Landslide: Before (Book 1) (GirlxGirl / lesbian/ LGBTQ)

Chapter Twelve

Summary: The one with the visit

TWELVE

    With every passing day, my heart ached less. Sawyer had disappeared from my life and I had never felt so weightless. All those days and nights spent agonizing over what happened seemed silly now when the answer was so simple. I hadn't been much time since we had officially broken up, but we had ended long before that. Before she had even gone to Europe. There were days that I missed her like crazy and then there were days where she didn't cross my mind at all. I was trying my hardest to let her go and be happy, but sometimes it was difficult. I would still find things of hers scattered around my room: a notebook, a t-shirt, an old ratty headband. Whenever I found her things, a dull ache would spread through my chest at the thought of what we used to be. Some days I couldn't stand to be in my room by myself with all the memories of Sawyer haunting my mind. Today was one of those days.

    I was curled up on the couch in the living room the TV playing mindlessly in front of me. The breeze blew through the open windows moving the stale warm air in the house. Usually by this time of year the heat from the summer was dissipating leaving a cool temperature in its wake, but it was slightly alarming how warm it was outside considering it was mid-september. Even being dressed in shorts and a tank top was too much. My parents didn't really let us use the air conditioner this late in the year, I was left to suffer through this odd heat.

    I was deeply relaxed into the the couch when I heard the stairs squeak behind me as someone descended. I turned to look, peeling my eyes away from whatever TV show was playing. Charlie smiled sleepily, before shuffling into the kitchen. Peering at the clock, I realized that was past noon, and it wasn't like Charlie to have been sleeping this late. I shrugged, thinking nothing much of it.

    Eventually, the smell of coffee wafted through the house and Charlie came over to the couch with the mug of the dark liquid in her hand. I watched her carefully sit on the couch next to me and sip her drink. She uncomfortably tugged at her long sleeve shirt, tucking herself in the corner. It was interesting to see her so fully dressed when the temperature was rather warm. I wanted to comment on it, but she spoke up first, directing my thoughts in another direction.

    "I didn't have the chance to ask you, but what was Sawyer doing here the other day?" Charlie said lifting the coffee up to her lips again.

    "Oh, um," I stuttered over my words, "I was being an idiot and thought it was a good idea."

    "I'm assuming it went badly?" She prodded.

    "Yeah, we got into a huge fight, and turns out she cheated on me twice, actually." I shook my head in disgust and shame. "I honestly don't know why it took me so long to break up with her."

    "You loved her, it's understandable. I'm not happy with what she did to you though," Charlie grumbled. "She deserves a swift kick in the butt for the pain she caused you."

    "That's definitely the nice way of putting it, Charlie," I chuckled. We sat in silence for a moment listening to the infomercial that played through the speakers of the TV. The narrator went on about the various side effects of a drug. My eyes drifted to Charlie, who was tucked so tightly into herself I thought she might just disappear. The voice on the TV kept listing more side effects:
    "Kidney failure, heart problems, suicidal thoughts," The voice droned on. Charlie casted her eyes downward. "If any of these symptoms appear contact your doctor immediately."

    Charlie had been increasingly distant lately. She wouldn't talk much in the mornings, not even when our mom was berating us about being better and working harder. Normally, she would pipe up and talk about what her current amazing news was. But she spoke less and less. She no longer was trying to win mom over. I didn't think much of it, I figured she got tired of sucking up like I did. Maybe there was something more behind it. I wanted to ask desperately.