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“I gotta use the restroom,” I whispered softly, backing up faster now.

Downy started to reach for me, but I stopped him with my next words.

“I want you to leave.”

Downy’s brows furrowed.

“But what about lunch?” He challenged.

I shook my head.

“I think that’s enough for today, thanks.”

With that I left, not looking back.

If I had, though, I would’ve seen the devastation on Downy’s face.

Would’ve seen the instant regret filling his eye and in his entire demeanor.

But right then, I chose instead to focus on myself.

Seemed like a good time to do that.

***

It was hours later when I heard my bedroom door open.

I didn’t bother looking over my shoulder.

I knew who it was.

Drew got into the bed with me, curled his big body around mine and settled in deep.

The room was dark except for the glow from the street lights streaming in through my blinds.

The clock next to my bed read nine P.M. Meaning I’d fallen asleep, seeing as I’d come into my room a very long time ago.

I lay there, with Drew’s arms wrapped securely around me, thinking.

Thinking about what’d happened that day. About Downy and his inability to ever see me as anything but a reminder of what I was and was not. Then finally about Drew. About how he was in the process of divorcing his wife.

And I just wanted to be someone’s first choice.

I wanted to be loved by someone forever, someone who’d never chose anyone else over me.

Danny. Downy. Drew.

Maybe it had something to do with ‘D’ names. Maybe I should look for a Sam or a Michael. Possibly a Luke.

When Drew’s breaths finally evened out indicating he’d fallen to sleep, I inched my way out of his hold, heading to the kitchen.

Maybe some ice cream would be helpful right now.

Blue Bell had finally returned to Texas grocery stores, and not a day went by that I didn’t gorge on my favorite ice cream. It’d been a helacious few months without it after they pulled all of their ice cream off the shelves, and I still got kind of panicky when I was close to running out.

I’d just put the first spoonful in my mouth when a sound from outside had me walking out of the kitchen to the window that looked out over my front yard.

I moved the blinds down, hunching over so I could see out, and blinked when I saw the same two men that I’d seen in the same exact spot a week ago.