Saved By the Man by Vanessa Lynn Gilbert (rm book recommendations txt) 📕

not even a second thought I threw the burning hot liquid on to him. Carter let out a scream and crashed to the ground. An evil smile almost planted itself on my face and then an evil thought appeared. “How dare you think that you can just get me pregnant and leave you jerk.” I wailed out as I walked out of the coffee shop. I stepped out to the cool air and raced to my Decoty. I put the keys in the ignition, turned it on, put on my helmet, and then I gunned it down the street and on the way down the street was able to kick the kick stand up.
5MINUTESLATER
I pulled up into the drive way to see Erik’s dark blue Harlie. Damn, I thought. I pulled up next to the Harlie and then I kicked the kick stand down. I pulled out the keys and took off my helmet regretting the fact that I had to face him. He would be pissed, he would be passed pissed. I swung my right leg over the bike and then set my helmet on the seat. Okay, Zoe you’ve got to be a woman and face him. I let out a held back sigh and walked up to the front door. I put the key in the door knob and stopped. I can run now he won’t even know I’m gone, I thought.
Don’t be stupid Zoe he’ll notice when he hears you dragging your pride on the pavement as you haul ass, I yelled at myself. Okay, okay I’ll be a woman and face him. I sighed, turned the key, and then opened the door to the sight of Erik sitting on the couch that was facing the door, his elbows on his knees, and his face in his hands. As I walked in and shut the door his head snapped up and in one quick motion he was up on his feet. Oh crap, I thought, I’m dead. He walked quickly over to me then pulled me into a tight hug that was squeezing me almost to death. “Don’t you ever leave and not tell me!” He said harshly. He grabbed my shoulders, pulled me away from his body, and looked me straight in the eyes and said, “Promise me you will not ever, ever do that again. Promise me right now.”
“I promise,” I said. Erik pulled me back into his body and wrapped his arms around my waist my arms stay at the side just dangling. I slowly brought my hands up and wrapped them around his neck. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath of his musky scent and just holding it in enjoying the closeness we are sharing. A tear escaped my eyes and landed on his shirt as I realized this would be the few days I would have to be this close to him. Erik pulled me away and looked into my teary eyes. He caressed my cheek and said, “Hey don’t cry.” I whipped the tear away and sighed.
“Yea I’m sorry. It’s so stupid.”
“Hey do you remember that time in D.C. when I said we should run off and elope?”
“Yea I think about it all the time.”
“Really,” Erik asked.
“Yea I remember everything. I remember you had on that Bad to the Bone shirt, and you had your favorite jeans on, and you had your lucky tennis shoes. Ha you even had you’re lucky socks on.”
“Wow, how come you remember all of that,” Erik asked. I looked away and blushed. “I remembered everything because that was our last time together.” “What do you mean we hang out together all the time,” Erik said. “Not in a friendship way but…in…a different way…the way you hang out with Ella.” I said. Erik’s ocean blue eyes grew large as he realized that I was right that we did hang out like the way he and Ella did now, but only that one time. Erik caressed my cheek and said, “I’m so sorry. I should have…” He stopped there not able to finish his sentence, not wanting to admit that he knew that I loved him and that he was too stupid to see past is fazed desire for Ella to see me…or so I hoped he was seeing. I could feel tears bubble up in my eyes and spill out. Erik whipped the tears away and said, “I’m sorry.” “It’s okay you didn’t know,” I said. Erik let out a sigh and said, “No I knew and I should have stopped teasing you and torturing you.”
Anger filled every part of my being and spilled out. “You knew, how…how…could you,” I said. Erik saw and heard the anger that filled me and said, “I’m sorry I’m such a jerk. Lisa told me not to do that to you that I was going to push you farther away from me and I was afraid she was right,” Erik said quickly. What the hell, I thought, he was torturing me for the past year now and he knew I loved him…ugh he’s such a bastard. My hands balled up into fists and were ready to hit Erik. “Erik how could you, you knew I loved you and you still thought it would be good to flirt with me and Ella.” I said. Erik looked down at me with confusion in his eyes. Oh so you only flirted with Ella huh you bastard, I thought. I closed my eyes and let out a heavy sigh. “Zoe, I only flirted with-,” Erik began to say until I cut him off with, “No I know you only flirted with Ella you were just being friendly with me.” Erik’s eyes got wide in horror and then I pulled away from him. “I need to make a call,” I said as I walked towards and up the stairs.
“Zoe-,” Erik called up to me until I interrupted him with, “No its okay I understand. You can choose what we eat tonight while I’m making my call.” I walked up the last few steps then ran into my room. I leaped onto my bed and began to sob. “Why Erik why,” I sobbed into my tear stained pillow. I cry from and for him night after night and day after day and I’m getting fed up with it. Why can’t I get over him!? He’s a jerk and if I could I’d just get over him but…it’s so hard. I took a deep breath and whipped away my tears. Okay Zoe pull yourself together if Erik sees that you’ve been crying he’ll get all worried. Please he wouldn’t give a shit if you where holding a knife to your wrists and swearing that you would do it. Shut, I told myself. Okay so I’m acting like a stalker right now with this talk of how much I love Erik and I sound like a complete lunatic talking to myself but don’t most people? Erik would care if I told him I wanted to commit suicide and if he saw me crying I know he would be there to cheer me up…I hope. I shook away the doubts in my head and sat up on my bed.
No I know he would be there. I looked at my chocolate touch phone and then picked it up and clicked on contact book. A list of names popped and each in alphabetical order. Alexia, Carl, Dad, Ella, Emma, Erik, Jessica, Lisa, Mark, Mom, Rachel, Raven, Rose, Sandra, Sara, Sasha, Terri, and Uncle Gorge’s names all popped up and each had a picture of the person. I clicked on Sasha’s number and her picture enlarged. Sasha and I have been friends since we both began Elementary school. I looked up at her picture and smiled. We took this picture of her on our last day of Middle school.
LASTDAYOFMIDDLESCHOOL
“Come on Sasha I need a picture of you for my phone,” I pleaded to Sasha. “No, I look stupid in pictures,” Sasha said. I laughed and gave her my ‘you want to bet’ look and said, “No trust me you look way better in pictures than I do.” Sasha shook her head and smiled. “Fine go ahead and take the picture, BUT you owe me.” Yea, yea I owe a lot of people, I thought. “Okay,” I said. Sasha pulled out her blue rubber band that was holding up her light brown hair, shook her hair around, and then she smiled. I brought the phone up so that her image filled the screen and then I clicked the ‘Take Picture’ icon.
PRESENTDAY
I smiled at her picture and shook my head. She always hated pictures. I clicked the ‘Call’ button and waited for the sound of Sasha’s voice. “Hey, you’ve reached Sasha sorry I’m not in right now just leave your name and number and I’ll call you back.” Sasha’s answering machine said. I let out a sigh and then when I heard a beep I said, “Hey Sasha its Zoe I just wanted to call and talk for a while but I guess either you’re at school right now or you’re busy so I’ll call you later bye.” I hung up and then dropped my phone on the bed. I have to call someone, I thought, if I don’t then I would have lied to Erik and I hate lying to Erik. I threw my whole upper body back and laid on the bed contemplating who I should try calling next. I looked back at my phone and the picture of Terri rolled into sight. I closed my eyes and sighed angrily. Terri and I were really close in the beginning of the year until she flirted with one of my ex boyfriends when I was still dating him.
I picked up the phone and scrolled through the names. I rolled up to Raven’s name, picture, and number and smiled. Raven became a close friend of mine in the beginning of the third week of 7th grade. After that she and I have been close as any friends can get. I clicked on her name and then I looked at her picture. Raven has changed from the last time I took her picture. In the picture she had short bleach blonde hair that went to her shoulders, no makeup on, and she had a ‘Green Day’ shirt with her favorite dark navy blue jacket that had a hood. Now her hair went down to the middle of her back, she wears a bit of makeup, and she has new shirts and a new jacket that she wears all the time. I clicked on call and waited for her voice to greet me.
“Hey you’ve reached Raven you CAN leave your name and number but I’m not going to promise I’ll call you back so yea I guess forget about it.” Raven’s answering machine said. I let out a sigh and threw the phone on my bed in anger. “Why is everybody not answering their phone,” I said. “Because everyone’s still in school,” Erik’s voice replied. I sat straight up and said, “Oh, hello how long have you been standing there.” He shrugged and said, “Well since you called Sasha.” Blood raced up to my face. Erik laughed and walked over to me. “Well, I guess you know then I didn’t come up here to make a call,” I said. Erik shrugged and said, “Yea I could tell from your hurt expression that you probably weren’t up here making a call.” I blushed and said, “Ha well there goes the rest of my dignity.” Erik laughed and I couldn’t help but join in with the laughter.
“So did you decide what you wanted us to eat tonight?” I asked. Erik nodded and said, “Yes but I want it to