Page 562 of Call Me Baby 2: Side B

A bottle of cherry wine dangles from my fingertips. I lift it to my lips, the bottle heavy, but it’s nothing compared to the dead weight I carry in my chest.

I can’t even summon the energy to lift myself from this lounge chair.

I don’t think I’ll ever move again.

It’s what happens after you destroy something you loved.

You’re completely, utterly drained.

All I can do is sit here in the dark night, drink cherry wine, watch my father’s smashed guitar float in the pool.

The wind blows, so I take another swig,

the cherry sweet on my fuzzy tongue.

It’s a fun little game I’ve been playing tonight—the wind blows, I sip the bottle, me and the guitar battling it out to see who’ll drown first.

Across the water, the guitar drifts into the deep end, stubborn, taking much longer than I thought it would.

The pool lights reflect the silver tuning pegs as the guitar slowly tilts, sliding under like a sinking ship.

It goes down inch by inch, air bubbles escaping from between the strings.

Little gasps of breath.

For one masochistic moment,

I wish I could go down with it.

Little Death may be gone, but…

Something darker curls its finger under my chin, whispering to me softly that death will feel so much better than this.

Then the elevator dings.

The doors slide open…

And it’s him. He’s here.

I already know it⁠—

I don’t need to turn toward him,

I don’t need to look for him.

I can feel him. It is that simple.

The heat of his presence falls over me,

wakes my skin,

pulls tight.

His footsteps are soundless,

but I know he’s coming closer.

My skin heats and the hairs on my arms and the back of my neck, they all stand on end, slanting toward him, telling me exactly where he is.