Lost in Translation

Chapter 18: Oh, How the Turns Have Tabled

———Ben———

Saturday, May 25th, 2019

Anthony: I enjoyed tonight, too. I'll talk to you tomorrow, good night.

I almost dropped my phone on my face when Anthony's reply came through. I hadn't really expected him to text back, but I'd been procrastinating going to bed in case he did. I read it three times before I dropped my phone to my chest, grinning.

Tonight was.... Well, not to be dramatic, but right now, it felt like the best night of my life. For the first time since I found myself on Anthony's doorstep, I felt real hope that this was going to work out, that maybe he liked me too...

I felt a zap of anxiety as I processed that thought. Liked me too? When did I start liking him? I mean, I know the bond had something to do with it, but after today, it felt like it was something beyond that.

I tried to sleep, but every time I closed my eyes, I just kept seeing a replay of that kiss, how good it felt when he wrapped his arms around me, and how much I didn't want him to let go... After the third time I caught myself re-reading Anthony's good night text, I shot Val a text that said, "I have tea to spill ; ) come over tomorrow?"

I flopped over in bed and forced my eyes shut, a small smile still on my face, eager for the next day to arrive and see if Anthony made good on his promise to talk to me.

—————

Sunday, May 26th, 2019

"Wake the fuck up and tell me everything."

My eyes shot open, and I found Val standing over me, holding a cinnamon roll and a cup of coffee from The Daily Grind, the local coffee shop in the center square.

"Val, what the fuck? What time is it?" I said blearily as I felt around for my phone.

"6:52. Tell. Me," she demanded again as she passed me my phone.

"Wha? Tell you what?" I asked, confirming with my phone that it was, indeed, 6:52 in the morning. I pushed myself up and rubbed my eyes as she sighed and sat on the computer chair near my bed.

"Val, it's so fucking early, what... why are you here?" I asked as I took the coffee from her and took a long, blissful sip.

"You sent me a winky face at 1:17 in the morning and told me you had news to share. How did you not expect me to show up this early??" She said with large hand gestures.

I suddenly remembered the text I sent her and why I sent it, and I promptly choked on the coffee, spilling it on myself. Val jumped up and went to the small bathroom attached to my room, coming back with a towel.

"Oh, yeah, I guess I did," I said, my face flushed as I blotted at the coffee stain.

"So spill it! I'm dying here! I've been dying since 1:17! Did you not get any of my messages?" She asked exasperatedly.

"No, my phone was on silent," I said as I unlocked it. I saw at least 12 messages of varying lengths from Val demanding further explanation, and my heart skipped a beat when I saw Anthony's last message sitting at the top of my inbox.

"Oh my gods. Ok, fuck, I'm awake now. I have a lot to tell you, but can I brush my teeth and throw my sheets in the wash first?" I asked, looking at Val sheepishly. She threw her hands up in the air and stood up before starting to strip my sheets with me still in them.