Free Play Me by Alla Kar

my head back against the seat, I watch as we drive down the farmer’s road. “How is your training job going so far?”
    Turning my head to the left, I look over at Blake. He’s relaxed. One hand resting on the steering wheel and the other lying on his lap. “Okay. Besides rehab with Weston. He drives me insane.”
    Blake laughs beneath his breath. “I’ll second that notion.” We talk about our majors and families the rest of the way home. Blake’s originally from Houston which isn’t too far from where I moved from in Texas.
    The parking lot is quiet when we pull in. It’s a nice change. The quiet, awkward silence when a guy is dropping you off settles over the pickup. Grabbing my keys, I look over at him. “I’ll walk you to your door,” he says.
    I nod. Then I take a step forward. Okay, you can do this. Slipping out of the truck, I shut the door behind me. Blake falls into step beside me. The moon shines down on our small apartment complex and a chilly wind wipes my hair off my shoulders. “I had fun,” he says, stopping in front of me.
    I drag my eyes from the ground up to his brown ones. The herd of butterflies starts fluttering in my stomach. Blake is … nice. I could see myself going out with him again. Stable. Good for me. Blake’s Adam’s apple bobs in his throat as he swallows and wets his lips.
    “This is the part where I give you an awkward kiss, Mami. If you’ll let me.”
    I burst out laughing. He just asked me if he could kiss me. It’s adorable. “I think I may.”
    Another smile. Stepping forward, he rests his hand on my neck, dragging my mouth up to meet his. It’s a soft, sweet kiss. Enough to make my stomach flutter and then he pulls back. “I’ll see you tomorrow, chica .”
    Heat rushes to my cheeks. “Tomorrow.”
    I unlock my door with shaky hands. My heart hammering in a good way. Slipping out of my heels, I lock the door behind me. My small apartment is quiet but it sounds like Heaven to me.
    After I slip out of my clothes and take a really quick shower, I pull on some sweats and a long T-shirt. My stomach is growling. I need to get something in my stomach before the liquor starts eating away at me.
    With my bowl of Raman noodles in one hand, I turn on my TV with the other. I slurp up my first noodle when something catches my eye. Sitting on the living room table is a small Post-It note. Untangling my legs, I reach forward and grab it.
    You weren’t home when I came by.
    Sorry I picked the lock. I really wanted to see you.
    Please call me back.
    Ryan
    Ryan? My mouth dries at the same time my body turns cold. He was … in my house? Call him back ? Has he lost his mind? Does he not remember abandoning me two years ago? How did he even find me? And why now?
    I’d gotten a strange call from a private number the other day but didn’t think anything about it. Unless he has a wad of child support money in one hand and a brand new tire in the other, I have nothing to say to him. He broke into my house! My fingers curl around the note crumbling it. I toss it onto the table. Why is he even here? It’s a six hour drive home. He drove six hours to find me? How did he even find me? It takes two tries to swallow the lump in my throat. Before I can fathom the reasons why Ryan is here, I get up and double lock my doors and windows. I pull the blinds and curtains on every window. Then I check behind the shower curtain, under the beds and in each closet. When I’m satisfied that he isn’t hiding in my home, I go back to the living room and sit down.
    Ryan is in Magnolia. That thought haunted me for months after I made the move. I just knew his sleazy friends would follow me and use Maddox and me as collateral to get their drug money. But it never happened. I did just up and leave without telling them anything, but I’m sure it took Ryan two weeks to even realize we were gone. It wasn’t like he was at home much anyway.
    Sitting back down, I stare at my living room. Nothing looks like