Mess To Be Made

25

I didn't say anything. My throat felt as frozen as an iceberg. My tongue was a glacier sitting on top of it. I was incapacitated.

"Allie? Are you there?"

Allie.

I felt my tongue melt. Enough for me to say, "Hi."

I couldn't even see him, yet I felt him darken around the phone. "What's wrong."

I swallowed. The lump in my throat was still strong, but I managed to mumble, "Are you out?"

"No, I'm home. Why?" he answered without hesitation.

I was bothering him. I knew I was. I should hang up.

So I did. I hung up.

I set my phone in my lap. That's when the tears came.

I'm such a fucking idiot. Why would I call him?

Why did I pull away from Landon.

What was wrong with me?

Then, my phone rang.

INCOMING CALL: TYLER HENNESSY

Don't answer. I'm not going to answer. I'm not.

My fingers had a mind of their own and betrayed me, pressing the green button and bringing the phone to my ear.

"Are-"

"I shouldn't have called," I cut him off, my voice breaking. You could practically hear the tears in my words. "Sorry."

He didn't say anything for a while. I almost hung up again but, for some reason, just the sound of his breathing alone made it feel easier for me to breathe too.

He finally spoke, and though the tone of his voice was the familiar, rough baritone, I could hear the concern in his words. "Why did you then?"

With no energy left in me to fight, I let out a breath of air and confessed, "You just. You said last time I shouldn't Uber-"

I heard shuffling as he interrupted me. "Send me your location."

I put my forehead on my knees as fresh tears flooded my eyes.

Yeah. I definitely shouldn't have called.

"Allie." His growl was enough for me to nod, wipe away a few tears and tell him, "Okay."

I shared my location with him.

"Got it," he said, and I heard more movement on his end. A door closing. "I'll be there in ten minutes. Don't move."

I was nothing if not nervous as I sat idly on the curb of Landon's street, waiting for a silver Suburban to come into view. I found myself checking over my shoulder every so often to make sure Landon hadn't come outside. To make sure he wasn't looking for me.

My mind was spinning, but my body was in shock. It almost happened. It almost happened. Again.

I wrapped my own hand around my throat gingerly as the tears overcame me in waves. One second, I'd be sobbing. The next, completely blank. Sometimes I welcomed the tears. Most of the time I was screaming at myself in my own mind. Screaming for them to stop.

I knew they had to stop once Tyler got here. They had to. I had no choice. He couldn't know about any of this-no one could-and if he saw me crying, again, he'd ask questions.

So when his Suburban came barreling down the residential street, I swallowed as hard as I could, pushing down every ache, fear, and thought of what had just happened. His mouth on mine. His fingers in between my thighs. His hand around my throat.