|
|
Chapter 9
Maranda
After the date with Brian I went back to my hotel and changed. He's truly amazing.
I sat down at my laptop and checked my e-mail. I looked at the screen set up.
- Sender - Subject -
- Charles - Maranda I Love You -
-Martha - Manda, its mom -
I sighed. Charles. He's one man I wish I could forget.
I opened his e-mail.
Maranda honey,
I don't know why I still e-mail you. I guess I'm just praying that one of these e-mails will show you how sorry I am for what ever I did. I never meant to do it. I just wish I knew what IT was. Please, just tell me what it was that I did. I'll apologize for my entire life just to get you back. Please e-mail or call me. My number hasn't changed.
Love,
Charles
Poor Charles. I'm sorry, too. You were one of the many people I hurt, by taking this job. You soon see why I couldn't talk to you.
I opened my mom's e-mail next.
Manda,
Hey baby doll. I hope all is well. I'm praying for your return every night. I don't know what made you to run off, but I hope and pray that you're safe and sound. If you are reading this e-mail I hope that you'll e-mail me back and tell me that you're a live and safe. You don't have to come home. You don't even have to explain why you left. Just tell me that you're a live.
Love,
Mom
I hurt you too. My own mom. I'm killing her. I could only imagine dad. I've probably already killed him, but mom wants to talk to me in person to tell me that.
I can't see you! I want to! I need to! But I can't. They won't let me. They said if I talked to you they'd kill both me and you. I'm not scared for me, though. I'd rather be dead than have you two dead.
I looked a way from the screen and over to the pistol at my bedside. Why do I even carry a gun? I know why. I have to protect Brian. I've had to do it before. He never even knew.
~~~
"Come on Brian." I whispered to myself standing in the shadows of an alleyway.
"Just a little to the right." I talked to my self as I took aim. "A little to the left. Move!" I scream whispered to my self.
"Yo Bri! Over Here!" Nick yelled from across the basketball court that they played on.
I placed a silencer on the end of my gun and took aim.
One shot. That's all it took.
I spoke into my watch. "Suspect it down. Shot on left shoulder." I ran around the court, but stayed in the shadows so as not to be seen. I ran over to the suspect. "Freeze. You are under arrest for attempted murder of Brian Littrell."
"You're not sending me to jail." The suspect got up and tried to run.
I ran a few feet and took aim again. I shot his leg and he fell with a loud yell of pain. I ran over to him and pointed my gun at him. By then agents had had surrounded him and one covered his mouth and nose with a cloth until he passed out.
"Good work Hunter." My boss came over to me. "Two shots. Next time use only one." He walked away.
~~~
I stared at my gun and sighed. Now I did use only one. I never used two. It didn't take two now.
Ring Ring
"Yeah." I answered the phone, but it didn't even seem like it was me answering it. It was like I was watching myself answer those question, but I was still staring at my gun. Sitting, loaded, on my night stand. Silencer in it's case, not even two inches away from my pistol.
"Maranda are you listening to me?"
I shook my self back into my body. "Yeah boss."
"We need you back in Washington. Get here ASAP. I e-mail you the confirmation number for your plane ticket. You leave tomorrow at noon. Say good bye to Brian at ten and leave for the port at eleven. Got it?"
"Up by nine, byes to Brian at ten, headed for the port at eleven and on the plane to Washington at twelve. Yeah I think I got it." I rolled my eyes.
"Good. See you at 3 tomorrow evening." He hung up.
"I hate this job sometimes." I looked over at my bag. "At least I didn't unpack this time."
My eyes wandered to the phone, then to the denim jacket I still had from Brian with his hotel phone number tucked neatly in side the inside pocket, then once again back to the phone.
"It couldn't hurt to warn him." I convinced myself. "I'll just call him to be sure he…he what? I took him home before I came home and he knows I'm leaving soon, so is he in fact. What can I ask him." I shook my head. "This is childish. I'm 24 and thinking up a reason to call my "crush"."
"I'll, I'll…You know what? I'm just going to call him already." I wasn't really talking to any one.
I get the number, made myself comfortable on my bed and dialed Brian's number on the hotel phone.
Ring…Ring…Ring…
"He's not there. He's…Hi Brian." I choked on my words as he picked up the phone on the 4th ring.
"Hhhello?" He said in a groggy voice.
"Oh my gosh, did I wake you? I'm so sorry. I didn't think you'd be a sleep already." I banged my head on the high headboard.
"Oh it's fine. I wasn't in bed for long. I'm still not sleeping well. Nick's got the stupid game on." Brian said the last part more to Nick than to me.
"Is that Veronica?" I heard Nick question in the background.
"No it's Pamela Lee Anderson." Brian laughed.
"Dude, go for it!" Nick laughed.
"You guys are so weird." I noticed that I had lost all my nervousness between Hello and now. I smiled.
"So what's up V?"
"Well, I um, I'm leaving tomorrow and I wanted to tell you before hand." I bit my bottom lip. Please let him care, please let him care.
"Really?" He asked this a little too chipper for my likeing.
"I didn't think our date was that much of a flop. I mean you did give me your number and I still have your jacket."
"No, that's not what I meant." Brian sounded totally awake.
"Ohhh, Brian's in the dog house." I heard Nick in hysterics in the background.
"Shut up Nick. V, what I meant was that I was happy because I felt bad about what I was going to tell you. I have to leave early. Well I don't have to, but we had decided that since we don't have anymore shows here we were gonna head over to Texas tomorrow and chill there."
"I see. You didn't have to explain. We only went on one date." As I said this I found myself trying to convince myself more than Brian.
"That's right, but I hope to see many more."
"You do?" I smiled.
"Yeah, I hope to see many more. I really like you andI had a lot of fun. I mean I haven't had this much fun on a date in a lng time."
"Me neither." Brian had no idea how true this was.
"We should get off the phone. Are you coming by tomorrow?"
"When's your flight?"
"5."
"OK, I'll have to come by around 11 or so cuz mines at noon."
"Where did you say you were going?"
"I didn't but, uh, I'm going back to my office." There's partial truth for you.
"Oh so you're going back to LA."
"Yeah." What's wrong with me? Why did that bug me so much? I've lied to him before. Why is it different now?
"That's cool. I'll see you tomorrow then?"
"Yep."
"Sleep well Veronica. I'll be thinking of you."
"Bye." I whispered.
I suddenly lost my voice at the sweet sound of his.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~