September

30: Healing Wounds?

My phone rang in the other room. I stayed on the couch for another second finishing the handful of m&ms. I placed the bowl of trail mix on the glass table and got up to see who was calling me. There were a few people I could think of that would excluding the scammers asking about extending my car warranty.

Picking up the phone I answered it without checking the caller id. Since I didn't want to risk missing the call.

"Dakota," her voice seemed uncertain like something was bothering her. "I was gonna text first but do you have a moment to talk?"

"Yeah, sure I have as long as you need, is everything okay?"

I could hear her tapping something in the background. Sounded like her fingers on a counter or table. Her breathing was heavy. "Yeah, everything's fine or at least it will be. Do you think maybe you'd have time to meet up somewhere, talk face to face?" She paused. "If not it's fine I know you're busy."

"I have time, where do you want to meet up?"

"It doesn't really matter honestly."

"Would it work to just come over here? I can make something and there are fewer people."

"Okay, that works. Give me like five minutes. I'm gonna keep you on the phone though if you're okay with that."

The timer went off. "Yeah, sure that's okay." I grabbed the oven mitt and pulled the cookies out of the oven. I could hear the engine going and some faint swearing occasionally. I didn't want to distract her and she seemed like she wanted to wait to talk until she got here. "Oh and I'll leave the door cracked so you can just walk in," I said.

She responded with a quiet, "Okay, thanks."

As she said, five minutes later she was at my door and walked in. I hung up the phone and then walked out of the kitchen.

"Hi," I started. "just sit wherever you want. Also, I made some cookies well actually they finished when we were on the phone. They're in the kitchen, you can help yourself."

Her smile was faded, "Chocolate chip?"

"Always," I replied.

"Alright, you got me, I can't pass up cookies."

"I would hope not."

We walked into the kitchen and grabbed a cookie.

"Okay, before I start, how are you?" she said after she finished her first cookie.

"I'm doing okay." I picked up another cookie.

She did the same. "Okay, so I've briefly mentioned I was adopted before right?"

I nodded. "Okay," she started again. "Well, my brother found where I live. And he's honestly well, to tell the truth, he's not the best person to be around, he comes around and says he's different but then does the same thing. He's good at pretending to be decent but he's well... he's got a violent streak. I think he gets it from his mom."

"So I wanted to say that I'm gonna stay with Emily for a few days, just to make sure it's safe," she paused. "I'm probably overreacting but..." she mumbled some words that I barely understood.

"If it makes you feel safer it's not overreacting, okay? I don't know him but if you do, so you need to make sure you do what's best. And since it sounds like he's probably been stalking you see if you can get a restraining order. Of course, you'd have to have some evidence of some kind."

"Thank you, I'll check into the restraining order. Thanks for the idea."

I was getting ready to reply when there was a knock on my door proceeded by its opening. She looked at me puzzled and mouthed some words.

"Dylan," I told her. I walked out of the kitchen and looked at my couch. She followed.

He turned around, "Hey, Cody, Oh Tatiana's here. Hi Tati. I was wondering whose car was out front."

I covered my face with my hands. She laughed, "Hey, Dylan."

"I heard you got a weird letter at your work?" He said. I lifted my head out of my hands and looked at him and then at her.

Her face paled. She took a deep breath. "How'd you hear about that?" she asked her voice much calmer than she looked.

"Emily called me outraged that someone else would try to take her place as 'your bestie' "

"Oh, makes sense."

"Someone sent you a threatening letter?"

She pulled an envelope out of her purse and handed it to me. "I wouldn't say it's threatening exactly, just weird."

I read it a few times. "You don't know who sent this?"

"No, I thought Emily but she said it wasn't her."

"Okay, this is going to sound weird. But do you think maybe your brother or someone could've sent this? Maybe he's been around longer than you know,"

"I thought it could be but something about it doesn't seem like it's him."

Dylan got behind us and looked at the letter. "Damn whoever it was certainly types like Emily." then he went back to the couch. I rolled my eyes at him.

"I know that's what confuses me." she looked at the clock hanging on my wall. "Okay, I'm gonna go Emily will probably start calling me if I don't make it there in the next few minutes. Thanks again for letting me stop by and for the ideas."

"Of course, anytime."

"Bye Dylan." he waved from the couch not turning around.

I walked with her to the door. I handed her the letter she took it and put it back in her purse. "Keep me updated?"

"Sure." she started walking. Then she turned around. "Love you,"

"Love you too," I replied. She smiled and then turned back around to leave. I watched as she left before going back in.

"There are cookies on the stove," I said.

He jumped up and went into the kitchen. He came back out with a handful of cookies. "Hey, are you okay to talk for a second?"

"I'm assuming it's cause commercials are on?"

"Well, actually I came with the intention of talking but didn't want to interrupt you and Tati."

"How considerate." I sat down. "Okay, what did you want to say."

"I apologized to Tara."

"That's good. How did it go?"

"It was okay. But it turns out she doesn't know where I live so it's not possible that she did that to my yard."

"So you never knew who actually egged your yard and just assumed it was her? Did she actually seem upset when you saw her?"

"Well, it seemed like a safe bet, and no but that doesn't mean anything sometimes you don't seem angry but you're passive-aggressive."

"Okay so who would egg your yard? To that degree especially."

"Don't know."

He directed his attention back to the tv and discontinued the conversation. I got up and went up the stairs to think about everything.

Here's chapter 30. So I have like three different endings planned but trying to figure out which one to go with is driving me crazy XD