“Bullshit! You’re going to tell me what in the hell is going on, and you’re going to tell me now!”
Kara grabbed her shower bag and fled. She slammed the door behind her, and I frowned, afraid she would tell the resident advisor, or worse, the Dean of Students.
“Keep it down, America, Jesus,” I whispered.
She clenched her teeth. “What did you do?”
I assumed he would be upset with me; I didn’t know he’d fly into a rage. “I … don’t know,” I swallowed.
“He took a swing at Shep when he found out we helped you leave. Abby! Please tell me!” she pleaded, her eyes glossing over. “It’s scaring me!”
The fear in her eyes forced only the partial truth. “I just couldn’t say goodbye. You know it’s hard for me.”
“It’s something
else, Abby. He’s gone fucking nuts! I heard him call your name, and then he stomped all over the apartment looking for you. He barged into Shep’s room, demanding to know where you were. Then he tried to call you. Over and over and over,” she sighed. “His face was … Jesus, Abby. I’ve never seen him like that.
“He ripped his sheets off the bed, and threw them away, threw his pillows away, shattered his mirror with his fist, kicked his door … broke it from the hinges! It was the scariest thing I’ve ever seen in my life!”
I closed my eyes, forcing the tears that pooled in my eyes down my cheeks.
America thrust her cell phone at me. “You have to call him. You have to at least tell him you’re okay.”
“Okay, I’ll call him.”
She shoved her phone at me again. “No, you’re calling him now.”
I took her phone in my hand and fingered the buttons, trying to imagine what I could possibly say to him. She snatched it out of my hand, dialed, and then handed it to me. I held the phone to my ear and took a deep breath.
“Mare?” Travis answered, his voice thick with worry.
“It’s me.”
The line was quiet for several moments before he finally spoke. “What the fuck happened to you last night? I wake up this morning, and you’re gone and you … you just leave and don’t say goodbye? Why?”
“I’m sorry. I—”
“You’re sorry? I’ve been going crazy! You don’t answer your phone, you sneak out and, wh—why? I thought we finally had everything figured out!”
“I just needed some time to think.”
“About what?” he paused. “Did I … did I hurt you?”
“No! It’s nothing like that! I’m really, really sorry. I’m sure America told you. I don’t do goodbyes.”
“I need to see you,” he said, his voice desperate.
I sighed. “I have a lot to do today, Trav. I have to unpack and I have piles of laundry.”
“You regret it,” he said, his voice breaking.
“It’s not … that’s not what it is. We’re friends. That’s not going to change.”
“Friends? Then what the fuck was last night?” he said, anger bleeding through his voice.
I closed my eyes tight. “I know what you want. I just can’t … do that right now.”
“So you just need some time?” he asked in a calmer voice. “You could have told me that. You didn’t have to run out on me.”