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I'm flustered, panicking and stressed when I leave Tyler's apartment. Just saying that sentence makes my brain jumble up into little pieces.
This is surreal. Part of me isn't even sure this is happening. My ladies night out being high jacked by my ex-boyfriend really wasn't what I expected.
I step out of the apartment building and look around. The sun is back out and I don't actually smell too much like a liquor store so I guess that's a good sign. It's not too busy but the street looks very familiar.
I walk to the nearest traffic light and stare at the street sign.
Wait a minute.
Opening google maps, I stare at my location and then at the little pointer that says 'home'. It's two blocks away.
My eyes widen. What kind of messed up voodoo coincidence happened to do this? That the both of us would only be two blocks away and happen to head to the same club on the same night and stumble all over each other.
I wince, remembering how much I drank. I blinding pain in my right eye also joined the remembrance party.
It's kind of embarrassing that I didn't even recognize him at the bar. Or maybe I did? A lot of last night is still a little fuzzy.
I take my walk of shame with my head somewhat held high. Luckily I don't have to sit on the subway and be judged by people on their way to work.
Tally has been messaging all morning, trying to figure out who I was with after making sure I hadn't been murdered. She'd used my uber app and got a ride to my place after hitting and missing with a few guys.
Part of me didn't really want to go back because I just knew that she would be there to grill me. And when I finally admit who it is, she won't leave me alone for a week straight.
I just want Fig, in my arms, and my bed.
When I see my apartment block only a few moments later, the lack of distance between Tyler and I becomes jarring.
Seeing him again makes me...almost giddy. But at the same time, so much has changed since high school. What if he doesn't want to be friends with the type of person I am now?
I use my key card to get inside the building and once off the elevator, I use my set of keys to unlock the front door. I had a key made for Tally (completely against my landlord's rules) so she can come and go as she pleases.
Now, I'm the one walking in like a stray cat.
I close my front door behind me and see the apartment is still intact. Good. I can't see Tally anywhere but Fig comes running from the window and pounces on my legs, meowing aggressively.
"Yes, yes, yes," I say, stroking his head. "Mom was bad. She had too much to drink. And went home with a stranger. And now she smells like alcohol which is why I'm not picking you up." Fig meows louder. "I know, it kills me too."
I take off my shoes and walk to the bedroom where I finally find Tally, lying on her bed with her phone up against her face, earphones in.
"What you doing?" I yell and she jolts up from the bed, she's wide as she yanks her earphones out.
"Holy shit, you scared me!" she gasps before a grin crosses her face. "You sly whore."
I roll my eyes, faking most my clothes off and grabbing a towel from the cabinet. "I'm not telling you anything."
"No you have to," Tally says, getting up. "Isn't that right Fig?"
Fig is too busy licking himself.
"Silence means yes," Tally continues.
"I'm a grown adult woman," I say as I stand in the doorway of the bathroom, "who went out, got a bit drunk, and then left with a guy that I found attractive."
Tally claps. "What a woman."
"I'm going to go wash away the alcohol that has dried on parts of my body where I do not want it," I say and slam the bathroom door shut.
Having Tally interrogate me felt like it would be worse, but standing in my own silence in the shower feels like an even worse sentence to endure.
I sigh, letting the water drip through my hair. I glance at my warped reflection on the shower head. Not too much has physically changed about me. I added a little more weight since high school, it makes me self conscious of my neck. Most of my wardrobe for the fall and winter is turtlenecks.
But I mean, I'm sure it hasn't made me completely unattractive. I still dated a few people after high school. Nothing every really seemed to ignite a spark though. It was all just very routinely and precise. I want something stable yet spontaneous.
I groan, dropping my head against the shower wall.
What the hell am I talking about? I'm not out here trying to get back into dating just because an ex shows up out of nowhere. I haven't even had a full conversation with him yet.
And if seeing his muscles and all of those tattoos was igniting a lot in me then I needed to shove it down before it get anywhere.
After showering, I throw on some soft clothes and sit down on the couch in the living room. My bottle of painkillers is sat on the coffee table beside a glass of water and I smile at Tally who is now lying on the floor with Fig.
"Thanks," I say, gulping the meds down.
Tally hums, her hand running over Fig's back, whose eye's are beginning to close.
"You got back safe, right?" I ask.
Tally nods. "Yup. Like I told you. Once you were dancing with that guy, I tried it with one or two but it just didn't feel right. You agreed to go home with the guy and put your location on, I checked it all night."
"I did?" I mumble to myself. "I...thanks, Tal."
"Of course," she says. "You needed to loosen up and you seemed happy. Did you get his number or anything, or is it just staying as a one-night thing?"
"Huh," I wince. "Funny story about that actually."
Tally sits up, a frown marring her face. "Franny..." Her eyes suddenly go wide. "Did you forget to take the pill?"
"No," I say. "But that doesn't matter because we didn't actually have sex."
"Oh. Well that's fine, not all sex has to be penetration. I would know-"
"We didn't have sex because we were too drunk. But, that's not the issue. Um, I actually know the guy."
"Wait, what?" Tally's eyes light up. "Is it an old work colleague? Someone you knew in college? This is spicy, I like it."
I laugh nervously. "No, it's um, well it's actually..." I lower my voice to a whisper. "Tyler from high school."
Tally stares at me, her face slipping slightly as she takes in my words. Suddenly, her eyes go wide and her mouth drops open.
