Page 10 of Foul Territory

Sydney was still part of our little crew of friends, but I had to share her. I would never label myself as selfish but I was the king of greed when it came to her.

I towel dry the best I can and slip into my briefs. I’m dying to see what Sydney is up to.

The wood floor creaks beneath my feet when I step into the silent hallway. Wyatt and Wren must have given up on their show and gone to bed for the night.

I prop myself against my headboard and place a pillow on my lap, making myself comfortable. I need to put the finishing touches on the paper I started earlier today and turn it in before I go to bed, but I won’t be able to focus on anything until I get a little taste of her.

The small green dot flashes in the bottom corner of her profile picture. “Where are you, baby?” I click around to a few of her favorite chat rooms. Interesting. She isn’t in the conspiracy theory chat. That is the one she likes the best and spends most of her time in.

Sydney loves dissecting books word by word looking for clues that will tell her what is going to happen in the next book, and it’s rare she gets it wrong.

The corner of my mouth lifts. “There you are,” I mumble to myself. I should have known she would be in the fantasy romance chat. She’s been binge reading a new series for the past few weeks.

It’s all she can talk about when she’s in the forums. I think she even called it her Roman empire once or twice.Whatever thatmeans.

I login to the chat anonymously and try my best to follow along with the conversation. I’ve been reading the books along with her when I can but I’ve fallen behind this week thanks to my busy schedule.

I can’t fight the grin on my face as Sydney goes into great detail explaining her favorite characters and scenes of the book she is currently reading. Her passion and enthusiasm for this imaginary world bleeds through the computer screen.

When she compares one of the characters in her current read to a character in a book we read together that first summer, it’s a sucker punch I didn’t see coming. Images of her laying down on a blanket under the canopy of willow trees in my backyard flood my mind.

We spent hours in an imaginary world of our own creation. It was a place where only the two of us existed. Hours would pass while she read her books and I hit baseballs into a net.

I move the mouse to hover over the button that will change my name from anonymous to my actual screen name. Am I really going to do this? I’ve been anonymous for over three years communicating with her under the radar.

Yes I am. It’s been long enough.

My pulse quickens as I type in the chat box. I keep it simple with a joke about that dude’s hair. It always made me laugh the way it was described in the book as velvety and supple.

A few people agree. Others welcome me to the discussion. I don’t care about them.What does she think?

My foot bounces in anticipation of her reaction. Her screen name pops up and I grin.

FaeAtHeart

What are you talking about? You mean that description doesn’t make you want to run your fingers through his hair?

I picture her smiling on the other side of the screen. I miss being the one to make her smile. I used to be able to do it with ease. I was the one she would come to when she needed a serotonin boost.

Then I fucked it up. I made a decision that altered the trajectory of our relationship and it’s never been the same since.She hasn’t been the same. I’ll never forgive myself for that. If only I could go back.

Ignoring the others in the room, we begin to chat. Easily slipping back in sync like when we were younger. Volleying jokes and commentary back and forth. A piece of myself I thought I lost feels restored from this one conversation.

Ten years ago I fell in love with Sydney Pierce and my world was permanently altered. I didn’t see things the same way anymore. The only thing I could see was her.

Then I let her go.

I let her slip through my fingers.

That is an error I willnevermake again.

FICTION FORUM

NotYourAverageJoe19

How long are we going to have to wait for the next book in the series you think?

FaeAtHeart