AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The doorman smiles at me as I walk under the awning and try to wring out some of the water from my clothes before I step into the building. The air conditioning hits and sends a chill through me. I should get out of these wet clothes before I catch a cold.
The apartment is silent when I enter, and I call out for Lana but get no reply. As I approach the kitchen, I see a note sitting on the counter on her stationery. No, no, Lana, please. I pick it up in two fingers and hold it away so that it doesn’t get wet.
Zane,
I’ve caused you pain. It seems that all I ever do is cause you to hurt. I had a lot of time to think when we were apart, and I realized I just wasn’t good for you. It’s most of the reason why I chose to reside in California because I knew once I saw you, I wouldn’t be able to resist.
I was right. You’re like a drug to me. I knew I would need to tell you my secret, and it would cause more hurt. I saw the look on your face, and it sickened me to know I was the reason why. My coming back to New York was the wrong decision; one of many I seem to make.
In a way, I think I deserve what Declan did to me, but you don’t. You’re kind and good. You should find someone that compliments you, not brings you down.
I’ll never love anyone the way I did you. I wish things were different.
I love you,
Lana
I threw the note on the counter and hurried to the bedroom, almost slipping in the puddle of water at my feet. Lana’s personal effects that were previously on my dresser were gone. I checked the closet, and a large suitcase was missing along with several of her clothes. She left, and this time it might be forever.
I have a constant chill and peel off my wet clothes then turn on the shower as hot as I can stand the water. Even after several minutes, the cold hasn’t left my body. I finish and grab a towel from the bar, wrapping it tightly around me and use another to wipe the rest of me. It’s Lana’s, and it has her scent. I drop it into the hamper because it makes me sadder than I already feel.
It’s hot out, but I need something to warm me and put on a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt. I suddenly feel exhausted and worn out. A nap might make me feel better. I slip under the sheets and pull the quilt over me to ward off the chill I can’t seem to shake. Sleep takes me, but it’s uneasy, and all I dream about is Lana.
When I wake, the sun has sunk, and deep oranges fill my bedroom. My throat is on fire, and I can’t stop coughing. I’m sweating, and I kick the covers off me only to pull them back on a few minutes later. I’m feeling miserable and not only physically. I try to go back to sleep, but the hacking makes my chest hurt. I need something to drink.
Walking to the kitchen is no easy feat since I feel dizzy. Once there, I splash water on my face before I get a bottle of water from the refrigerator. On the way back, I grab the digital thermometer hoping I can stop coughing long enough to get an accurate temperature reading. When I remove it from my mouth, it reads one hundred one point six degrees. I decide I better take some aspirin and stay in bed.
The ringing of my phone wakes me, and the room is now entirely dark. I see Paige’s picture on the screen, and I reach my hand from under the covers to swipe the screen.
“Paige,” I croak.
“You sound horrible. Are you sick?”
“Yeah, fever, chills, cough,” as if on cue, I start another round of hacking.
“Do you need me to come and take care of you?”
“Funny, you didn’t mention Lana taking care of me since she does live here.”
“I called to say you should forgive her. I know it’s a shitty thing she did, but it happened five years ago. Don’t derail what could be the start of something great.”
“You called to badger me about taking her back? How do you know I wasn’t going to, and frankly, I’d expect you to be on my side, not hers?”
“I’m on the side of love. I saw how miserable you were without her. You need to forgive her. Please, for both your sanities.”
I start to cough again, “I have no clue where she is. Is she with you?”
“No, she’s with Alicia.”
“Excuse me?”
“Alicia, she is her sister, you know.”
“They also have a terrible relationship.”
“She’s mellowed since she started dating Nathaniel.”
“Good to hear. I have to go. My head is killing me.”
