In-between

Chapter 7

To say the airport was crowded was an understatement. Different kinds of people roam around; all of them consumed in their own actions, too focused to care about people around them.
My suitcase was being pulled behind me as I made my way through the crowd. My legs leading me to the exit where I could easily find a cab and be in the safety of my room and bed.
When I left Hawaii, nobody has said a word to me; granted I haven’t seen the three people I originally came with, but it still hurts to not be acknowledged as you walk through a group of people a huge suitcase being dragged behind you.
I eyed my surrounding taking in the yellow cabs assembled in front of me. My legs lead me to one of the taxi’ s not aware that I  was even walking,  my mind replaying  everything that happened in Hawaii and for the life of me I can’t figure out where it actually went wrong with Dylan. As far as I know we were on the same page, he made the decision to break up with Emma on his own accord, I thought we were actually going somewhere with our relationship even after the endless hateful insults from his side, I was the one forgiving everything and starting new, forgetting all the remarks he made about me being a whore.
The city I’m very familiar with rushes as we speed up the highway, the driver giving me a sympathetic look from time to time. My mother doesn’t expect me until September and I don’t feel like explaining myself to her and answer the thousand questions that will probably follow.
I give the driver directions to my place, looking forward to just be in my bed and forget everything that has happened during the past few days.
I close my eyes to somehow stop the tears from falling, my mind replaying the humiliation I had felt, the guy I love from the moment I had laid my eyes on using me to forget Emma and still being stuck on her has shattered my heart into million pieces. A few unwelcomed tears roll down my cheek the memory still fresh in my head torturing me with what if’s that I haven’t noticed that the driver has been talking to me.
“Sorry what?” I ask politely. The sleeve of my sweatshirt wiping at the tears that still rest on my cheeks.
“I can’t help but notice that you’ve been crying! What’s wrong? If you don’t mind me Asking.” he asks.
“It’s silly. Don’t worry yourself.” I sigh. my mind elsewhere as I focus on the flying buildings outside the window.
“Boyfriend trouble?” he asks and I look up.
“Something like that.” I say my vision blurry from the tears gathered there but I refuse to cry over someone who obviously does not care about me.
“I hope you get closure. I don’t know why anyone would ever want to break your heart!” the driver exclaims his eyes repeatedly moving over the rear view mirror.
“You’re so polite.”
“I don’t know you but you seem like a sweet girl.” he breathes as he turns to my street and my heart jumps at the sight of my house.
“I don’t know what to say, you’re really kind.” I mutter my hands fumbling with my purse to pull out a bill.
“I think this is your stop, it was nice to meet you…..”
“Amber. Here, thank you.” I hand him the dollars and climb out to gather my suitcase he has already placed on the pavement.
“Bye, I hope you feel better.” his voice is shaky and uncontrolled.
“Thank you very much.” I force myself to smile, my eyes taking in the empty space at the driveway indicating I’m going to be alone for a couple of hours before they show up.
I place my suitcase at the side and start digging through my purse looking for the key that I was positive I had placed in my bag. My phone rings and startles me at the middle of my search.
I looked down at my phone sitting on top of my black suitcase. the caller ID telling me it was Harry calling. I wanted to ignore the call but I had to make sure if the bloody key was there and if I was going to have to stand here for God knows how long.
I slide my finger against the screen; Harry’s voice booms as soon as my index presses the loud speaker icon.
“Wow, real mature Amber.”
“What Harry?” I ask as I dump the contents of my bag on the floor to look for the key.
“How could you just leave?” his voice was soft and wary.
“I didn’t answer your call so that I could play 20 questions with you. Tell me if my key is still in my room!” I snap not because he did anything wrong but because it was easier to be mad at him.
He was silent for a while; I thought he had hanged up on me when his voice travels through the phone making me sigh in relief.
“Um… it’s not here, why don’t you look for it under the rug or something or in your suitcase?” he offers his voice was rushed and muffled.
“Genius, why didn’t I think of that before?” I gasp for dramatic effects.
I hear him sigh probably tired of my shit.
“Why are you being a bitch?”
“Trust me; you don’t want me to answer that.” I say softly, the pain tugging at my heart at the memory.
“I don’t even know why I thought calling you was a good idea.” he breaths out.
“Then why did you?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“Because obviously something big made you leave and I want to know what?”
“I have already told you, I don’t want to talk about it. Especially not with you.” I roll my eyes even though he can’t see me.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”  I hear him take in a breath as if he was preparing himself for my answer.
“Because you’re friends with Dylan.” I blurt out before I could stop myself. My hands slapping my forehead in frustration.
“Dylan? Are you fucking kidding me? You left because of Dylan?” his voice was getting louder by the passing second.
This is why I didn’t want to tell him anything. He makes a big deal out of it and he makes me feel like I’m stupid to run away because a guy doesn’t love me back and knowing Harry and his ways he doesn’t like to hear me complain about a guy.
“I’m sorry, are you still there Amber?” he rasps out after waiting for my reply for a while.
I nod but realize he can’t see me so I speak up, “yeah.” my voice quivers the knot in my throat getting tighter as the seconds pass.
“What did he do?”
“You don’t need to hear me cry over a guy who’s obviously still hang up on his ex-girlfriend.” I tell him, as a few tears run down my red cheeks without my will.
“No, but I can do something else for you. Are you still standing outside?” he asks his voice cautious as he became aware of my quivering.
“You know what, never mind, I have to go, my mum is here.” I lie and hang up before he could answer my mind yelling at me about how stupid I am crying to his friend about him, but when I’ve got nobody by my side even Harry is a big shot. 
  I plop on the stairway of my house my chin resting on my hand as I took in the empty neighborhood, everyone was either at work, school or someplace else including my mum and Bruce, my little brother.
I eye the rug contemplating on looking under it and prove Harry right when my cell rings again. I sigh thinking it was Harry again as I looked at my phone. My eyes widened when Emma’s number flashes across the screen. A thousand and one questions roam around my head as I try to figure the reason why she would be calling me. It’s obviously not because she has noticed my absence or ask me why I left like her brother did.
My finger slides at the screen at the last moment, picking up my phone from the suitcase and press it against my ear.
“Hello, God Amber, maybe next time answer your phone a little quicker, jeez.” I hear her scoff.
“Why did you call?” I question slowly. 
“Why do you think, you left so suddenly and Harry did too, and he’s not answering his phone, are you telling me you have nothing to do with it?” even through the phone her voice gives me headaches.
I don’t know why she would be asking me about her brother’s whereabouts when I clearly have my own problems and most importantly; why she thought Harry was with me is beyond me.
“What makes you think he would be with me?”
“OMG, Amber are you even listening to me? I don’t want to play games with you if he’s in fact with you tell him to answer his phone before I call mum.” she hurriedly says before the line goes dead.
I stare at my phone stunned by her sudden phone call and her accusation against me that Harry was with me even after I told her he was not.
These siblings confuse me to no end, and if Harry is indeed missing why would he call me? This is exactly why I try to force myself not to answer their calls; they make me rethink it over and over again, like it’s something that should concern me.
I eye the rug again, my hand flipping the purple mat over to see a bright Golden key placed under in case of emergencies just like Harry has suggested. I loathe it when he’s right.