Apartment 14 and the Devil Next Door by Marie Sexton

Author:Marie Sexton [Sexton, Marie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-01-27T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

December was a maddening mixture of heart-wrenching love and blinding insecurity. When we’d first met, I’d thought he was crazy. Now I feared I was the one losing my mind. I walked around in a daze, sometimes catching myself simply staring at Rad like a fool, other times fearing I’d lose all touch with reality and simply blurt out “I love you!” as we debated the pros and cons of sugared breakfast cereal in aisle four of the grocery store.

Shortly before Christmas, my madness reached an all new level as I left the bank. A light layer of snow frosted the ground. Glittering ornaments hung from streetlights. The stores and restaurants were all playing Christmas music. Rad and I had spent the previous evening watching Miracle on 34th Street. I’d never cared for it, but Rad had insisted, calling it a classic, like me, and my heart had swelled so big, I thought it would burst. And now, twelve hours later, I found myself staring stupidly into the window of the local jewelry store.

I could marry him.

The thought felt like a revelation. Like a gift. Like the most perfect idea I’d ever had. Even here in Utah, I could now legally make him my husband. I went inside and picked out a ring. I walked out of the store with the little felt box in my hand and a smile on my face.

Yes. I’d do this. I’d take him to one of our favorite spots in Arches on Christmas Day. I’d wait until sunset. And then I’d get down on my knee like some romantic sap in a movie. I’d declare my love for him out loud for the very first time, and I’d ask for his hand in marriage.

It was the perfect plan.

Except of course, it was me — old-fashioned and neurotic and stupidly in love with the most impossible man on the planet.

Of course, something had to go wrong.

The first blow to my fatal downfall came the next day. Rad was at work. I was parked in front of my laptop, my toes being comfortably warmed by Yashe’s rear end as she napped — she could snore like a freight train — when my phone rang. I glanced at the screen to see who was calling, and had to do a double take.

Roger Buchanan.

Roger and I hadn’t spoken since the previous spring when he’d left me for his twenty-four year old aerobics instructor. Why would he be calling me now?

“Hello?”

“Josh. Hey. It’s me.”

“I know.”

He was silent, maybe searching for words. Maybe wondering if he should cut his losses and simply hang up. “I wanted to see you,” he said at last. “I’ve been going by the house, but it seems like you’re never home.”

“No. I haven’t been back there since…” Since he’d moved out. It felt like a lifetime ago. Our relationship had been over long before he’d dumped me. Long before he’d moved in with his younger lover. Ages and ages before Rad had pounded on my cabin door and asked if he could tear a hole in my living room floor.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.