Page 110 of Road Trip with a Vampire

It was with this thought in mind that I unlocked my phone.

Peter:Can I send you something?

My phone fell from my hands and clattered to the hardwood floor, making such a racket that my friends looked up from the television to look at me.

“Everything okay?” Becky asked.

“Yep!” I squeaked, scrambling for my phone.

“Who’s it from?”

But I wasn’t listening to her anymore.

This was the first time I’d heard from Peter since I’d left Indiana. I’d nearly texted him dozens of times since then but had always stopped myself at the last minute.

What would I have even said to him? What was theretosay?

Apparently, though, he had something to say to me. My heart raced as my mind became locked in a vicious tug-of-war with itself over what to do.

The part of me that made good decisions knew I shouldn’t reply to this. But I wanted to.

So I did.

Zelda:What is it?

Not what I’d imagined texting all those nights I’d almost reached out, but if he was about to send me a dick pic, I needed to nip that mistake in the bud.

Peter:It’s a picture.

Oh shit. He wouldn’t.

Would he?

Zelda:A picture of what exactly?

Peter:A picture of a hat.

Not a dick pic, then.

Just a really strange thing to send to someone you haven’t spoken to in weeks whose heart you broke.

Zelda:Radio silence for weeks and the first thing you want to text is a picture of a hat?

I stared at my phone for another full minute after sending. No response. Probably unsurprising given the tone of what I’d just sent him.

After another few minutes of waiting, I turned my attentionback to the show my friends were still watching. The male lead had just brought the female lead a bouquet of flowers, and the eye-fucking between them was exquisite. Ordinarily this sort of thing was exactly my jam, but focusing on it was impossible.

Had I been too harsh with him?

Right when I was about to text him back to apologize, my phone buzzed again.

Peter:I didn’t think you wanted to hear from me.

Peter:So I stayed away.

Given how our last conversation went, well…that was fair.

Peter:But I need some advice.