"Come in." I say and I hear the door swing open and Jospeh is standing there. He awkwardly stands by the door and places his hands into his pockets. He takes a look around the room.
"Uh, nice place." He smiles still acting awkward and I nod. "We need to talk." He continues and I nod again. There isn't much he can say. He claps his hands awkwardly before slowly letting himself in.
"I don't know where to start." He breathes out nervously. "I just want you to know I'm not leaving you or abandoning you. It's that all of this is happening at the wrong time. I didn't mean to spring it onto like that." He looks at me.
I pull my blanket closer to me.
"I don't want you to go." I say after a long silence. He grabs my hand and squeezes it.
"Opal. We've been over this. You nor Sawyer will never change my mind." He squeezes my hand again but I pull away.
"Please." I beg, resorting to crying but I know it won't help.
"You have to come visit me. Evan has agreed to that." He smiles, but I look away.
"Everyone is leaving me. You can't leave me." I croak, hiccuping as I cry like a baby.
"I'm coming back." He laughs at how dramatic I'm being.
"Ten weeks is an eon away." I complain.
"Nine. Nine weeks. It will be here before you know it." He corrects and I roll my eyes.
"Like that's any better." I smile. I stop crying and try to understand his point of view. He scoots me over and sits beside me. "You'll call when you can?" I question.
"I'll try." He says and I nod. I share some of my blanket with Joseph.
"Are you scared?" I question and he chuckles.
"For training? No." He pauses and I look up at him. He creases his eyebrows, deep in though. "For deployment, I'm not sure." He shrugs.
"I have work tomorrow. I can't hang out with you." I frown.
"I'll drop by and order something."
"Really?" I perk up, at least try to. Sleep wants to take over.
The old grandfather clock they have in the living room starts chiming throughout the house. Looks like I dozed off after Josephs talk. I try to jump up startled but something is holding me down.
"What the hell is going on?" Jospeh wakes up, his sleepy voice confused. He realizes we're on the same bed together and he quickly gets up. "I guessed we dozed off." He rubs the back of his head.
I'm only focused on trying to turn off the damn noise. I rush out into the living room and Evan is already there. The clock wide open as he grunts trying to turn it off.
"This stupid clock hasn't gone on in years." Evan exasperates. "It's five in the morning!" He shouts at the clock, kicking it slightly. Joseph is just sitting on the couch, staring tiredly into space. The only person not awake is Avery. She is a heavy sleeper if this is not waking her up.
I go up to the loud blaring of the clock and stop the pendulum from swinging and something falls out. The clock stops it's noise.
Evan picks up the letter. "Wake up. Don't forget you have work." Evan reads out loud.
"What?" I question, confused.
"It's from Sawyer. You have work again today?" Evan asks and I nod.
So even when Sawyer isn't here, he still finds a way to mess with me.
"Looks like he planted this before he left."
CHAPTER 53
Start from the beginning
