Every Breath by Tasha Ivey

when she saw the light of the bedroom come on through the narrow slit underneath the door. When the door flung open suddenly, she threw the phone at the man’s silhouette and snatched up one of her mom’s stilettos. Before she could lunge at him with the shoe, she realized it was her dad falling backward onto the rug, holding his already bruised eye. Apparently, her parents had arrived home only moments after she spotted the intruder, and they heard the back door close when they entered the house from the garage. They had assumed that it was Callie’s boyfriend sneaking out, so her dad had come to find her and ream her out.
    The man was caught less than an hour later, but Callie didn’t sleep for weeks and refused to be left alone at home. It is still rare for Callie to be home alone at night, and if she is, she’s usually on the phone with me the entire time.
    “Cal, you can stay over any time you like.”
    She claps her hands together. “Yippee! Let’s do it like old times, complete with facials, manicures, and a bottle of wine . . . or two.”
    Wine? Uh, yes, please. After the debacle with Drew yesterday, I’m ready to unwind and just not think about men for a while.
    Oh, crap. Drew.
    “Wait, Drew is supposed to be calling me today sometime, and he may want to come over. Will you mind if he crashes our party for a bit, so we can talk about whatever it is that he wants to say?”
    “Honey, this is Drew we’re talking about here. Coach Cute Butt can crash any party I attend.” She grins wickedly and winks at me. I swear she likes him more than I do.
    “What would Wes say if he heard that?”
    She ponders for only a moment before she shrugs. “Okay, brat, I just said Drew can crash the party. Wes is the only one I’d drag into the closet to play One Hundred Minutes in Heaven with, and he knows that.”
    I laugh, turning to rinse my mug in the sink. “Cal, the game is Seven Minutes in Heaven.”
    “I know that,” she explains, her mouth turning up into a smirk on one side. “With Wesley Baxter, I need way more than seven minutes.”
    I sigh, shaking my head as I giggle. What can I say?
    Newlyweds.

I look up from my book for the millionth time to check the clock. It’s nearly eight o’clock, and I haven’t heard from Drew all day, which is a little strange. If we didn’t see each other every day, he’s at least called or texted me to see how my day went.
    “Just text him, Mak,” Callie says, also for the millionth time. “After yesterday’s fiasco, he may want to see just how interested you are in him.”
    Maybe she’s right. I hadn’t thought about it that way. “ Okay , I will, but there is a good chance he’s decided not to waste his time anymore.”
    She rolls her eyes before tossing my cell phone to me. Well, in my general direction anyway. “Would you just do it already?”
    I fish for my phone under the edge of the couch, hesitating to explore too much. It’s been a while since I’ve cleaned under there, and I’m quite certain the dust bunnies have become rabid by now. I yank my phone out as soon as I feel it against my fingertips, which have somehow made it out intact and unscathed.

    Hey, Drew. I’ve been waiting on you to call all day. Where r u?’

    No, too desperate and needy. Backspace, backspace, backspace.

    ‘Hey, Drew. Just wanted to let you know you have been on my mind.’

    No, still not right.

    Hey.

    Perfect. When he texts back, I’ll just wing it according to whatever he says, instead of saying too much up front.
    Aaaaand . . . sent.
    I glance up at Callie, whose gaze quickly darts away when I catch her watching me. I know it’s absolutely killing her to know what I said, but after the numerous times I’ve told her to butt out lately, she’s at least attempting to be good. “Cal, I’m thinking now would be a good time for the wine. Let’s liven things up a little bit. I’m tired of being an old fuddy-duddy.”
    She isn’t hard to convince. She jumps up