I Belong to the Grim Reaper

11

So sorry for the late update. Enjoy <3

"Wake up," Jessica shook me awake. I blinked the sleep from my eyes. "You good?" She asked once my eyes were open.

"Yes."

"You were asking for help," Nile said. "No biggie," she hurriedly reassured me, taking the seat next to me on the sofa, her arms enveloping me in a tight hug. "You got it. Right here."

"I admit it's better than you screaming and crashing into doors," Nile joked when she pulled away. "It was just sleep talking. No nightmare right?"

"Right," I lied. "I'm fine."
"Good. Let's start the cleanup, shall we?" Jessica said.

"I'm bailing. Got a shift in twenty," Sabrina put her deuces in the air and fled the scene.
"I can always count on her to do that," Jessica sighed.

"I heard that!" Sabrina said.
"Great!" Jessica shouted.

We each had our own black garbage bag. Strewn about confetti, empty beer bottles and red party cups were the predominant evidence of our wild party from last night. We each worked in our own area, cleaning up the best we could.

"You lied earlier," Nile had somehow wandered into my area. "You had a nightmare?"

"It wasn't bad," I lied again.
"I can read you like a book, ya know?" Nile said. "You can tell me. I won't think you're crazy, I promise," she rolled her eyes.

I inhaled sharply before I gave her a final look. "I dreamt I was pregnant."

Nile burst into a fit of laughter, causing Jessica to appear. "What's so funny? I want to laugh."

"Nothing," Nile calmed herself. "I think someone misses their fiancé. Ready to bump and grind."

"Stop it," I slapped her arm. "I can never tell you anything," I laughed.

"It's perfectly natural to miss him," Jessica said. "I miss Sab all the time and we're nowhere married."

"Totally not the same," Nile squinted her eyes at Jessica so Jessica nudged her. "Okay," Nile relented. "Anyways, let's hit up the cafe. I'm starving." She rubbed her stomach with her free hand.

"I have to clean up this mess," Jessica groaned. "You two go."

"I need to go home," I said. "I told Jake I'd check in and I need a change of clothes," I looked into Nile's eyes.

"Yea, yea. Losers never want to hang when they're tired. Let's go," Nile took our bags and gave them to Jessica. "Have fun with all this cleaning," Niles thick sarcasm dripped from her voice. 

"I so hope you choke on that egg croissant," Jessica said.

"Me too! Maybe Sabrina will give me CPR," she let her middle finger fly up as we left.

..

I stumbled inside my home just in time to hear the familiar ringing, and I fled to the phone and answered.

"You took forever to answer. I almost thought you were still partying," Jake said. "How'd you sleep?" He asked.

"Great," I lied.

"Hmm," Jake doubted me. "You should've stayed home. Didn't you say the woman said it only works in your own home? That's probably why you had one. What was it about this time? Same thing as usual?" His busy background consisted of multiple conversation, phones ringing and people shuffling about.

"Yea," I did not tell the truth and he knew it.
"Babe," he warned me. "We're not going to do this. Just tell me."

"I'll tell you when you get here, I promise. How's work? Anything special? How's Ivan?" I bombarded him with questions just as he did me.

"Busy. No. He's fine. Sucker got me decaf, so I say he's more than fine. I found a bracelet to match your pendant," Jake shared.

"Ooooh," I pondered.
"Pretty things for a pretty girl," Jake sweet talked me, "I have to go. I love you."

"I love you too," I hung up the phone. I went inside the refrigerator just to hear the phone ring again. "Did you forget to say something?" I answered. But there was no one on the line. "Hello? Jake?"

Nothing.

I hung up. Ring, ring. "Hello?" Again, nothing.
It was a private number and there was no way I could block it. Ring, ring. "Stop calling me!" I slammed the phone down then unplugged it from the wall.

I finished my yogurt and took a shower. I passed the day by reading and rearranging Jake's part of the closet. Then I settled in front of the television in the noon. Nile joined me and she soon convinced me to go to the matinee.

It was followed by hotdogs, pretzels, ice cream, and a minor shopping trip. It was well into the evening when I returned through my front door with my bags.

I threw them on the table and immediately found my comfort blanket. I was so tired from all the drinking from last night and my entire day. I found myself on the couch, wrapped snuggly in warm bliss and my eyes heavily drooping, sinking so fast I couldn't fight them. And I was definitely defeated as I succumbed deeper and deeper.