Page 79 of Missing Pieces
Chapter Thirty-Two
It’s been three days since East left in the middle of the night. Three days without a word just a note he left by the bedside saying he had an emergency. It’s not the first time this has happened, but usually, I get some sort of acknowledgment. Ten calls, fifteen texts later and absolutely nothing. By the time the Sunday rush at the diner is over I’m a jumbled mess. I messed up three orders, dropped two plates, and spilled hot coffee all over myself. I’m just grateful it wasn’t a customer.
Ivy finally has had enough and tells me to go home and be productive. I know she just didn’t want me breaking more dishes. She reassures me everything is fine, and I try to hold on to that hope. I make it home and manage to sleep for a few hours. I’m awoken by a loud banging and yelling at the front door. I roll off the couch and make my way over as I hear swearing. “What the fuck Easton. Why did you change the locks?!”
The voice reminds me of Tacoma. I pull open the front door to find a tiny young woman with messy honey-colored hair and scratches up and down her arms and two giant bruises on her face. Definitely not Tacoma.
“Who the fuck are you?” This is definitely a Calloway.
I gather my strength facing something I don’t want to face because if this is Raelynn standing right in front of me then where the fuck did Easton go. “You must be Raelynn. I’m Harper, Easton’s girlfriend.”
“Since when does Easton have a girlfriend. Well besides that skank Quinn but I didn’t think she was ever his girlfriend.”
I tuck my hair behind my ears. “Easton and I have been dating a few months.”
“Oh.” It’s all she says, and we stare at each other for a few moments until I realize I should probably invite her in.
“Do you want to come in?”
She barely nods and barges past me throwing her bag by the stairs and walking into the kitchen. I follow behind her trying to think about what could possibly be going on with Easton but mask my thoughts when we enter the kitchen and she turns to face me. “So where is Easton?”
I stutter trying to think of something to say and just settle on, “Out.”
She grunts and starts opening cabinets. I study her more closely as she looks for who knows what and realize those scratches on her arms are scars and track marks. Easton told me she had problems with drugs, but I didn’t know how bad it was. I don’t know why he helped support her habit, but I guess he didn’t have much choice if it was the only way to keep tabs on his sister.
“You can stop staring at me.”
Her statement shakes me out of my thoughts, I hadn’t even realized I was staring. “These are old marks. Finally starting to fade. Can’t say much for the bruises on my face though.”
She reminds me so much of Tacoma, but is so different from the girl I pictured. I try to form a sentence but can’t think of anything to say to her except, “Want some tea?”
Tea? I don’t even drink tea! Maybe I should call Ivy. She would know what to do. But I hate acting clueless in this situation. I try to think about what East would want me to do in this situation, but then it hits me again that if Raelynn is here, that means East is somewhere else. Somewhere he didn’t want to tell me he was going.
Yeah, I know I love you too.
The thought is a shockwave to my system. “Wh-when was the last time you talked to Easton?”
Raelynn grabs some cookies out of a cupboard and shrugs her shoulders. “I dunno. Maybe a few weeks ago.”
I nod, my stomach beginning to feel queasy as I finally pull myself to my legs. Those words still echoing in my head, images of Drew eating his secretary’s pussy on his desk as I walk in, flash through my mind. This can’t be happening again. How could I have been so stupid. I knew things were too good to be true. I knew this couldn’t have lasted. And here I am the fool again. Everything I felt in my heart, all the pieces that finally were put back together shatter into a million pieces as I face the truths I was too blind to see. The trips, the secrets. The joke was on me.
I manage to scramble away from the table and rush up the stairs. I think I hear Raelynn say something, but I am too overwhelmed to go back and ask her. I rummage through our closet and find whatever clothes I can easily grab and toss them into a small suitcase I find. I think about leaving a note, but I can barely see through the tears in my eyes as I throw my makeup and toothbrush into a bag.
I run down the stairs and grab the keys off the entrance table and make a dash for the truck while yelling for Poe. I grab my phone from my purse and text Ivy.
Raelynn is here and not with Easton. You might need to come watch her. I need to go. I am so sorry. It was good for me and him while it lasted but I think we were both fooling ourselves.