Anxious Hart

Chapter Ten

Claire

The

I sat at the kitchen table, staring at the single word on my computer screen, taunting me. Two hours into working and this miserable, three-letter word was all I had to show for my effort.

The

To be fair, I had tried various colors and fonts for inspiration, but nothing was working. My chest felt empty, my head tired. I felt like a black hole devouring all the life and energy around me, which was a stark contrast from my normal, upbeat outlook.

The

Narrowing my eyes, I rose from my chair in frustration as I grabbed a fresh cup of coffee. Sipping the hot liquid, I moved my gaze out the window to the house just up the hill. Zack’s childhood home looked the same as it did almost 20 years ago. Still painted a dark gray with white trim, I couldn’t help but smile.

As I watched out the window, I noticed two women walk out the door and make their way to a car parked in the driveway. I instantly recognized Zack’s mom. She looked very similar to the woman I remembered. It was almost like she had hardly aged over the last 18 years.

But who was the younger woman? She was tall and slender with strawberry blonde hair. She had a warm smile that lit up her face. She was absolutely gorgeous.

Instantly I felt a pit in my stomach. Did Zach have a girlfriend? Was he married? And he slept on my couch with me last night!

Running my hands through my hair, I wanted to scream. “Seriously?” I scoffed to myself as I crouched against the counter and held my head in my hands. “From the Mrs. to mistress in less than a week. Way to go, Claire.” I rose to my feet to walk towards the table, tripping on the edge of the area rug in my frustration. I regained my balance. “f*****g rug. Graceful as ever.”

I continued to mumble to myself as I grabbed my phone. Scrolling through my contacts, I found the one who needed a piece of my mind. Forcefully hitting my screen, the phone dialed.

“Well, hi,” Zack answered, sounding too cheerful.

“Seriously, is this just some game to you?” I growled.

There was an awkward pause before he responded. “I’m sorry?” he asked.

“It’s been almost 20 years. I get it. We both have our lives. But please don’t come in here, acting like you actually care when you could have someone at home waiting for you who would assume I’m some home wrecker.”

Zack started laughing, which only frustrated me. “Look, asshole, you slept on my couch last night! Why are you laughing?”

“Have you always been this crazy or is this a new development?” he teased.

“I’m not crazy!”

“No, your not crazy, I’m sorry,” he stated, changing his tone. “I’m laughing because 1) you sound paranoid, in all fairness. 2) there’s no significant other on my part to worry about and 3) nothing happened to be ashamed or worried about.”

I let out a small sigh of relief. “Thank god! I didn’t want to piss off some woman. You know, I’ve kinda been on the receiving end.”

“Yeah, but the guy was a f*****g tool. You deserve so much more,” he replied with sincerity. “You deserve the world.”

“Thank you,” I smirked. “And what about you? If you don’t have anyone, what do you want?”

He paused for a moment before clearing his throat. “I know exactly what I want. Sometimes you just have to wait for timing, I guess.”

I licked my lips. “I know it’s been several years, but I still see the good guy there. If my input is any consolation, Zack, I think you deserve the world too.”

I could hear him smile on the other end. “That actually means more than you know, Claire.”

We remained silent, neither of us talking. I wanted to ask him so much, to tell him everything. But somehow, I could not find the courage or the words. I felt like a bashful, lovestruck teenager on the phone with my crush.

Before I was able to find my voice, the front door of the house burst open. Almost falling out of my chair, I turned to see my grandpa’s nurse, Becky, come into the house with bags of groceries.

“Claire? Are you ok?” asked Zack when he heard the commotion.

“Yes, I’m fine,” I responded. “Becky just got here, so I will call you back. Bye.” I hung up the phone before I gave him a chance to reply.