"Sorry I'm late."
"No, it was perfect timing, we just finished the game."
"That's good then."
Dani led me inside and I was happy because I didn't want to go back to my place until she wanted to eat.
"How was your day beautiful?"
"Great. It was a perfect start and I'm happy to be back at work, and less people ask about our vacation, I didn't realize how many people would notice I'm gone. And I missed hanging out with Kat, that was nice. We watched a romance movie and then played UNO for like an hour and a half."
"Sounds like fun." She looked so happy and I'm glad her day started off good, I just hoped it would end with a 'yes' too, to make it even better.
"What did you do?" We had wandered to the couch and Kat was just cleaning up the cards.
"Work, a little of this a little of that." I didn't want to lie to her, but I couldn't tell her either.
"So it was good?"
"Yes, a perfect start to my day as well," I was just hoping for a perfect ending.
"Nothing too exciting?"
"Oh yeah, I made Janet pretty mad."
"Janet?" Kat asked and Dani explained who she was before I explained how today went with her. Dani asked why I went back twice but I told her I forgot something, which was partially true. It was the biggest lie I had ever told her, and would ever tell her.
Dani had a tear run down her face she was laughing so hard and Kat was laughing pretty hard too. I didn't think it was that funny, but I loved Dani's laugh, so I don't care what she laughed at, the sound was always welcome.
"So the highlight of your day was making Janet mad?"
"So far."
She raised one eyebrow questioningly, but I let it go, hoping she would too. Kat asked if we were doing anything tonight and I tensed wondering what to say.
"I think we're having dinner at Kane's, right?" She turned to me and I nodded.
"Absolutely."
"I missed you two," Kat said and Dani smiled.
"We missed you two too. It's nice to be back home in the thick of things."
The way she said it made it sound true but like that wasn't the whole comment. I was hoping she was thinking that it would be nicer to call my house home.
"It's nice to have you back."
We sat there in a comfortable silence and Kat spoke up, "You know Stacy right?"
"Yeah," Dani responded nervously.
"She plays volleyball in the summer but she's looking for more people. I know you used to play, and I know you might not want to, which is why I haven't said anything, but I thought you might like it. She just signs a team up of people she knows and they play for fun. It's six people a team but it's on sand."
I noticed she was wringing her hands, "Can I think about it?"
"Of course! She doesn't have to put the team in for a week or so, take all the time you need. If she doesn't get enough people I'm playing too, she's making me, but she needs three more girls. She thinks she has one, and I figured we could see each other then."
"I don't know what's really happening this summer, but I really do think it sounds like fun. It would be good to spend more time with you."
"Yeah it would be."
YOU ARE READING
Never Again.
ActionAt fourteen my life was flipped upside down. And not for good. I was held captive for many years. I didn't know the day, year or month it was. I didn't know whether I was far away from home, or beside it. How much of my life had I missed? How much...
