When He Saved Me

s e v e n t e e n

I wake to my alarm going off its 5 am. I get up and take a quick shower. I throw my hair up and apply a little makeup and put on a pair of jeans and the first sweatshirt I come across.

I hear a knock at my door. I open it to reveal Jake on the other side. "You ready?" He had agreed to drive me to the airport.

"Yeah let me just grab my stuff." I throw my backpack on my shoulders and reach for my duffel but Jake beats me to it. "I got it."

We're driving down the road in silence until Jake breaks it. "Have you thought about what you are going to do when you get back here?"

I turn to look at him. "What do you mean?" "Are you going to continue staying with us or were you thinking about trying to get an apartment?"

"Do you need me out? I'm sorry Jake I know I've been overstaying my welcome. Of course you would want me out this is your life your friends." I ramble on

"Mads stop. I was actually going to ask if you wanted to move in permanently?"

"No Jake I can't intrude on your life I can't do that. This is your life your friends." 

"They're your friends too Mads. They all want you to stay but in the end it;s up to you. Your choice."

"They want me to stay?" My heart melts at that thought. "They don't even know me why would they want that?"

"They know you enough. They all love you." He responds. I just sit there contemplating what he said. "You don't have decide right now Mads Its just something to think about."

"Thanks Jake for everything." He just nods his head at me.

We sit in silence for the rest of the way until he pulls up to drop me off at the front of the airport.

"You know if you need me at all I'm just a phone call away okay?" "Okay" I swallow back my anxiety and get out. He grabs my duffel from the trunk and hands it to me. I give him a quick hug. I take one last deep breath before walking through the airport doors.

I send a quick text to Cade letting him know I'm coming. He always hated surprises because it meant he was out of control. I knew if I didn't tell him it would just make things worst.

Once I get through security I anxiously wait at my seat for them to start boarding.

It feels like hours had passed when I finally reached my seat and sat down. The truth was only one hour had passed but anxiety had made it feel like 5 hours.

I try and close my eyes and sleep but I can't sleep. I switch from watching movies on the airplane screen and reading my book the whole five hours on the plane.

When I finally get off the plane I call an Uber and wait outside. A black SUV pulls up 30 minutes. I hesitate to get in because of m last experience with an Uber but I know Cade won't pick me up so I force myself to get in.

The ride to Cade and I's apartment seems to drag on forever. When the driver finally pulls in front of the apartment complex Cade and I shared for 2 years memories come flooding back. I remember the first year before we moved into together how amazing he was. How he used to bring me coffee and flowers to my work.

When he would take me on dates. I told him once that I had wished we were in the regency era when they went to fancy balls. He laughed at me and told me I read too many books but later that weekend he surprised me by taking me to some ballroom dance class.

He used to be so romantic. He seemed almost perfect but then when we moved in together its like he flipped a switch. I don't know what I did to make him change.