The Lost and The Found

Chapter 24: What Happened?

After I end the call with Kyle I immediately toss my phone onto my bed, where it gets lost in the white sheets.

I gather some sweat pants and a skintight black v-cut shirt from the drawers of my dresser. I lean down, opening my bottom drawers, to grab a hoodie and a padded sports bra. After I close the bottom drawer, I stand back up. I throw a pair of socks on my bed as I run and slide across my wooden floor to the opposite side of my room. I pile my hands full of the essential things I need for the day and the next. I make my way to the bed, drop off the pile of stuff in my hands, and then shift my attention to the bathroom. The cabinet holds my toothbrush and make up. I grab the hidden pack of smokes from under my sink, then my e-cig from the bottom of my jewelry chest. I jam everything into my over night bag.

"Ready..." I sigh to myself in my empty room. I walk out of my room with my bag over my shoulder, thumping down the stairs. My feet pitter-patter on the floor when I reach the bottom but I continue my quest to the car.

My eyes avert to my car when I swing open the garage door with my left hand. Within a short period of time, I'm buckled up and only 10 minutes away from Kyle's place. My aux cord handles the music playing through the speakers of my car as I drive freely down the road. My mind continues to flip back and forth between passing trees, my music, and the road ahead. My eyes study the road, watching all the recognizable things I pass by for the millionth time. My trip seems to last longer than it usually does, but I don't mind.

A few minutes later I finally pull up onto the gravel of Kyle's driveway, parking my car close to the garage door. I turn off my car, slipping the straps of my bags onto my arm and escaping the heat. I don't even bother to knock or ring the doorbell; I just walk inside as if I lived here too.

"I'm here!" I yell as I walk up his spiraling staircase.

"I'm down here!" Kyle yells back from what I'm assuming is the kitchen.

"Okay. I'm just going to put my stuff in your room real quick!" I shout back. I make my way up the staircase without fumbling. Pushing the door open with my back, I enter the room. The air is cool, chilling my body. My arms finally give out just as I walk up to Kyle's oak wood desk. Everything falls out of my hands. I rub my arms and exit his room quickly, rushing back down to the warmth. Carefully, I swing off the railing at the bottom of the staircase and land on the floor with both feet. I make my way to Kyle's kitchen casually. My hand caresses the white frame leading into the kitchen as a smile finds its way to my lips.

Kyle finally turns his body towards me, smiling wide. "You're here! Ugh, I've missed you so much." He says as he engulfs me in a warm hug.

When Kyle pulls back I get a look at his 'kiss the cook' apron and giggle.

"How cute." I remark softly.

"Isn't it?" He asks with sarcasm.

We both break out in a fit of laughter, soon causing us to hold our stomachs in pain. I double over and attempt to catch my breath while I continue to laugh. Kyle wipes the corner of his eyes and smiles.

"Are you okay?" He asks with a chuckle. I nod and smile, making my way around to the high top chairs surrounding the granite counter. I slip on the chair's metal post in my first attempt to sit, feeling the heat of embarrassment course through my body, and then casually try again making it this time. I wiggle a little bit trying to escape my nervousness.

"So." I blurt out in the awkward silence filling the kitchen.

"We have a lot to talk about." Kyle confesses, his eyes glued to the table. He swiftly reaches around and releases the strings of the apron, letting it fall off of his body. He picks it up, placing it on a peg sticking out of the wall.