18. Meri
CHAPTER 18
MERI
Yay me.
“Lock up behind me.”
I roll my eyes at Poker. I spent the day with him at the clubhouse but insisted that I come home tonight since I didn’t have any of my stuff, and he had club business to deal with. Maybe I need to talk to him about keeping a few changes of clothes and some toiletries at the clubhouse in case I stay again, but I decide to wait.
It’s too soon… right?
“I will. Text me when you get home?”
He grins. “Worried about me?”
“Always,” I admit.
“I could get used to that,” he says.
“You probably should.”
He chuckles. “I’ll let you know when I’m home safe. Promise.”
“Thanks.”
“Just remember it might be a while,” he reminds me. “I don’t know how long business is gonna take.”
“I know.”
Poker kisses me deeply before turning and walking out my front door. I lock the door and make my way to my bedroom to change into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. It feels good to be out of the clothes I had on last night, but it’d be better if I was still wearing the faded t-shirt Poker lent me.
Part of me wants to curl up in bed and sleep, but it’s only seven, and I’m not quite old enough to be okay with going to bed before the sun. Instead, I take my cell and head to the living room and crawl beneath a blanket to watch a movie.
“Sweet Home Alabama” is one of my all-time favorite flicks, and I say the words along with the characters.
“‘What, did they run outta soap down at the Piggly Wiggly since I left?’” Reese Witherspoon and I say simultaneously, and I laugh out loud.
“Wrong! The only reason I ain’t signin’ is cause you’ve turned into some hoity-toity Yankee bitch, and I’d like nothing better right now than to piss you off,” Josh Lucas’ character sneers a few frames later.
“You tell her,” I mutter.
It’s not until Josh and Reese’s characters are standing on the beach in a storm at the end of the movie that my eyes begin to slowly close.
I don’t know how long I sleep, but I’m startled awake by a pounding sound. It takes a moment to realize that someone is knocking at my door. No light streams through my windows, so I know it’s late.
The knocking continues as I get to my feet. “I’m coming,” I call, thinking maybe it’s Poker.
He stops knocking at the sound of my voice. I unlock the door, a smile on my face, but it disappears the second I open the barrier because there’s no one on my porch. I go to step outside, and my foot connects with something, pulling my attention downward.
On my welcome mat is a medium-size box with ‘Meri’ written on the top in black marker. Frowning, I pick it up and carry it inside. Returning to the couch, I set the box on the coffee table and peel the tape off to open it.
When I see what’s inside, my stomach plummets. There’s a green dress that’s identical to the one I wore to my last poker game, but it’s got slash marks cutting up the material. Under that, is a picture of Poker with a red ‘X’ over it. I set those two things aside and pull out the folded piece of paper at the bottom. I open it, and my heart joins my stomach.
Meri-
You didn’t listen.
-D
Tossing the note onto the couch beside me as if it burned my fingers, I settle against the cushions. This has to be from Diego, but how did he get my home address? How did he know my real name? And what does he mean, I didn’t listen? I gave Poker the message. I did what he demanded of me.
I grab my cell to call Poker but stop myself before hitting send. He said he had club business to deal with and promised to text when he got home. Since I don’t have any texts from him yet, I know he’s still busy. I decide to text him instead of calling, so I don’t interrupt whatever it is he’s doing.
Meri: I need you to come back to the house when you can. Got another note. This time it came with a package. Yay me