Two Hearts, One Love
Two
I sighed and shoved my hand deeper into my designer jeans. In my ear, my girlfriend was prattling on about the newest contract she had signed with A&F. I couldn’t care less. I just grunted in the appropriate places and gave a half-hearted congratulations. It was enough to satisfy her, though. Finally, she took a break to ask about my day.
“Just fine,” I said automatically.
“No new contracts?”
I rolled my eyes. I knew she was getting as bored with our relationship as I was. My career spiraling into a miserable death would be the perfect excuse to break up with me. At this point, we were just acting and lying to each other and ourselves.
“Nope,” I lied. “I’m thinking about just taking a break.”
The lecture I expected began and I looked around. I was in a random neighborhood, having decided to tell my driver I didn’t want to go home yet. The neighborhood screamed suburban reality dream. White picket fences blocked in yards of perfectly trimmed green grass. A few homes had toys and tire swings on the trees in the front. I liked children enough to appreciate that it would be a cheerful place during the day. It was midnight, though, and everyone was fast asleep.
“Well, I’m going to let you go,” I said, interrupting a sentence about losing out on money.
She sighed heavily. “All right. I’ll see you in the morning.” She was quiet for a second. “I love you.”
I winced. “Be safe tonight, Annie.”
I hung up and put my iPhone in my pocket. I took in a long breath of cold air and let it out slowly. The wind blew gently and I was about to turn around when a shingle fell from the nearest house, startling me. I looked up and swore under my breath.
“Um, miss?” I said but the woman on the roof kept her eyes shut. “Um, are you all right?”
My first thought was sleep walking until she spread her arms out. I swore and ran forward. The house was on the corner and didn’t have a front yard. The fall would be hard and could seriously injure her.
That’s probably what she’s hoping for.
I planted my feet firmly and held out my arms just as she stepped off the roof. She didn’t shout or make any noise. She just plummeted into my arms. I stumbled and fell to my knees. I hadn’t expected so much weight on impact and looked at her. She was unconscious, probably from the exhilaration from the fall.
I managed to get to my feet and examined her more closely. She had blood on her clothes and I looked at the house in panic. How long had she thought about doing this? Had she tried anything inside? Did she live with anyone?
I took a minute to settle my brain. I had no idea what to do except for take her to the hospital. That’s what any normal person would’ve done. Any normal person would have gone to the door, perhaps. They would have dropped her off and gone back about their lives.
As I held her in my arms, though, all I could think about was how dead my life was. She cried a little in her sleep and I made a rash decision. I shifted until I got my phone back out.
“Mitch? Yeah, I’m ready to go home. Here’s where I am.”
“Just fine,” I said automatically.
“No new contracts?”
I rolled my eyes. I knew she was getting as bored with our relationship as I was. My career spiraling into a miserable death would be the perfect excuse to break up with me. At this point, we were just acting and lying to each other and ourselves.
“Nope,” I lied. “I’m thinking about just taking a break.”
The lecture I expected began and I looked around. I was in a random neighborhood, having decided to tell my driver I didn’t want to go home yet. The neighborhood screamed suburban reality dream. White picket fences blocked in yards of perfectly trimmed green grass. A few homes had toys and tire swings on the trees in the front. I liked children enough to appreciate that it would be a cheerful place during the day. It was midnight, though, and everyone was fast asleep.
“Well, I’m going to let you go,” I said, interrupting a sentence about losing out on money.
She sighed heavily. “All right. I’ll see you in the morning.” She was quiet for a second. “I love you.”
I winced. “Be safe tonight, Annie.”
I hung up and put my iPhone in my pocket. I took in a long breath of cold air and let it out slowly. The wind blew gently and I was about to turn around when a shingle fell from the nearest house, startling me. I looked up and swore under my breath.
“Um, miss?” I said but the woman on the roof kept her eyes shut. “Um, are you all right?”
My first thought was sleep walking until she spread her arms out. I swore and ran forward. The house was on the corner and didn’t have a front yard. The fall would be hard and could seriously injure her.
That’s probably what she’s hoping for.
I planted my feet firmly and held out my arms just as she stepped off the roof. She didn’t shout or make any noise. She just plummeted into my arms. I stumbled and fell to my knees. I hadn’t expected so much weight on impact and looked at her. She was unconscious, probably from the exhilaration from the fall.
I managed to get to my feet and examined her more closely. She had blood on her clothes and I looked at the house in panic. How long had she thought about doing this? Had she tried anything inside? Did she live with anyone?
I took a minute to settle my brain. I had no idea what to do except for take her to the hospital. That’s what any normal person would’ve done. Any normal person would have gone to the door, perhaps. They would have dropped her off and gone back about their lives.
As I held her in my arms, though, all I could think about was how dead my life was. She cried a little in her sleep and I made a rash decision. I shifted until I got my phone back out.
“Mitch? Yeah, I’m ready to go home. Here’s where I am.”