Hearts, Scars & Horseshoes

Chapter 23 - Toby

I slept so hard the night I got home from working my first day at the Cafe. I slept well past noon and only woke to Eddy body slamming my bed as he tried to heave his massive body onto it. I needed to buy him some doggy steps, I could no longer yank him onto the bed unless I was standing.

"Maybe you shouldn't have ate all those sandwiches." I scolded him sleepily.

He rested his big block head on my bed, staring at me with the saddest brown eyes. He always knew how to get his way.

"Alright, alright. One second." I muttered.

I blew out a sigh, grudgingly sitting up. I shuffled myself up to my feet, wrapping my arms around his big body and heaving him onto my bed. He didn't even wait to see if I was climbing back into bed before he plopped his fat ass in the middle of my pillows. I watched him stretch himself out lazily, a contented sigh leaving him.

"Don't worry about me Eddy, I was done sleeping."

I shrugged a T-shirt on not taking the time to find pants. My parents would both be gone to work, which meant I had the house to myself. I shuffled out into the kitchen, my phone in my hand. It was sunny out, my eyes taking their time adjusting to the retina burning light that filled the room. I squinted, navigating my way to the fridge partially blind. I fumbled for the handle, pulling the fridge and freezer open in one motion. The one luxury my mom gave me was Eggos, there were no conditions to the Eggos. They didn't have to be multigrain or blueberry or organic off brand. They were plain old Eggos. I know it wasn't much but in an otherwise bland and overly healthy kitchen, Eggos were like a mountainous ice cream sundae. And I loved them.

I pulled the box out, shoving one in each of the four slots in the toaster. I grabbed the butter and the syrup from the fridge. The syrup being the only thing I didn't mind being all natural, organic and ridiculously expensive, that and maybe honey. The toaster popped, all four Eggos golden and delicious just waiting for me to eat. I fixed them up on a plate and sat down on the couch. I stabbed a whole Eggo with a fork, cutting them up took way too much time and it was completely unnecessary. I took a bite, savoring the sweet sticky syrup and the fluffy butter covered waffle.

I unlocked my phone, navigating to my messages. I texted Lars first, told him I had a job. I took another bite of my Eggo, syrup dripping off and onto my shirt. I didn't bother to clean it up as I scrolled to Faith's name. I knew the norm these days was just texting but I liked hearing her voice on the phone. It was smooth, soft, comforting even when she was nervous. But she was probably in school, so calling wasn't an option. I scrolled back reading through the texts we passed the night of our first date. I had sent the last one. I waited a good 30 minutes for her response before I figured she was asleep. I had plans all day to yesterday to call her but the day had obviously gotten crazy after I walked into the cafe.

Now that I was sitting here on the couch, with a dwindling pile of Eggos and a day between us, I wasn't exactly sure what to say. I felt Elijah's heart start to slowly pump harder, a side effect I'd noticed of Faith. Whether I was thinking about her, talking to her or actually with her. Maybe it was my own doing but I couldn't stop myself from thinking that his heart was still harboring pieces of him. Pieces that reacted when it came to Faith.

I blew out a breath, I just needed to say something, anything. I stabbed another Eggo and took a bite out of it. I handed my plate and half ate Eggo to the couch so I could have both fingers to type out a text.

how was your day yesterday?

I watched the words delete letter by letter as I hit the backspace.

What's up?

I think I backspaced that one faster than I wrote it. She wasn't a guy. What was I doing writing her a bro message?

Could I take you to dinner tonight?

I stared at the words for a few minutes on my screen. If I didn't take her tonight I wasn't sure when I'd get to see her again. I figured Jane would have me working a lot on the weekend plus I was supposed to go see Stella with my parents. It was a monthly thing where we'd drive up to her school, go out to dinner, that sort of thing. As if she lived far away and didn't come home constantly. I hit the 'send' button.

I put my phone on my lap and finished off my waffles. I needed to take Eddy for his walk around the block. He hated it, as soon as he saw the leash he'd lay flat on the floor and practically make me drag him from the house. But if I didn't force him on a walk the only exercise he got was going from my bed, to the couch, to his bed, to his dog bowl. He needed a life or a friend, probably both.

I stood up from the couch, discarding my plate in the sink. I stripped my syrup covered shirt off, my eyes catching in the mirror. I knew I shouldn't care. I knew most guys wouldn't even be concerned with a scar. But mine was different. Mine was more than just a cool story. My scar was because someone died. It was because my own body was faulty. It was being scared, feeling lost and hopeless. It was feeling relief and elation. It was too many things for me to feel comfortable with it. I didn't want to remember all those things every time I saw myself.

I pulled a clean shirt out of my drawer and found a pair of jeans that may or may not have been clean. I stuff my feet into a pair of Nike's and turned my attention to the snoring black blob of fat on my bed.

"Eddy, come on." I told him.

He didn't move but his snoring stopped. He was listening.

"Listen I know you don't want too but exercise is good for you."

He lifted his head off his pillow, an annoyed expression on his face.

"It releases endorphins or something, come on." I said, reciting what my mom told me all the time.

He let out a sigh, laying his head back down.

"You'll thank me one day." I grumbled, walking over to the bed and wrapping my arms around him. "Besides you're almost so fat I can't pick you up."

He didn't help me at all but after a minute of grunting and heaving and my breathing growing labored I managed to pull him off my bed. Where he preceded to lay down on my floor. I let out a sigh, fishing my phone from my pocket as it vibrated. Elijah's heart jumped in my chest as Faith's name lit up the screen.

Faith: is Edward Cullen coming?

A smile spread across my face. The damn dog.

Me: he's officially uninvited from all our dates

Faith: maybe just the ones that involve food

Me: for sure. 7 okay?

My fingers typed out my responses as fast as they could. I didn't know how long I had her attention and I wanted her answer before she abandoned her phone and my questions were left to sit there alone in the cyber world.

Faith: yes

I tucked my phone back in my pocket, I had to figure out where I was going to take her now. I looked at Eddy sprawled out on my floor, being stubborn as all get out.

"You're off the hook Ed. Tomorrow we're doing two laps and no complaining." I pointed a finger at him.

He let out a yawn, completely unconcerned with my threat. I left him there, going back out to the living room. I was going to think about restaurants while I sat on the couch. I always did my best thinking while I was watching mindless television.

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I'm casually thinking about changing the name to this story. I'm not sure to what and I'm not sure if I will but what do you think? Do you like the title? Think it should be something else? Have any suggestions? -DBR