[WATTYS 2021 SHORTLIST]
After suffering a heartbreak caused by no explanation, DYLAN MILLER does everything she can to forget about HUNTER GRAYSON.
That all changes 18 months later when the two finally meet once again. Except this time is nothing...
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"No! No! No!"
The sound of Hunter's yelling voice woke me. My eyes slowly drifted open. Charlie was still sleeping undisturbed, leaving me wondering if I had dreamt his voice. A battle in my head started over what was worse: hearing his voice in my dreams or being in such close proximity to hear his voice at night.
"No, please!" His voice shouted once again.
Was I just making it all up now? Playing a cruel prank on myself?
"I didn't mean to! It wasn't my fault!"
I squeezed my eyes shut, pulling the bedsheets further up my body. Something inside me wanted me to go check and see if he really was yelling. A wicked voice taunted my thoughts to do so.
It's all in your head, Dylan. Just go to sleep, I repeated over to myself to minimize the voice of the devil in my head, wanting me to do otherwise.
The sound of a loud thud sprung my eyes open once again. Charlie began to stir in his sleep, his arm wrapping around my waist, pulling my body closer to his. It was a perfect sign, I told myself to believe that I was right where I needed to be. And nowhere else.
Bright light peeking through the curtains caused my eyes to flutter open once again. I glanced at the time, surprised that I had slept till morning without any further disruptions. Gently moving Charlie's arm off my waist, I quietly moved from the bed. It was just after seven, and he had mentioned not needing to wake until seven-thirty for class. I decided to make breakfast for the two of us, debating in my mind if I was trying to make up for the unknown feeling of guilt that danced in my head. I did my best to shake the feeling as I found his button-down shirt on the floor and slipped it on.
With light footsteps, I did my best to exit Charlie's room without waking him up. I stopped, trying to remember which door led to the bathroom: the one to my right or to my left. I went with the door to my left, thankful when it opened to the room I was looking for, as the other led to Hunter's bedroom.
The old apartment Hunter used to live in was an open bachelor-style apartment. There were no doors I had to play a guessing game with. When did he move? Why did he move? I could remember him stating that he hated the idea of living with a roommate when I asked if he ever got lonely in the vast space.
Stop it, Dylan. The voice in my head warned before I got too consumed, thinking of all the questions I had. The list was endless and would probably result in driving me insane. Splashing my face with cold water, I attempted to wake my tired skin before exiting the bathroom and walking into the kitchen.
The fridge was mostly empty, leaving the only possible breakfast to make being eggs. It wasn't the most exciting thing for me to make, but Charlie had mentioned he usually didn't have time to eat before leaving on his early mornings, so I hoped the effort would still be appreciated.
