I sigh, shoving the key into my car and turning it a few times to get it to start. Great. Another thing to add to the never-ending to-do list. Get my car looked at.
“Thanks, Crestina, but I’m good.”
“I hate that dick. I mean, he decides he no longer loves you and then has the gall to kick you out of the apartment? You’re better off without him,” she huffs.
“So you’ve told me.”
It doesn’t change the fact that my boyfriend came home two days ago, told me he didn’t love me, and kicked me out of our shared apartment. Having to pack up my life, for what seems like the umpteenth time, was easy this time.
A few boxes and two suitcases? It wasn’t hard.
“Listen, once you get settled at your grandma’s, let’s go out for drinks. I’m buying.”
“I will hold you to that. Listen, I need to get going. Nan is expecting me.”
“Tell her I said hi. Love you, babe.”
“Love you.”
I end the call and toss the phone into the front seat. I love my best friend, but living with her and her boyfriend when they just got engaged and I was unceremoniously dumped? No, thanks.
I’m already at rock bottom.
Well, whatever is below rock bottom.
I’ll have to stay with Nan in her cottage apartment at a retirement center. As if getting kicked out by my boyfriend wasn’t bad enough, now this?
The heat of the day presses in on me as I roll the windows down. Another thing that I need to fix, but don’t have the money to deal with. Thankfully, Nan doesn’t live far from me.
Turning into the main entrance, I pull my old junker of a car into an empty space and try not to cringe as the brakes squeal. Maybe saving some money by living with Nan will let me finally cross this item off my list.
Hopping out, I do my best to straighten my white, sleeveless blouse tucked into black jeans and go to her front door. There’s a Christmas wreath hanging on the door with a Santa welcome mat. Odd choice considering it’s well into summer.
Knocking on the door, I stand back and wait. And wait. No answer.
“Nan?” I knock again. “Are you in there?”
There’s not a single sound inside.
Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I find her contact and tap on it. It rings once before it goes to voicemail.
Oh, she did not send me to voicemail.
Tapping again, it doesn’t even ring before her cheery voicemail rings out.
“Hi, this is Deb. I’m not here. Leave a message, but make it good, because if not, I won’t call you back.”
“Nan. Where are you? You’re not home and I need to drop everything off. I don’t want to be driving around with everything in my car.”
The blazing-hot Nashville sun is scorching my exposed shoulders.
Looking around, no one is outside. I can’t blame people for wanting to stay inside. I love the sun, but even this is too much for me.
Spotting the main building, I tuck my keys into my front pocket and head that way. Maybe they know where my Nan is.
It’s not like her to run off without telling me. I mean, she is the one to flit off to the casinos at the drop of a hat. But she always tells me where she’s going. We’re all we have left in the world.
Shoving open the glass door to the lobby, a wall of cool air greets me. Much better.
