

Rosalie looked down at the little boy at her side before backing up behind her mother and shaking her head no. No. I took a step back in awe, dropping my hands at my sides. No.

The woman turned back to face me, a smug look on her face. "Guess you have the wrong Rosalie." It was that simple, then door was slammed in my face.

"Goddamn it!" I breathed, kicking a rock across the parking lot as I walked back to my car in the pouring rain. Sliding into the driver's seat, I leaned my head against the steering wheel, banging my hands against the sides a few times. "Stupid, stupid, stupid." How could a girl like that, love you Danny? Stupid.

I glanced one more time up at the house. The curtains in the window were drawn shut.

-Matt. Dedicated to @kalelcoetzee. Next chapter dedicated to a random commenter! Comment for your chance!