Carved

CHAPTER 12

DYLAN

“I’m glad to see you.” 

I couldn’t believe my luck.  I have been thinking about her all week.  I wanted to call every day. I was going to call as soon as I arrived in New York the morning after the party, but Dex took my phone away.  He was convinced the only way I could get her back was if I played hard to get. Stan thought it was a good idea if the guys gave up their phones as well.  I waited until Monday before I started looking for that damn phone everywhere. Stan and Dex walked in just as I heard ringing coming from one of Stan’s dresser drawers.  Stan tackled me to the ground, grabbed the phones and ran out.  

I wish I would have written Ella’s phone number on my contact list.  I have all of my contacts on my cell phone. I called Grammy to get Ella’s number and she gave me a number for Ty-Ty Thai Food.  I called Duck’s and Rebel refused to give it to me. Again, I hate that guy. I didn’t know who else to call. Thirty minutes later Colton and a few other friends were over for ‘bro-time’.  They were basically keeping me busy and away from Ella the whole week.  

By Thursday I had enough.  Stan was walking out of the kitchen with a plate of lasagna when I tackled him down.  The guy is almost twice my size. I would do anything when it comes to Ella though. It took all of them to get me off of him and handcuff me to my bed in my boxers with the blow up doll they named Doralene.  I wasn't released until Benji's damn cousin came to visit and walked into the room looking like all of her dreams were about to come true when she found me handcuffed to the bed. If it weren't for the veteran cop next door breaking down the doors after hearing me scream like a banshee for help, I would probably still be handcuffed to that bed.  

I finally convinced Stan I needed to call so I could catch them up on what is going on for Oktoberfest.  He only gave it back because we now had a group of officers filling up the house. Unbelievable.

I was now able to call Ella, but after a week, it was something I needed to do in person.  I left right after I tackled them for the camera to delete any embarrassing pictures they took of me with Doralene.  I stopped all but one from being posted on Dex’s social network sites. Jerk.  

“What are you doing here?  I thought you were in New York?”  She asks quietly and almost looks scared of my presence.

“I was.  I just arrived here about fifteen minutes ago.  I was coming here so I can call you to see if we could talk.  That’s when I received your text. I saw the outline of your shadow through the trees.  You must have not heard me come up because of your earphones.”

“You were going to call me?”  She asks in disbelief.

“Yes.  Can we talk?”  I gesture to the bench, but she doesn't move.

“Yes?”  She looks a little worried.

“There are a few things I have wanted to say for the last two weeks.”  I take a couple steps forward. She starts to say something but I stop her.  “Wait, I think I have to talk before there are any interruptions.”

I look around expecting a tree to fall on me or somebody to walk up.  Ella nods her head for me to continue. I take a deep breath and run my hands through my hair.  Now or never, Dyl. Just get it out. Okay, here goes. 

“I kept thinking about what I was going to say, and I’m still not sure.  I pray I don’t mess this up. The past couple weeks have been the best times I’ve had since we have been apart.  It was surreal to have you with me, Ella. Only you weren’t with me. It tortured me to see you with Becker. I hated seeing him hold you and call you his girl.  It’s difficult for me to see you with another man that made you laugh. I know how unbelievable it feels just to see you smile. It means the world to me, but your smiles were saved for Becker.  You were my life, Ella, and I had to see you with somebody else. So many times I wanted to walk away from seeing you with him, but I couldn’t. I wanted to be with you. I couldn’t walk away. I'I'd rather be tortured than to never see you again.  My heart fell when you ran to Becker that night. I suffered through it because I still had hope.” I step closer and wipe a tear from her face.