Falls In Between

Chapter 6-Healy

It's Sunday and all I'm gonna do is lay in bed until I have to get read to go to the baseball game.  It's my last free day of the week. Ron, the other vet, is amazing to stay on and do weekends for me and Ken. It's nice to be off. As I grab a beer someone knocks on my door. It's usually unlikely that someone will come by my house.

I open the door and I almost spill my beer all over me. "Augie." I say.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, I was just going to come by and check on you. You left suddenly last night. Maybe this was a bad idea. I'll go." She starts to turn and her brunette ponytail flips.

"Wait, no it's okay, come on in." I open the door wider for her and move to the side to let her pass. I check my watch, I got a couple of hours before I'm headed to the baseball game with the Hobbs. 

She looks around, "This place is cute. I like it." She looks at me and smiles.

"Yeah, I like it." She looks too good in my space. I hate myself for thinking that. She doesn't want me anyway. She looks around at the pictures on the fireplace mantel and turns to look at the kitchen, before turning back and looking at me.

"So you doing okay, you left pretty fast last night." She has always been the one to care.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired." I totally lie, but it doesn't matter. "I didn't know you were going to be going out."

"Yeah, I kinda forgot about girls' night until Chelsea brought it up after I saw you." I just nod. "Well now that I know you're okay, I'll go."

I'm not reading for her to leave so before I change my mind I blurt out. "Do you want to stay? I can grab you a drink?"

"Sure, if you're sure you don't mind." I shake my head and gesture for her to sit on the bar stool while I make my way to the fridge.

"Not at all." I move to my fridge and remember. "I have some bud light and then some Truly." She snorts. "What?"

"You have hard seltzer?"

"Yes..." I just shrug. It's not that big of a deal. It's less calories and yes I know it's a girls drink.

"I'll have the Truly." I just shake my head. I grab it, open it and hand it to her. 

"Do you remember me sneaking you some alcohol on your birthday?" I was drinking a margarita that I made from alcohol that my parents had locked up, but I had a key and made myself a drink. She came down to visit with me after everyone was asleep and I let her have some while I made her favorite meal.

"Best birthday ever." It was her last birthday with us. I only found out because I overheard my parents talking and they didn't give rats ass if it was her birthday or not. They gave her some cash that night before they went to bed. She smiled and accepted it graciously not knowing they were going to throw her out a week later. I wish I would have gotten her a cell phone or something. Or tried harder to look her up.

"I'm sorry I didn't try to find you."

"Healy it's okay you can stop apologizing. It's not your fault. You weren't home when it happened. Which I know is on purpose."

"Of course it is. I wouldn't have let them. I would have figured out a way for you to stay."

"I wish...It's all too late now. I'm happy that I'm here." We both smile at each other. I want to kiss her so bad, but instead I clear my throat and move on to safe topics.

"So how'd you find my place? Ken and Chelsea?"

She shook her head. "Well you said it was a cottage by the office. So honestly I picked the closest one and knocked, hoping I was correct. I would have knocked on all of them to be honest. I didn't want Chelsea and Ken asking questions." She shrugs. "I really need to get a cell phone." She sighs.

"Oh, that reminds me." I move off my stool and to the back of the house where my room is. I open my nightstand and find the old iPhone I had. "Here." I gesture to her.

"What?" she slowly takes it out of my hand. "I had an extra one. I just upgraded my phone."

"I appreciate it, Healy, but I can't afford a monthly plan especially until I start working at the bakery."

"Why don't I just put you on my plan? It'll be easy. We can go into Nashville after I get off tomorrow and get you all sorted out."

"I can't." she says. She hops off the bar stool and moves towards the door. "I just can't."

"Wait." I say and move to go in between her and the door. "Why can't you?'

"Because if something happens between us and you decide you don't want me in your life anymore. I'm stuck. I gotta go." She moves under my arm and opens and closes the door so fast I don't even get to say goodbye. I can't believe she thinks I don't want her in my life. I have been waiting 6 years for her to get back into my life.