Invisible

Chapter 7 Piece Of My Heart

"Eight!" Gordi announces, shaking the jar. Those poor fireflies.

I take it from him and put it on the porch step. Hunter and Blake keep messing up on their count.

"Twendy fowhundwid!" Blake decides.

"Let me see." I stoop, gathering my skirt around me as Hunter holds out the jar.

"Six... and a cricket." I finally say, squinting in the porch light.

"Does the cricket count as bonus points?" Hunter jokes.

"No!" Gordi hits Hunter in the arm.

"Gordi! That wasn't nice!" I scold.

"Sowie." He mumbles.

"Blake, Gordi?" Maggie calls from the doors. "It's late, we should get going."

"Aww, 5 mo' minits!"

"No honey, lets go now. You'll see Leah tomorrow.

"Yeah, I'll be over bright and early." I promise them.

"Otay." Blake comes to where I still crouch down. "Wuv you." Wraps her little arms around me and I kiss her head.

"Love you too."

"It'twas fun pwaying wif you." She says to Hunter, suddenly hanging back, shy.

"G'nite." Gordi is off like a shot, he's not big on goodbyes.

"Bye guys." Hunter waves as Maggie and Blake disappear inside. The door closes and I realize that Hunter and I are alone. "They are good kids."

"Yes I love them so much." I don't hide my adoration for those two at all.

"I can tell."

I stand, uncomfortable with Hunter's eyes, looking into my own. The only light comes from the dim porch light and the windows of the brightly lit house.

"So..." Hunter stands and brushes himself off. "I guess Blake and I owe you and Gordi ice cream."

"Just Gordi. I'm fine." I look at my hands and hide a little smile.

"How come I keep getting the feeling I need to say sorry whenever I talk to you?" His voice sounds light but guarded. It is a tone I know well.

"Sorry... I'm just a hard person to get to know."

"I'm figuring that out... like at the wedding, you said that you almost got married, and then you dropped the subject. I'm still curious."

I blush harder. I shouldn't have said anything at the wedding, but my emotions were running high that night.

"Is there a story or were you just joking?"

"There's a story... but I don't like to tell it."

"Okay then, well, I just got out of a relationship, so I can kind of relate to the whole not talking about it." He offered up that piece of information so easily. Of course I know he and Libby broke up, I also know it was over 6 months ago. I may not obsess over celebrities but in this town you can't really help but hear things.

I nod. "Well," I swallow hard. Now I'm thinking of Jacob, his smile, his laugh... shoot! "it's getting late. I should probably get going."

"Was it... Oh... yeah, sure. I'll see you Monday?" His voice grows softer as he talks.

I freeze up... what's Monday? Oh yeah! At his parent's. "Um... yeah." I start for the door.

"Hey Leah?"

"Yeah?" I look back at him.

"I'd really like to get to know you better."

I suck in a breath. Why won't he leave me alone? Can't he see I'm broken? "I don't know if that's such a good idea... I've got a lot wrong with me."

"Well, lets just try to be friends." Hunter's face seems to light up, he looks hopeful. Why he wants to continue in our little awkward dance is beyond me.

"Okay, friends."

"Goodnight Leah. Drive safe."

"Thanks Hunter, you too."

Inside the house I am surprised at the number of people still milling around. Even though the guests of honor have left. I retrieve my stuff from the kitchen and sneak upstairs for my bag. Tiffany catches me on the way down, blocking me near the bottom.

"The party was a success! Didn't you think?" I see the mischievous scheming in her eyes.

"I'm going to kill you."

"What did I do?" Her voice squeaks as she holds back, I suspect, laughter.

I roll my eyes and pass her on the stairs. "Goodnight Tiffany."

The night has left me completely drained, I seem to be thinking that a lot lately. It doesn't get any better though, going home to an empty apartment.

I scoop Jade off of the floor and sit on the couch. I grab my phone and punch the lock screen code in. It's my wedding date, I've never been able to change it. I want to cry, need to cry and I know just the song to get me started. I turn up the volume and toss the phone into a chair out of my reach so I can't change it. 'Homesick' plays and the tears come before the lyrics.

Jade becomes agitated when the sobs start ratcheting throughout my whole body. I hold her until she scratches me, then I really can't hold it in anymore. Just then the phone starts to ring, the music fades and I summon all of the energy I have left to get up and answer it.

I can't see the screen because of the tears but only Maggie or Tiff would call this late.

"Hello?" I choke out, I don't care if they know I'm crying.

"Leah?" It's not Maggie or Tiffany, it's Hunter.

"Yeah." I hold a sniffle back, autocratically I stand up straighter and clear the tears from my eyes even though he can't see me. "It's nearly one in the morning! How did you get my number?"

"Sorry... I, um... are you okay?"

"Yeah... Hunter why are you calling me?" All of the walls I normally keep up around people have disintegrated, the sooner I stop talking the better.

"Well, I found a necklace on the back porch and Tiffany thought it was yours."

I reach for my neck and gasp at the feeling of no chain set against my skin. It's gone.

"Oh Hunter, thank you! It was my mother's, she gave it to me for my..." There I go, I'm just too tired to hide things.

"Leah, are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine!" Hunter's concern brings fresh tears to my eyes. Why won't he just leave me be?

"If you need to talk, you know that's what friends are for."

I can't contain myself. I let out a sob, "His name was Jacob and I still love him!" I hang up and fall apart, my knees give out and I crumple to the floor crying so hard it hurts to breathe. "Jacob, why did you leave me? Why didn't you stay with me until the end? Are you even still alive?" I ask those questions into my hands as 'Homesick' finishes playing on my phone.