Laina, driving up the road with purple bags under her eyes and an empty swirling stomach filled with swallowed tears, reversed into her driveway. She parked. All of the lights she had left on in her house were out. Even the streetlight was off. Laina had a hard time getting out of her truck. It felt much warmer and welcoming than her dark house did.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡnSEz9FLnih
Her house.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡxOXrk11B83
She thought about that for a moment. She had never owned something in this way before. Laina thought about when she was younger and had wondered what it must feel like to own a home. To have a place to run to. She ran to her parent's home a lot. Seeking safety in their arms and familiar distinct furnishings. All of which was probably being sold by the new owners.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡZezKjoq4aa
The mattress was hard to drag from the back end of the truck onto the porch. She shoved the key into the door throwing it wide open so that she could push the mattress in. It stopped on the door frame's hump and she cursed violently hitting it until it slid in.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡCh7heIZDN5
Where had Weston disappeared to? She could've used his help. He had a body that could easily carry couches and whole dining tables. She roughly rammed the damned mattress through the living room at breakneck speed. It slammed against the wall as Laina pulled a double turn to get it into the bedroom.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡohHAnDHvZ7
Stumbling around in the pitch-black she slapped the walls moving back towards the living room until she managed to hit a switch. The hall lit up. She walked back to the bedroom and turned on that light, too. Even under the light, the dark green room felt dingy.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡsEpeItKjBE
Laina threw the mattress down on the bed frame. She stared at it. It stared back. She stayed silent. She sat down. There were a million things running through her head and her emotions, as stunted as they were, had a hard time connecting with them.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡdMt50Fo4XH
When Laina went back to the front door to grab the keys from the door they were gone. She put her hands on her hips and stared. They weren't on the porch or the floor. She kicked the door shut.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4aFqhKuxIT
"What the fuck," she hissed turning around to check the couch.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡuXqU0D9hVh
Instead of more searching she grabbed a knife from the kitchen and went back to the mattress. She slapped the knife down on the dresser, turned around, and tripped over a box.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡ67oz8kAsLZ
Oof.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡTrPcHVxYXX
The floor was cold and dirty. She looked around and stopped on a little cardboard red shoebox. That was something she didn't expect a lady over fifty to have.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡCa9mDwniGR
Shoes?copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡMzGrlaqiMC
She rolled her eyes grabbing it. The box slid out and she cradled it in her lap drumming her fingers over the top. It sounded like chains and change. It jingled when she shook it. Her fingers teased the lip open. She flipped it off and stared down at the box.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡSMGF9Ae7Px
Oh boo. It's just a bunch of dumb jewelry.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡMZKNsa6xM6
Laina picked up a pair of gold crystal earrings. Cheap. Her sister had a pair like these. She dropped them back in the box. They were a little useless to her since she didn't have pierced ears. Jewelry wasn't exactly a big thing in rehab.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡDD8G8glvsI
The pieces didn't even match each other style-wise. She flicked them around. Leather bracelet, silver hoops, gold necklace, black collar choker- Wait. She picked it up and spun it around her finger. She might wear that. It was something she would've worn in high school.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡrFXdqSFCAV
Bored, she threw it back in and set it on the dresser when she went to grab the knife. Only, the knife wasn't on the dresser where she left it. However, her keys were.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡJUGcTO57RZ
"Oh, hell no. I did not leave you little bastards there!"copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡjsyVGn5mAv
Laina snatched up her keys and stuffed them into her back pocket. She ran out of the room and back into the kitchen where she grabbed another knife. She clenched it in her hand and turned on the lights as she went. She looked left and right searching the rooms as if someone was there. copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡmNVTa3vmSI
Slowly, making sure nobody was there, she went back and shredded the plastic wrapped around the mattress. She bent down and clawed the plastic out from the underside. Then she sat back up and screamed.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡsaTfGVdWVc
On the top of the mattress, sitting in the middle blade turned to her, was the first knife she had gotten. Laina jumped up pointing the knife in her hand at the other accusingly. Her hand was shaking.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡYMtA7BAyjK
It wasn't me.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡyC7nGeSa90
Laina snatched it. She held a knife in each hand and sternly, almost calmly, walked back to the kitchen where she pulled open a drawer and slammed it shut with both knives in it. Laina backed up against it. The knob dug into her hip.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡLzxqRrNG5t
"I am not crazy. I did not put the knife on the bed. I am not crazy. I did not put the keys on the dresser. I am not crazy-" There was a knock on the door.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡNZb8U3kivM
She quickly skipped through the room and whipped open the door. Cold night air rushed in. Weston stood there in fresh clothes. His hair was crazy and his shirt sleeves were rolled up past his elbows. He didn't say anything.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡym7B3OYgKq
"Weston?"copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZcl78kCq4
He stood there silent with dark eyes. Dark like the night. Dark like when a bulb blows and you're not sure where you are. Laina gently reaches out and slides her fingers down his arm. Suddenly he moves.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8jE72g5UbN
Weston wraps his arms around her and lifts her up into the air. He steps in shutting the door and before Laina can ask him anything, he presses his lips against hers. She wraps her legs around him and slides her fingers into his hair. It's cold. He's cold.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡz60XlH4w1j
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