Only One Forever (Only One 8)

When I moved in, the bedroom was the only room where I moved everything out and moved all my stuff in. My bed is custom-made and is a soft tan color. The box bedframe feels like velvet when you touch it. The side tables are both a beige color with a crystal lamp on it and a vase of fresh flowers. A picture of Jamieson and me is on one nightstand and a picture of me with Bianca and Bailey is on the other. On top of my bed are three frames. Live. Laugh. Love. I pull the thick cover off the bed and slide into the bed. Not even bothering taking off the six throw pillows I have. Instead, I just lay my head down on the pillow and look out the window. My head is turning and turning around as I try to change the fact that I can’t love him.

I close my eyes, and the minute I do, I hear sniffing coming from the bottom of my bedroom door. I smile as I hear it again. I get out of my bed and walk over to the door and open it. Mac sticks her head in, and I see that all the lights are off in the house. “What’s the matter?” I ask, squatting down in front of her. “Are you scared?” She nudges my hand with her head. “Okay, let’s go to bed,” I say, walking back to the bed, and she gets up on the bed with me. I throw the cover back on top of me, and she turns in a circle before sitting beside me and putting her chin on my hip.

I hear footsteps, and I close my eyes as I hear him come into the room, pretending to be asleep. He walks in softly and whispers for Mac. “Mac, come on,” he says, and Mac just stays at my side. “Leave her alone,” he whispers and comes closer to the bed. I hold my breath as he stands there. “Let her sleep.” Mac doesn’t move. The only thing she does is wag her tail up and down on the bed. He waits to see if I’m going to open my eyes, but I don’t. The tear rolls from my eye to the pillowcase. Luckily, the lights are off, and he can’t see my face closely. That and the fact the covers are up to my chin. I try not to make any movement as he stands there. After a minute, he turns and walks out of the room.

The sound of his feet walking away from the room has me finally breathing normally.

I wait until I know he’s in his bed before I open my eyes, and Mac looks over at me. “Tomorrow,” I whisper to her, rubbing the top of her head. “Tomorrow, I start to unlove him.”

Chapter 5

Dylan

Alex: Call me when you get up.

It’s the first message on the phone when I open my eyes. “Alex!” I yell, and then I hear the sound of Mac and her nails coming up the stairs. She comes into the room slowly with her head down. “Is she gone?” I ask her, and she gets on the bed and just sits down, looking at the door.

“You are all full of love when she isn’t there,” I say to Mac, turning and dialing Alex.

“Hey,” she answers right away. “You’re up.”

“Not really. I turned over, and the sun blasted in my face. I forgot to close the curtains last night.” I look over to the window, seeing the shades pushed to the side. The blue sky is shining bright.

“I left my car,” she says. “Wilson gave me a lift this morning.”

“You didn’t have to do that. I could have called and got a car,” I say, throwing the cover off me and standing up.

“I’ve already got a car. I picked it up with Wilson,” she says. “I’m off to work. See you later,” she says and disconnects, and I just look down at the phone. What the fuck was that? Where was her humor and her jokes? Her telling me that I’m a lazy ass.

I look down at the phone and see the screen saver of the two of us. The same picture that she has downstairs of us when I broke the record. “What is up with her, Mac?” I ask the dog, who just lays her head down and watches the door. Last night was weird, and I stayed up all night thinking about when it turned weird. Even when I walked up to the spare bedroom and saw her door closed, I knew something was up. She never ever closed her door.

I walk downstairs to make myself a coffee when the phone rings in my hand and see it’s Erika. “Hello.”

“Hey,” she huffs out, and I can hear her heels clicking, so I know she’s walking somewhere. “I’m outside.” I look at the door.