Flesh and Feathers by Danielle Hylton, April Fifer Read Free Book Online Page B

before, and I didn’t look back. I could hear the bar door fly open and footsteps run out on the sidewalk. I increased my speed, breathing so heavily my lungs hurt. I raced past people, bumping into some and knocking valuables everywhere, but I didn’t stop and only when I was sure that I hadn’t been followed, did I slow to a walk.
    Unknowingly, I had run several blocks before I realized I was in a part of town I had never been, but none of that mattered. I was out of breath, and everything was spinning. Voices on the street were muffled, and my vision was blurry. A voice in my head was screaming at me, telling me I was ignorant of believing that Kale ever really cared for me. What upset me the most was that I knew that voice was right. I knew better. I had pinned hopes and dreams, love, and trust on something that was real only to me, not to him.
    I approached a park bench and sat down. My chest was hurting, and I tried to make myself believe it was from running so hard and not the fact that I was completely devastated. I leaned down, placed my face in my hands, and cried. Tears streaked my cheeks, and I rocked back and forth, hoping to chase out the horrible feeling. I couldn’t be sure if I had sat there for minutes or hours. I pulled my feet up on the bench and wrapped my arms around myself to hold–what felt like–pieces together.
    It took some time to collect myself. I tried to sweep the imagines of Jen and Kale out of my head. Finally, I pulled myself together and walked home.

Chapter 5
    Broken

    B ack at my apartment, I unlocked the door and was about to enter when I heard a creaking sound down the hall.
    “Azaleigh?”
    “Oh hey, Mr. Parker.” I didn’t make eye contact. I was sure I looked quite the mess and didn’t need confirmation of it from him.
    “Honey, are you okay?”
    “Sure, Mr. Parker, just a rough night, that’s all.” To add to my feeling bad already, I remembered I was supposed to have had dinner with him tonight. “I’m really sorry I missed dinner.”
    “That’s okay, Hon. I just wanted to let you know that someone stopped by earlier looking for you.”
    I’m not surprised. I thought to myself. “Was it a guy?” I asked.
    “It was a man. He came by twice. He was knocking on your door very loudly and calling your name. I came out to see what all the fuss was about. He was very polite when I told him that you hadn’t been home yet, and that I would let you know he had stopped by. He left, and then about an hour later he came back, knocking on your door again. I stepped out and told him you still hadn’t been home, and that I had every intention of giving you his message…, but it was like he didn’t know what I was talking about… like he had forgotten we had spoken. It was very strange.”
    It was really odd. I didn’t see Kale as a stalker…, but then again, I didn’t see him as a cheater either. I didn’t want to think about it right now. I just couldn’t deal with it. I wanted to crawl into my bed and hide from the world.
    “Okay, thanks Mr. Parker.” I started to walk through the door when he stopped me again.
    “Azaleigh, are you in trouble?”
    “No, Sir. Not that I’m aware of.” I said it to lighten the mood, but I don’t think it worked. I didn’t want to burden him with how my world was dissolving around me… or the fact that I no longer had a friend… or that the one person I thought I could share my life with was a lying scumbag. No, I couldn’t do that. My pain would be my own. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said, giving him a fake smile before I went in.
    ***
    Surprisingly, sleep came all too easy that night. Before I knew it, my alarm was ringing in my ear. To say I was sluggish was putting it lightly. I barely made it to work on time.
    Tannah had assessed my mood and stayed clear. I shuddered at the fact that Jen and I would have to cross paths today. Her shift started two hours before mine would end.
    Just as I thought, Jen showed up