Breathless

Chapter 16

I found a job there working as a vet, and I make seventy five dollars an hour. The next weekend, I went house hunting. Somehow this bump in the road with Christian and I brought us closer, and we've been having a lot of sex, and he's very clingy, and romantic, and he brings me flowers and chocolate often, and he writes love letters, and I write him letters too, and buy him little things that I know he's gonna love, and he likes going on walks in the park a lot, and he chases me around, and he loves to tickle me, and we're more in love than ever, and I'm so happy.

We're together eleven months today, and it's October, and we've been living here since June, so four months, and I'm used to it, and I'm just walking in the door from work in pink scrubs. I literally live only twelve minutes from Christian, ten minutes from his parents, in the same house he grew up in, seventeen minutes from Mom and Dad, from the house I grew up in, and sixteen minutes from Mom and Dad.

It's usually less than that because I speed.

It's so fucking cold outside, and just when I walk in the door, my phone starts ringing.

Christian.

I press answer.

"Hey, Love." I say.

"Hi babyyyyyyy. Are you home?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Listen, a winter storm is coming, that's why it's so windy. They said we're going to be snowed into our houses for a week or two with no electricity, which means no stove, no microwave..." he trails off.

"I don't have any food!" I say, panicked.

"I have enough for like, six people." He says.

"Can I stay with you?"

"Erin, the storm is literally like, it's starting to snow now."

"I'm coming over."

"Erin, I don't want you getting hurt."

I hang up on him and sprint to my room. I grab a suitcase and dump my drawers of clothes, an grab my favorite pillow.

I don't even change out of my work clothes.

I'm petrified of being alone during this storm.

It is starting to snow, and I don't really wear jackets in winter. I've lived in weather like this for so long, it doesn't affect me. I've come outside in a tank top and spandex in winter before. I'm just so used to it. I don't even have my jacket on, and I go outside in a short sleeve shirt, and it's snowing, and I throw my bag in the car, and my phone is ringing, and I start the Jeep and press answer.

"Yeah?"

"Erin, are you home?" Mom asks.

"Yes, but I'm leaving."

"No, don't leave."

"I don't have an food at my house!" I say, panicked.

It starts snowing harder.

"I gotta go, I'll call you when I get to Christian's."

I hang up on her.

I feel bad, but they're saying we're gonna get snowed in.

I put the Jeep in reverse and slam on the gas. I go flying out of the driveway, and put it in drive and the engine tires squeal as the Jeep takes off.

I drive, going eighty, all the way to Christian's.

The twelve minute ride turns to four minutes, and in those four minutes, there's an inch of snow on the ground. I can hardly see outside.

I park behind Christian and get out. I get my bag and lock the Jeep, and run for his front door. I slip, landing weird on my ankle, and then I get up and limp to the door.