Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $9.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    I Love You
    I Love You
    I Love You
    Ebook83 pages1 hour

    I Love You

    By Nox Sullivan

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Eli liked his life as a mailman. It was simple. It was easy. It was helpful too. Walking up and down rows of streets and delivering letters and parcels to the waiting, things they needed, things they wanted. He didn't mean to see that missing girl in the window and he definitely didn't mean to help though. He probably shouldn't have helped. Good intentions always lead to bad situations, don't they?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherNox Sullivan
    Release dateDec 19, 2020
    ISBN9781393325703
    I Love You
    Author

    Nox Sullivan

    Nox Sullivan is a trans author. They like to explore unhappy endings and taboo or macabre subject matters.

    Related to I Love You

    Related ebooks

    Short Stories For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Zalmanovs

      Dec 6, 2022

      My brother Eli and I are lying on the couch, both of us nearly asleep, Eli’s toenails gently kneading my neck. I’m raising my throat to their sharpness, wanting him to press in, when from the next room we hear chimes. Then two clangs. Then: “Hello?”

      9 min read

    • Article

      The Life Of RILEY

      Sep 21, 2021

      The Life Of RILEY
      7 min read

    • Article

      Night-time FRIGHT

      Oct 30, 2024

      Night-time FRIGHT
      6 min read

    • Article

      Caravan OF LOVE

      Aug 27, 2024

      Caravan OF LOVE
      6 min read

    • Article

      Lev’s Pawn Shop

      Dec 10, 2022

      In days gone by, it might have been said that Lev had had a vision, that he had been struck from his horse by the voice of God and seen the error of his ways. As it was, people said that he had gone a bit nutty in his old age, though it was unanimous

      11 min read

    • Article

      Open Short Story Winner Tight Situation

      Apr 4, 2024

      When Carol first wakes up, she thinks it must have been a dream. The ringing phone had been distant, muffled as if the landline device had been buried in a bag of something soft like cotton wool - the packing material stuffed so tightly into its bag

      6 min read

    • Article

      HOME To Roost

      Mar 5, 2024

      HOME To Roost
      11 min read

    • Article

      The LIBRARY BOOK

      Aug 14, 2024

      The LIBRARY BOOK
      6 min read

    • Article

      The heartbeat OF PARIS

      Apr 24, 2024

      The heartbeat OF PARIS
      9 min read

    • Article

      Stay and Fight

      Jul 9, 2019

      Stay and Fight
      16 min read

    • Article

      Not My Cat

      Aug 21, 2023

      The rise and fall of fur, sunlight rippling across his perfectly groomed coat – it’s enchanting, hard to look away. For 30 minutes, she’s watched the cat sleeping on three blankets, folded and piled on top of one another. She’s cold, but can’t bring

      6 min read

    • Article

      Home to ROOST

      Jan 11, 2022

      Home to ROOST
      11 min read

    • Article

      Out of THE BLUE

      Aug 22, 2023

      Out of THE BLUE
      11 min read

    • Article

      The heartbeat OF PARIS

      Apr 3, 2024

      The heartbeat OF PARIS
      9 min read

    • Article

      To the RESCUE!

      Feb 17, 2021

      To the RESCUE!
      6 min read

    • Article

      Stranger Danger

      May 18, 2022

      Stranger Danger
      10 min read

    • Article

      The Bathroom

      Jun 10, 2024

      Content Disclosure: Sexual Innuendo The garage light flips on like a flashbulb, freezing me in a mug shot. “Del, you out here?” my wife says sleepily as she steps down the cement riser. She looks at me standing before the window; then her attention i

      12 min read

    • Article

      Out Of The Blue

      Aug 24, 2021

      Out Of The Blue
      11 min read

    • Article

      The Bees Are Coming

      Aug 4, 2022

      The Bees Are Coming
      7 min read

    • Article

      Stranger Danger

      May 18, 2022

      Stranger Danger
      10 min read

    • Article

      Jumping to CONCLUSIONS

      Oct 19, 2022

      Jumping to CONCLUSIONS
      6 min read

    • Article

      Housewarming

      Dec 1, 2022

      DENNIS MCFARLAND’S most recent novel is Nostalgia. His stories have appeared in The New Yorker, Best American Short Stories, and the Scholar, among other places. When Kevin arrived at the top floor and stepped into a long dark hallway, he couldn’t re

      21 min read

    • Article

      BEST Friend

      Jul 2, 2024

      BEST Friend
      6 min read

    • Article

      Whose Life Is It

      Dec 10, 2023

      “What the hell?” Danny jumped up and tore out of the kitchen where he’d been reading his mail and enjoying a quiet lunch with his sister, Elaine. Startled, she looked up from the newspaper. “Danny?” He ran through the foyer, out the front door, and t

      7 min read

    • Article

      Blue ICE

      Dec 12, 2023

      Blue ICE
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Almadraba

      Sep 1, 2018

      The Almadraba
      14 min read

    • Article

      The heartbeat OF PARIS

      Apr 10, 2024

      The heartbeat OF PARIS
      9 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for I Love You

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      I Love You - Nox Sullivan

      Part One

      The sun beat down like a sledgehammer. Eli readjusted his hat, stepping off into the shade of a mulberry bush as he looked through the letters into his hand. The suburban neighbourhood he’d been delivering in was empty of anyone else. Normally, he could see a few young kids running around in their driveways, someone washing their car or mowing the lawn but the heat was clearly no one’s friend today. Many cars were missing - beach goers or mothers completing errands in cooler places like the nearby mall.

      He was almost jealous. But he quite liked the serene silence. Even if it was burning hotter than hell, the trees and bushes planted everywhere provided decent enough shade as he stepped through fences and left letters and parcels where necessary.

      It could be worse, he supposed. It could be Christmas and it could be snowing horrendously again. Heavy overtime and trudging through ice while freezing. The pay was wonderful. The exhaustion, less so. But he liked what he did. It was simple to some, sure, but it was very fulfilling to him. Why wouldn’t it be?

      He peeled to a stop in front of an immaculately presented house. The fence ran around the front of the house and along the side of pavement leading to the garage. On the other side of the paved driveway was another fence. Each one was bombarded by a large bush of dark green leaves and soft white flowers. He glanced at the letter in his hands before pulling his cart over as he opened the gate and walked inside.

      The bush always seemed like overkill with the fence right there but it was always cleanly groomed. Never any fallen leaves. Eli always reached this area of the home after a few hours of starting his shift. Whoever maintained the home must’ve swept them up rapidly every morning before he got there.

      The fence was always freshly painted too, no cracks or scuff marks. The house itself shined in the light, a soft pastel pink with a clean roof. There were two bikes leaning against the porch as he stepped down the well-worn rocky pathway that led to the house. The mailbox was placed in the corner of where the bush wrapped around the fence. He clicked his cart still and walked over to it. He slid a couple letters inside, bills if he had to guess from the labels stamped against them, and raised the little flag.

      All set.

      When he turned, a sight at the window caught his eye. A young woman - somewhat familiar at first sight, though he couldn't place her - was yanking at the windowsill on the inside of the house. She looked up, caught his eyes, and then banged her hands against the glass. He jolted. She vanished from sight.

      She was blonde, young. On the porch, a newspaper still laid. Weird. Weirder still, he suddenly realized why she was so familiar. She’d gone missing a month before. He knew her face viscerally. Her brother worked alongside him and he’d been devastated when weeks passed by with no evidence. She’d simply... dropped off the map.

      Or dropped off into a house along Eli's mail route.

      His feet were moving before he could stop to process what he should do. The steps up to the porch and the door didn’t creak. He picked up the newspaper by his feet and knocked on the door.

      A small black boy opened it. With a little furrow between his brows, he took Eli in. Hello, can I help you?

      Um. Eli paused before presenting the newspaper. I was dropping off some mail. I think you missed this.

      As the boy took the newspaper, Eli looked inside the house. It was nothing like a criminal den he’d imagined holding a young woman hostage. Not to mention, she was nowhere in sight. At first sight the house was clean. If she had been yanked away, he doubted it would be so neat. There were trinkets and knickknacks everywhere. Surely one of them would’ve been knocked down. Not to mention, the only person he could see was this young kid in front of him.

      Kids were impressive. But he doubted even this kid would be able to hide a grown woman in the few seconds it took him to reach the door.

      Must’ve been a trick of the light.

      Uh, thanks. The boy smiled up at him before peering past Eli. Did we get mail?

      Oh. Eli stepped to the side. Yes. Some bills, I think.

      The kid nodded and pulled the door shut behind him as he teetered down the stairs. Eli followed at pace, taking in the rest of the front yard. The kid muttered a swear and a half as he ducked around the side of the house, carrying with him a small potted plant. His hands were full with the letters and the plant as he made his way back up the stairs.

      Eli chased him back up. Let me, he said, reaching over the kid’s head. The door eased open.

      Thanks, the boy grunted. We put this out a couple days ago. It’s a nocturnal flower but we couldn’t figure out where to plant it in the back. Might as well bring it inside, ya know?

      Oh wow. Eli leaned against the door frame. I didn’t know flowers could be nocturnal.

      The boy gave another grunt as he dropped the pot on the ground. Hissing slightly, he shook his hands out. Well, nocturnal might not be the best. They bloom with the moon. He smiled softly as he patted the white petals. It’s really pretty to watch.

      It sounds really pretty. I’ll have to see if the Gardens have any nighttime flowers for me to see, Eli laughed. He stood up straighter. Well, it was very nice to meet you... He trailed off, as he stuck his hand out.

      Lawrence. The boy, Lawrence, shook his hand with a gentle grin. And you too. He pointed upwards. I really like your hat by the way.

      Eli fiddled with the brim. Oh, thanks. He patted his shirt, beaming. Part of the uniform.

      Lawrence nodded and gestured to the top of his head. I guessed. The label. He snapped his fingers. Oh. It’s really hot out, do you want any water? He turned, quickly shuffling off, his voice raising the further he got. We ran out last week but the guys said they wouldn’t be able to get out to us until this past Monday so we got a lot of bottles!

      He would

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1