Sequel: The Epilogue ›
A Place on My Pillow
.55
The bruises healed. Katherine went home. Alex still wasn’t back in Polly’s life. Things seemed alright. Although, the air always felt as if it were just the calm before the storm. There was something bad coming, she could feel it sometimes. Maybe it was because Darren hadn’t lost his temper in almost a month. Maybe it was the ache in her heart as the distance between Alex and herself grew. Maybe it was the impending date that made her hands shake and her eyes glass over with tears. Maybe it was all of these at once, adding up to the feeling that she was about to get blown over and there was going to be no use trying to get back up.
“Darren, I’m gonna run to the store and pick stuff up for dinner. Okay?” she asked. He nodded and tilted his head back as she passed. She chuckled and pressed a kiss into his puckered lips.
“What are you getting?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I was thinking macaroni and cheese. How’s that sound?”
“Perfect,” he said with a grin. She pulled on a pair of shoes and her jacket before grabbing the keys to Darren’s car. It was much bigger than Alex’s lunchbox on wheels, but it wasn’t anywhere near as big as some of the SUVs that Polly had seen dominating the road. It was a black car with a leather interior, smelled of man and drove like a dream. It was essentially Darren’s baby, the same way that Otto was Polly’s.
Otto, Polly thought sadly. Darren hated the dog. He’d kicked Otto too many times for Polly’s liking so she had taken him away from the apartment while Darren was out with his friends. She’d taken him back to the Jackson house, leaving a note on the table explaining that dogs weren’t welcome in Darren’s apartment complex and that she needed a safe place for her rapidly growing canine companion. Of course, later that day, at work, Millie had handed Polly a note in Alex’s sloppy sad excuse for chicken scratch.
Otto will be taken good care of, Polly. I promise you. You can come see him whenever you need to. He’ll miss you though, so visit often.
Alex
She hadn’t been to see her puppy since she’d dropped him off. Was he eating well? Was he getting enough exercise? Was Alex playing with him? These were all basic motherly questions, she knew that. And she knew they were pointless because she had left the pup with Alex. Of course, Alex was feeding him enough and letting him run around and Polly couldn’t remember a time that Alex hadn’t played with him. He was safe with Alex, that’s why Polly had chosen her older friend. Alex was trustworthy, unlike Darren who got angry at the dog for breathing too loudly.
Maybe she should make a stop at the Jackson house and see Otto.
That would involve seeing Alex though.
She might cave then.
She might beg him to get her out of Darren’s house, and let her live with him again.
She might do a lot of things.
But she needed to see her Otto. Nothing was going to stop her.
“Darren, I’m gonna run to the store and pick stuff up for dinner. Okay?” she asked. He nodded and tilted his head back as she passed. She chuckled and pressed a kiss into his puckered lips.
“What are you getting?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I was thinking macaroni and cheese. How’s that sound?”
“Perfect,” he said with a grin. She pulled on a pair of shoes and her jacket before grabbing the keys to Darren’s car. It was much bigger than Alex’s lunchbox on wheels, but it wasn’t anywhere near as big as some of the SUVs that Polly had seen dominating the road. It was a black car with a leather interior, smelled of man and drove like a dream. It was essentially Darren’s baby, the same way that Otto was Polly’s.
Otto, Polly thought sadly. Darren hated the dog. He’d kicked Otto too many times for Polly’s liking so she had taken him away from the apartment while Darren was out with his friends. She’d taken him back to the Jackson house, leaving a note on the table explaining that dogs weren’t welcome in Darren’s apartment complex and that she needed a safe place for her rapidly growing canine companion. Of course, later that day, at work, Millie had handed Polly a note in Alex’s sloppy sad excuse for chicken scratch.
Otto will be taken good care of, Polly. I promise you. You can come see him whenever you need to. He’ll miss you though, so visit often.
Alex
She hadn’t been to see her puppy since she’d dropped him off. Was he eating well? Was he getting enough exercise? Was Alex playing with him? These were all basic motherly questions, she knew that. And she knew they were pointless because she had left the pup with Alex. Of course, Alex was feeding him enough and letting him run around and Polly couldn’t remember a time that Alex hadn’t played with him. He was safe with Alex, that’s why Polly had chosen her older friend. Alex was trustworthy, unlike Darren who got angry at the dog for breathing too loudly.
Maybe she should make a stop at the Jackson house and see Otto.
That would involve seeing Alex though.
She might cave then.
She might beg him to get her out of Darren’s house, and let her live with him again.
She might do a lot of things.
But she needed to see her Otto. Nothing was going to stop her.