in the air. “That makes tons of sense.”
“I didn’t know if you were coming back. I…”
“So you thought you would just put yourself in charge of my private belongings because of some bullshit excuse that you made up?”
“I didn’t make it up. You took off the other night and I haven’t seen or heard from you since,” I say. Even I recog nize the hole I’ve dug for myself.
But I’m determined to get myself out of it.
“Look McKenzie, everything was great the other night. At least I thought it was…” he pauses.
Hold on a second, h e thinks everything was great the other night?
Now I’m screwed for sure. Why is he making things so difficult right now?
“Everything wasn’t great the other night, Cage. The police came to my house, remember?”
He shakes his head again. “This is crazy. It’s like you’re determined to be miserable.” He finishes zipping up his canvas bag and throws it on top of the counter. “I’m talking about the beach, Kenz. The beach was great.”
My mind floods with images of Cage and me at the beach that night.
Maybe it was real.
No. I refuse to accept this. He and I, we can’t…
“But then you had to go and freak out on me and tell me to get the hell out of yo ur life,” he says. He starts taking his clothes out of his bureau drawers and tossing them onto his bed. “So no problem, Kenz. No problem at all.”
“What, you’re leaving?” I ask. I can feel the terror rip through my body.
“Yeah, why shouldn’t I? My sketchy landlord’s a psychopath. Or should I say my landlord’s puppet daughter’s a psychopath who…”
“Screw you, Cage,” I shout out at him. “Ya know what, I’m not gonna take this from you. Don’t even bother packing, I’m leaving.” I start to make my way towards his door.
Cage snickers. “You’re leaving your own house?” He laughs.
“Yeah, I’m leaving my own house. I’m done with this shit.” Part of me is fully aware of the fact that I’ve totally lost my mind, but it’s way too late to turn this disaster around at this point.
I open his door and step out, stumbling on th e doorway threshold.
“Whatever lady, thanks for the house!” Cage yells out as I storm off towards my car.
My blood is b oiling. My head is a giant pile of mush. And to top matters off, I can barely get my car keys out of my jeans pocket.
I can’t believe he called me a psychopath. I mean, I realize the fact that I was going through his stuff was totally insane, but still. A psychopath?
And a puppet? Ouch.
I honestly don’t even know what I’m so upset about anymore. N othing seems to be making any sense at all. I don’t know if I’m pissed off at him, or worse…
Afraid that he’ll never talk to me again.
I can’t believe I let any of this happen in the first place. I never should have even interacted with Cage West, aside from pure business of course.
And now all I want is to disappear, but I can’t with him here.
I open up my car door and get inside. The door creaks as I slam it shut. I have no idea where the hell I’m even going, I just know it’s too late to undo this huge nightmare.
Time to be strong McKenzie. You can do this.
I can do this. No problem. I put the key in the ignition, take one last look at the house, and turn the key.
No. Goddamn. Way.
The engine won’t start.
My father takes so much pride in havi ng my car in tip shop shape. And here it is, the only time I actually need something from him, and look what’s happening.
Once again, thanks Colonel Miller.
Ugh. I pound my f ist on the steering wheel, then I take the key out of the ignition. I blow on the key, which even I know is absurd.
C’mon car, be there for me.
I slowly place the key back in the ignition, and pause.
Another pivotal moment.
I look out through the windshield, just in case. I turn the key.
Still. Not. Starting.
Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.
I start pounding on the steering wheel with my fist. And now I’m actually
“I didn’t know if you were coming back. I…”
“So you thought you would just put yourself in charge of my private belongings because of some bullshit excuse that you made up?”
“I didn’t make it up. You took off the other night and I haven’t seen or heard from you since,” I say. Even I recog nize the hole I’ve dug for myself.
But I’m determined to get myself out of it.
“Look McKenzie, everything was great the other night. At least I thought it was…” he pauses.
Hold on a second, h e thinks everything was great the other night?
Now I’m screwed for sure. Why is he making things so difficult right now?
“Everything wasn’t great the other night, Cage. The police came to my house, remember?”
He shakes his head again. “This is crazy. It’s like you’re determined to be miserable.” He finishes zipping up his canvas bag and throws it on top of the counter. “I’m talking about the beach, Kenz. The beach was great.”
My mind floods with images of Cage and me at the beach that night.
Maybe it was real.
No. I refuse to accept this. He and I, we can’t…
“But then you had to go and freak out on me and tell me to get the hell out of yo ur life,” he says. He starts taking his clothes out of his bureau drawers and tossing them onto his bed. “So no problem, Kenz. No problem at all.”
“What, you’re leaving?” I ask. I can feel the terror rip through my body.
“Yeah, why shouldn’t I? My sketchy landlord’s a psychopath. Or should I say my landlord’s puppet daughter’s a psychopath who…”
“Screw you, Cage,” I shout out at him. “Ya know what, I’m not gonna take this from you. Don’t even bother packing, I’m leaving.” I start to make my way towards his door.
Cage snickers. “You’re leaving your own house?” He laughs.
“Yeah, I’m leaving my own house. I’m done with this shit.” Part of me is fully aware of the fact that I’ve totally lost my mind, but it’s way too late to turn this disaster around at this point.
I open his door and step out, stumbling on th e doorway threshold.
“Whatever lady, thanks for the house!” Cage yells out as I storm off towards my car.
My blood is b oiling. My head is a giant pile of mush. And to top matters off, I can barely get my car keys out of my jeans pocket.
I can’t believe he called me a psychopath. I mean, I realize the fact that I was going through his stuff was totally insane, but still. A psychopath?
And a puppet? Ouch.
I honestly don’t even know what I’m so upset about anymore. N othing seems to be making any sense at all. I don’t know if I’m pissed off at him, or worse…
Afraid that he’ll never talk to me again.
I can’t believe I let any of this happen in the first place. I never should have even interacted with Cage West, aside from pure business of course.
And now all I want is to disappear, but I can’t with him here.
I open up my car door and get inside. The door creaks as I slam it shut. I have no idea where the hell I’m even going, I just know it’s too late to undo this huge nightmare.
Time to be strong McKenzie. You can do this.
I can do this. No problem. I put the key in the ignition, take one last look at the house, and turn the key.
No. Goddamn. Way.
The engine won’t start.
My father takes so much pride in havi ng my car in tip shop shape. And here it is, the only time I actually need something from him, and look what’s happening.
Once again, thanks Colonel Miller.
Ugh. I pound my f ist on the steering wheel, then I take the key out of the ignition. I blow on the key, which even I know is absurd.
C’mon car, be there for me.
I slowly place the key back in the ignition, and pause.
Another pivotal moment.
I look out through the windshield, just in case. I turn the key.
Still. Not. Starting.
Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.
I start pounding on the steering wheel with my fist. And now I’m actually
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