Free Intentional by MK Harkins Page A

after three rings. “Hi?” His voice sounds different.
    “Hi, Jeremy! I’m all wrapped up—I’m so excited to get home!”
    There is a pause. “Jeremy?”
    “Hey, Mattie, baby. How ehr yuhh?”
    Okay, I can see where this is going. I chuckle. “I can tell your office party is going just fine.”
    He must be kicking up his heels; he never has more than one drink, maybe two. “Yep. Goid paatry.” Now I’m a little worried; he can’t even speak straight.
    “Jeremy? Jeremy! Can you please give Don the phone?” Don is Jeremy’s partner; he’ll know what’s going on.
    “Sursh.” I wait for a minute; I can hear some fumbling, and the phone drops to the floor.
    Don picks up. “Hey! How are you, Mattie?”
    “I’m okay, but I’m a little concerned about Jeremy. What’s going on?”
    He laughs. “Oh, he’s only had a couple glasses of our punch. I don’t think he’s eaten lunch yet. I’ll make sure he gets some food in him before I call for a taxi.”
    I’m relieved. “Good. I’m glad to hear he won’t be driving when he’s like this. So he’s okay?”
    He laughs. “Oh, he’s feeling no pain! He’ll be all right. I’ll make sure he gets home safe and sound.”
    That’s all I need to hear. “Thanks, Don!”
    That was strange. Jeremy never drinks to excess. Obviously, he needs to let off some steam. Before I can stop it, an errant thought runs through my brain. Could he be getting cold feet? I know getting married after only a year seems quick to most people, but not to us. I’ve never questioned it before, and I don’t think he has either. Jeremy seems sincerely excited about getting married. I hope he would tell me if he was feeling nervous or anything. No, I’m just being silly.
    I lie down on the bed and try to relax. I need to put my questions aside for the night. As I start to drift off, I get a text from Sarah.
    Sarah: Mattie, ru back yet?
    Me: Hi, what’s going on?
    Sarah: Jeremy’s really sick. I think he threw up a few times before Don called him a taxi.
    Me: What? He went alone?
    Sarah: No. I think David went home with him to make sure he got in ok. You should probably check in on him when you get back tomorrow.
    Me: Ok—I’ll be there around 9:30 in the morning. Thanks for letting me know!
    Sarah: No problem. I’ll cu tomorrow!
    That was nice of Sarah to let me know about Jeremy. I want to call him to see if he’s okay, but if he’s not feeling well, I really don’t want to bother him. I sit and consider it a bit. Oh, I can’t stand this. I dial his number, and it goes straight to voice mail. Well, I guess that settles that. I tell myself that he’ll be fine. I wish his phone was turned on!

    Finally! I arrive back in Sedona right on schedule. I am so anxious to see Jeremy that I go straight to his house. I can buy medicine or whatever he needs after I do a little research on hangover remedies.
    I park the car and practically run to the front door. I’ve used my key a few times, but I always have trouble with the lock. I wiggle the key a bit, and the dead bolt slides open with a loud squeak. I push hard to swing the huge door open and make my way to his bedroom. The door is cracked open, and the lights are off. Jeremy never sleeps in; he must be really sick.
    My eyes are adjusting to the dark room, when I stop suddenly. No. No. No!
    As I take in the scene, the air sucks right out of my lungs. My heart has stopped. My body is numb. I think I’m still standing, but I can’t feel anything. Unfortunately, my eyes seem to be working just fine. I just can’t believe what I am seeing. Am I still alive? If so, I know for a fact that my life is over.
    How can this be? As I stand at the entrance to the bedroom door, the situation becomes clear. The love of my life, my dear sweet Jeremy, is looking at me. His eyes are sad. Guilty. Ashamed. Tangled up next to him in bed is a blonde, hiding under the sheets.
    My legs want to move. I have to get out of here. Maybe if I move fast