Sweet Dandelion

When we leave the office, panic begins to grip me. “C-Can you take me home?”

Sage cocks his head to the side. “Yeah, I don’t see why not. You got your stuff with you?”

I nod.

He signs me out and I follow him to the parking lot. He drops me off at the condo and leaves to return to work.

Instead of heading up to his apartment I go to Lachlan’s, banging my hand on the door.

“Open up,” I beg, tears burning my eyes.

I lied to the principal. It was necessary, I know, but I need to see Lachlan. I need him to take me in his arms, to hold me and tell me it’ll all be okay.

But he never comes to the door. Zeppelin doesn’t bark.

Someone opens a door down the hall and glances my way.

“Are you trying to get ahold of the young man who lives there?” She smiles with kind brown eyes. She’s older, probably late fifties, but she has this calm presence that instantly makes me feel at ease.

“Yeah.” I sniffle, wiping at my face to rid my skin of the few tears that slipped free.

“He moved out, sweetie.” She looks so forlorn at giving me this information.

“Moved? That’s impossible.”

Isn’t it? He wouldn’t move and not tell me.

But then I think of his murmured I’m sorry’s and Mr. Gordon saying he took another job. I believed in that moment he’d done it for us so we wouldn’t have to worry about being caught. That we’d finally be able to love in the open.

But that’s not what he’s done.

He’s left me.

“Do you live on floor eleven?”

I startle at the sound of her voice. I forgot she was even there. I give a wooden nod.

“Hold on a second.” She holds up a finger for me to wait.

She unlocks her door and goes back in, returning only a moment later.

“I was supposed to slip this under the door, but since you’re here…” She trails off, holding an envelope out to me. His familiar script is on the front, writing out the number to Sage’s apartment.

“T-Thank you.” I wrap my fingers around it, taking it from her.

“No problem.” She starts to turn to leave. “Are you going to be okay, sweetie?”

“I’m fine.”

I’m not, but what good would telling this lady do?

She nods and heads for the elevator.

I stand there for a few more minutes, staring at his door like I expect it to open any second. When it doesn’t, I finally catch the elevator down to Sage’s floor. I don’t have the energy to take the stairs.

Letting myself in, I head straight for my bedroom, slamming the door closed behind me.

I scream as loud as I possibly can and then I scream some more. His letter gets crinkled in my hands but I don’t fucking care.