Love in All the Wrong Places

True to his word, Dave showed up at the apartment as soon as he got off work. He didn’t change out of his work clothes, as they were planning on going to a casual dinner at the local diner and then taking a walk around the park across the street. As soon as he knocked on the door, Jessie flew out of the room and answered the door, barely allowing Dave to walk in before she began to push him out the door, extremely eager to begin their date. She was able to reach him before me due to her room being right by the front door. I internally cursed myself for not taking the front room when I had the chance right now. I wanted to talk to Dave and see if he knew what Jessie was hiding from me. He gently moved her out of the way, to try and come in the apartment to talk briefly before their date. Jessie wouldn’t have it and began pushing him backwards out the door, as she went. Over her shoulder he mouthed to me that we would talk later. I nodded, signifying that I understood and Jessie slammed the door behind them.

I sat back down on the couch and turned the TV on, mindlessly flipping through the channels for something to watch for God knows how long. After searching through all the channels about ten times and all the movies on OnDemand, I finally settled on the Food Network. The Food Network cake challenges were on, and today’s theme was Pixar cakes. I had seen this episode countless times before, but I love the cake challenges, and who doesn’t love Pixar? I settled more into the couch, and reached behind me to grab the fleece blanket folded over the back of the couch. I curled up on the couch, and was finally getting comfortable when my phone started ringing. Muting the TV and mumbling to myself, I got up off the couch and went to my room to grab my phone. Without looking at the caller ID I answered the phone. “Hello?” I answered, slightly annoyed that I was being interrupted from my night of Food Network cake challenge and having to get up from my cozy spot on the couch.

“C-Christy? I-is that you?” a male voice on the receiving end questioned nervously. Annoyed that whoever was on the other end was taking so long to get to the point and didn’t say who they were was starting to ware on me.

I retorted back a bit snappier than I should’ve. “Yeah. What do you want? Who is this?” I was getting impatient and wanted to get back to watching my show.

“I-it’s Emmett. I-I’m outside the door. Please let me in.”

I dropped the phone right then and ran to the bathroom and threw-up the contents of everything I had eaten that day.

I got up off the bathroom floor and wiped my mouth with a nearby towel. I then walked over to the sink, grabbed the sides of the counter space, stared at my reflection, and cursed internally. It couldn’t be Emmett. Not the one I knew. How could he possibly have found me? I was so careful in not revealing where I moved to after graduation, save the couple people I wanted to keep contact with, and they knew not to tell Emmett my whereabouts. I grabbed my cup off the sink and rinsed my mouth out, before grabbing a washcloth off the shelf behind me and washing my face with cold water. It was then that I heard three loud knocks on the door. Wide-eyed, I dropped the washcloth in the sink and froze. I remained still and refused to answer the door.

I slowly straightened up from leaning over the sink, and stood straight up, still unwilling to move. I heard a male muffled voice coming through the front door, which was conveniently located a couple feet from the bathroom, across the hall from Jessie’s room. I couldn’t quite make out what the voice was saying, but I sure as hell recognized the voice. It was indeed Emmett. I closed my eyes, praying that he would leave me alone. I figured since I wasn’t running to get the door, maybe he would leave thinking either he got the wrong apartment, or that I wasn’t home. I stayed still and refused to make a noise. Thank God I muted the TV so I wouldn’t have to worry about him thinking I was actually home. It was then that my worst fears came true. I heard loud thudding, as if he was trying to break down the door to come in. If there was something I wouldn’t allow, it was Emmett Owens coming into my apartment. Nothing good would come of it, and I hoped he took the hint after college graduation that his presence was unwanted. I thought wrong. I heard the chain lock start to come lose, so I quietly rushed to the door in hopes of stopping him from breaking it down. I leaned my left side against the door, trying to apply equal pressure back so he couldn’t get in. It was then I finally understood what he had been saying.

“Oh c’mon Christy! I know you’re in there! I know this is your apartment! I ran into Dave the other day and he told me where you lived!”

I’d have to kill Dave later when we talked.

“Not only that, but I saw you get up from the couch when I called you. I was standing outside your building when I called, hoping to catch you at home. Luck was on my side because not only were your living room curtains open so I could see in, but I was able to see you get up when I called to make sure that Dave hadn’t bull-shitted me on your address. I was so happy to hear your voice. Please let me in.”

There were multiple reasons why Emmett would not get into my apartment if I had any say in it. The main reason was he was kind of stalked me. Well, not in the ultra-creepy sense. We actually used to be best friends until he changed that by confessing undying love for me since the day we met, and telling me he felt I was the girl that he was supposed to marry. Nothing like taking it from zero to sixty in no time. We went from hanging out and talking, to me trying to keep it platonic between us. He didn’t take my refusal too well, and for a while was quite angry with me. He refused to talk to me, and who knows what he was telling his friends about me. At that point in time, I wasn’t ready for a relationship, and I didn’t like him in that way. He didn’t understand that. What sent me over the edge with him was when I went to go with a few friends to a movie, he invited himself.


I met up with a handful of friends to go see a movie. I had bought the tickets earlier in the day so we could have guaranteed seats. It was opening weekend and we wanted to sit together. He happened to be around when I bought the tickets, and bought one as well. I was so hoping he wouldn’t be at our show, or if he was that he wouldn’t see us. Luck was not on my side as we ran into him upon entering the theater. He of course spotted us, and since he was alone wanted to join us. Just my luck, he is watching the same movie. Most of those with me knew the situation between me and Emmett and knew to keep the distance between us. Though I was initially in a position on the opposite side of the group from him once we were seated, he noticed and made his way to sit next to me. He put up the armrest and sat as close to me as humanly possible. I kept inching away from him and sitting as close to my friend on the other side as possible. I apologized to said friend later for encroaching on his space during the movie. After explaining what happened, he understood and wasn’t upset. As if invasion of my personal space wasn’t bad enough, apparently Emmett though that we were a couple. He then began to get hands-y, and kept putting his right hand on my left knee. The first time it happened I smacked his hand and shoved his arm away from me. He got an amused look on his face, scooted closer, and put his hand back on my knee whilst massaging it. I could’ve thrown-up right then. I kept smacking his hand away, and each time he tried harder and harder to touch me. I was so uncomfortable and was more than mortified. Not only would he not keep his hand of my knee, but he kept bringing his hand higher and higher up my thigh, stroking and massaging it. I’m a fairly touchy person, but I’m not willing to be quite that physical so early on, especially with a guy that I’m not interested in.

He had texted me the next day wanting to talk about how well he thought our “date” went. What a joke. I told him it wasn’t a date and tried to talk to him face to face. He wouldn’t have any of it. It was almost as if he was determined that this would happen over text message. He began questioning my devotion to the relationship, and if I was having second thoughts. Oh my gosh the guy needed me to spell it out! I lost it at that point, not really caring about sparing his feelings and told him how I felt, since when I politely turned him down before, he didn’t take the hint. Especially now, since he lost so much respect from me as he refused to respect my personal space, I told it to him straight. He was pissed and refused to talk to me for months. I hated to lose a friend this way, but it was stupid for him to base our friendship over my willingness to date him. At least I thought so anyway. That happened early on in college, and from that point on, he pretty much avoided me. Every so often when I’d see him on campus, he would say hey in passing, but that was it.


I shuddered at the memory, as now my nightmares were coming back full force as I used all my strength in keeping the door closed, not only as a physical barrier, but also as a time barrier. The longer he stayed behind that door, the longer the past would stay away from me. I could feel my strength failing as I felt him give a final push on the door, knocking me backwards against the wall, as I took in his towering silhouette standing over me, with that arrogant smirk he always carried on him as he leaned down to offer his hand to me to help me up. “Nice to finally see you again Christy. We can finally pick up where we left off.” With that he picked me up off the ground, led me to the living room, and pushed me onto the couch. I began shaking and had no idea what the heck to do. I panicked. I closed my eyes as tightly as I could as I felt the pressure on the couch shift with him sitting inches away from me.