IF SHE REALLY CARED SHE WOULDN’T HAVE LEFT!
But you left her first. Remember?
This battle with yourself will never end until you face th-
NO! SHUT UP!
I tugged my hair, frustrated.
“If you didn’t want to hurt her, then why did you cheat?” A different voice piped up from my phone. It was Joey's.
“Joey! You idiot! Bring her back!” I screamed.
“I remember you being a lot nicer when we were in college..." He pointed out. His tone was evil and through the phone, I could feel his smirk.
“Please, I can’t live without her,” I begged, realizing tears were now streaming down my face.
“Too bad. She’s mine now. I care about her, unlike you. So you can just piss off,” He laughed.
“Why are you like this?” I asked, hiccuping and wiping my wet cheeks.
“I missed Heather and she was the light in my life. There were so many girls that brought me hope, but you stole them all and broke their hearts! I was supposed to be there and you just took over and ruined everything. Now I can finally take care of a girl and you can’t do anything about it!” He spat.
Cars started moving and I put my phone in the passenger’s seat, putting it on speakerphone.
“Anthony, I’m going home," Heather's voice sounded once again, "I can’t be with you and we both know it, you’re just too stubborn to admit it."
The phone beeped, signalling she had hung up. I drove, trying to remain calm, but my head started thinking of how Kalel and I used to be so happy together.
This is why Heather doesn’t want to be with you. You keep thinking of Kalel.
I don’t love her anymore. She loves Ian and Ian loves her. End of story, period.
You wish it was THAT easy to get over her. My brain continued to taunt me.
I shook my head and focused on the road. Heather told me what state she lived in and what her house’s address was a while ago, so it would be easy for me to find her house.
My phone rang again so I pulled over to the shoulder and put the car in park, picking my phone up once again and answering it.
“What do you-” I began to say when Ian cut me off.
“Kalel needs help. I don't know what's wrong. She’s been throwing up and she's having panic attacks. You need to help her,” His voice was rushed.
“Why can’t you do it?” I asked, annoyed. I was already a good two hours away from the house. I couldn't just turn back around.
“She won’t listen to me. She’s eager to bring you back, but I held her back. Now she’s panting like crazy and there is so much sweat,” Ian continued. In the background I heard the sounds of someone throwing up.
I rolled my eyes. “Put her on the phone,” I demanded. There was some shuffling sounds before I heard Kalel.
“A-A-Anthony. P-Please don’t l-leave me,” She stuttered.
“Calm down. Just breathe, baby, breathe,” I retorted in an attempt to calm her down.
“O-Okay,” She muttered.
“No, don’t talk. Just breathe and calm down. I’m going to be back soon, okay?” I told her, feeling a bit guilty for lying.
You gotta do what you gotta do.
“P-Promise?” She asked hopefully.
“Kalel, just calm down. I’ll be back soon. Right now you just have to take a deep breath and calm down,” I assured her.
I heard her steadied breaths before she replied, “Okay. I’m okay now."
“Are you sure? If you’re not, just tell Ian and he’ll help you, okay?” I questioned.
“Yes mother,” She joked, making me smile.
“I gotta…go. Bye, Kalel,” I remarked sadly.
“Bye, Anthony. I hope you win her back,” Kalel retorted, equally as sad.
I love Heather…not Kalel…not Kalel.
By now there was no more traffic and the streets seemed completely empty. I headed back on the road again, nonstop driving (except to stop for gas) for the next thirty-six hours until I finally reached Heather’s hometown.
I drove around, trying to find her house. It seemed impossible, that was until I saw Heather sitting on her front porch with headphones on, looking extremely sad. I sneaked up behind her house and heard her singing softly to herself.
“Why-oh-why, did you have to run and hide and fall from my arms? Why-oh-why did I run away from you?” She sang beautifully.
I didn't recognize the song. That's when I remembered she had once mentioned to me that she liked to make her own songs...I guess this was one of them.
“But even though I said no, I wish you came for me. I wish you didn’t have…her,” Her melodic voice started to get a bit shaky. “I wish your heart would ache like mine. I dream of you just holding me in your arms, but no…” Her voice trailed off even more, making me want to hear more of the lyrics, but she had stopped.
There was a long pause before she conclude, “I wish you were here, with me, I would lying in your arms."
“Heather…” I muttered.
She turned back in the chair she was sitting in and saw me, “Anthony?”
[Chapter 4] I Wish You Were Here
Start from the beginning
