Master Plan {d. dobrik}

15

Rolling her eyes, Emily plucked up her phone from the coffee table in front of her. Currently, she was house sitting for David due to him and Natalie being home in Vernon Hills for four days. He hadn't been gone more than a day, and he'd already called her at least ten times to check in. Make that eleven.

"Yes, Dave?" she said upon answering the phone.

"How's it going?" he asked like he did every other time he'd called.

Emily laughed. "Dave, I'm fine. You don't have to call so much," she reassured him.

He let out a breath. "I know. I just- You know fans always randomly show up, and it's scary as hell, so I just..." he trailed off, pausing before saying, "You're okay? Nothing weird happening?"

"I promise, I'm fine, Davey," she said, her voice softer.

"Okay," he said, "Just... if something, anything, happens, don't hesitate to call. Even if you're just paranoid, okay?"

"I appreciate you worrying, but you don't need to," she said, "If anything remotely suspicious happens, I promise I will call you."

"Thank you," he replied, "I gotta go. Ilya's drunk and will break something, without a doubt, if no ones there to help him."

Emily laughed. "I'll see you when you get back, Dave," she said.

"See you in a few days, Emmy," he replied before ending the call.

Though his calls were persistent and unnecessary, Emily was sort of sad to hang up with him. David's house was big, and when no one but her was occupying said house, it was deafeningly quiet. So, to try to soothe her paranoia, she turned on some music and began to pick up around the house a bit. David and Natalie would appreciate it.

She wasn't sure how it happened, maybe it was Best Friend by Rex Orange County playing through the speakers in David's living room or maybe it was the fact that it was November twenty-fourth, which happened to be her and Derek's wedding anniversary. Whatever it was, it ended with her sprawled out in David's bed, looking at old pictures of her and her ex-husband. Of course, all the pictures were from when they first started dating and of course their wedding pictures; they were from a time when their relationship was thriving and not tainted with violence.

When she felt a tear slip down her cheek, Emily Neal broke down entirely.

The rest of her night consisted of crying into one of David's pillows, wishing her best friend was there to hold her.