Flight Risk

Capitulo Diez

“Do you think it’s safe?” Tyler asked, uncertainty written all over his face.

“I haven’t heard the door open or close,” Danny replied.

This was followed by several “Me neither” responses, and one “So, who’s going to go and check?”

When the room went silent, I looked up from the magazine I was using as entertainment to find every eye on me.

“How about, no?” I replied flatly.

“I think as the newest member of the family, you should go out there and check. We’ve all done our time.” Andy shrugged. “Even Rissa,” he added when he saw me glance at her.

“Fine,” I grumbled giving into his logic. I belatedly realized that he had referred to me as part of the family and as I tip-toed down the hall, a smile crept onto my lips. A smile that immediately fell away when I walked in on a scene that made my stomach turn.

On the couch, unaware of his most recent audience, was Sam, who had Ashley straddling him as they played extreme tonsil hockey. His hands were gripping her waist as she rubbed and grinded against him like they weren’t in the living room for any passerby to catch them unaware. Just as I was about to back out, she locked eyes with me, her light brown ones alight with triumph. What made it so much worse, was that he wasn’t mine to claim. I had no right to be jealous or upset with him, but the truth of the matter is that I was.

I’m not sure what I would have done if the doorbell hadn’t ringed just then, but the only thing that matters, is that it did. He flinched when it first rang and lifted her small frame from his.

“I have to get the door,” I heard him say, but like the last time I had heard what I wasn’t supposed to, I responded to him on instinct.

“Don’t worry about it, Sam,” I smiled with false cheer, “You go ahead and carry on with what you were doing, I’ve got the door.”

Sam visibly paled like he knew he’d done wrong and I could feel his eyes burning holes into my back as I tried my best to glide to the front door instead of stomping like I wanted so badly to do.

You know that law that states that things get worse, before they get better? I want to say it’s Murphy’s Law, but either way, whoever first rationalized it was one smart cookie, because they were absolutely right.

As soon as I opened the door, I found myself face to face with my other ex-best friend, but again, like so many other things, that wasn’t what made my heart stop, my stomach turn or cause me to automatically close the door and walk away in a shocked daze.

Holy shit, I thought as my heart fluttered in my chest. Holyf*ckingshit! My mind silently screamed as if the first holy shit wasn’t enough. What the hell is today? Ex-best friends reunite day?

“Who was it?” Sam asked me tentatively.

“No one,” I responded monotonously as I shuffled away on autopilot. As if trying to prove me a liar, the doorbell rang again.

“No one?” Sam repeated speculatively as the man standing on the other side of the door, became more impatient.

“No one that I want to see,” I amended.

“Is anyone going to answer the damn door?” Andy asked as he strode past Ashley, Sam and I.

“Andy don’t-” I tried to warn, but it was too late. Andy had already opened the door and a moment that felt kind of like déjà vu occurred as I watched him pull back his fist and knock our unwanted visitor right in the face.