The Key to my HeART

18 Ghosted

H A R P E R

I didn't hear or see Max all weekend. He ghosted me completely. No calls, no texts. Some of his things went missing from the guest room. His parents had taken them back to their house when they left Friday night. The guest room felt lonely without him lounging on the bed, watching TV. I stood in the doorway, hoping he'd just magically reappear.

It wasn't that he'd left our house for the time being. He was never going to stay forever. I missed his presence, but I didn't need him attached to my hip. It was that he didn't talk to me that really upset me. He completely blew off my attempts to reach him. I wondered if he blamed me for this. I don't know how he could, but I couldn't explain why else he was acting like this.

"Conner and Beth have to go back to Boston," my mom said when I dragged myself downstairs and into the kitchen. "Max will have to face you again. He's only gone until Wednesday when they go back."

I slumped down at the kitchen table. I folded my hands on it and rested my head on them. "Is he ok?"

My mom sighed and shrugged. "They are going to family therapy." She sat across from me with a cup of coffee in hand. "They're trying to work through all of this together. It's hard on all of them."

"This is a real mess," I said.

My mom rubbed my hand. "I know you and Max got close while he was here."

My parents were surprisingly cool with how much time I now spent with Max. My dad was a little worried when I had a date with Chance one night and then a date with Max two days later. He didn't say anything, but I kept catching him lurking at the windows watching us when we were outside together or he always needed something in the room we were in. It was cute. In a really annoying way.

I hadn't told my parents Max ghosted me. I let them believe my quiet, downcast mood had to do with the fact we couldn't spend time together and this was a byproduct of puppy love. I didn't want them to see Max as a jerk for not talking to me when he clearly had problems to deal with. I, however, quietly fumed he didn't have the decency to just text that we'd talk later. Family therapy or no, one text would be enough to satisfy me.

I let my anger simmer though. He'd been caught unawares and I had been used to try and convince him to see his parents. His not talking to me hurt, but maybe it was for the best. It gave us time apart, time for him to realize I had nothing to do with what was currently going on.

"Do you want me to drive you over later?" My mom asked. "I can call Beth and make sure it's ok."

Me dropping in unannounced? Yeah, that would go over well. I shook my head. "I think space is best right now."

My mom nodded. Obviously, she felt much the same and was trying to placate me by even suggesting otherwise. "Buck up, buttercup," she said, chucking me under the chin.

I rolled my eyes and playfully swatted her hand away. "I think I'm going to play some Fortress Siege," I said. I was tired of moping. I had played a little the day before, but not much, not enough. I couldn't lose myself in the game like I usually could. My mind kept drifting back to Max. But there was something grounding about slipping into the persona of Keilne for a few hours that almost always made me feel better.

I went into the basement and started everything up. I was pleased to see Grelvene online, along with some others from the Jell-O Ship. A high-level raid would get me out of my funk.

"Who's down for a raid?" I called into the alliance chat. "A hard one. I could use the distraction. I have had a long, frustrating weekend."

A chorus of yesses followed. Good. It was time to introduce my warhammer to some enemies' faces.