27–Joey
“This will be your roster
I took a piece of paper from the woman and tucked it into my handbag. It been just over a week since Jake’s wedding and the shit show which had been me sleeping with Alex,
I had left Miami and ended up in Chicago.
It wasn’t really a conscious thought, I literally put the names of major centers in a prand pulled them out. Now, I stood in the HR office of one of the local hospitals, getting my new roster. Ed joined up with a company that allowed nurses to freelance across the United States, knowing it would be a good way for me to see America, and still be employed
“We can give you a week to get settled in?”
“No,” I shook my head. “I can start as soon as
you need ΠΗ
The woman nodded and scribbled down a time on a piece of paper. “How about tomorrow then? Do you know much abou pediatrics?”
“I’ve worked a couple shifts in the wards in Miami. But I am a quick learner” Estaled and she returned it
“Good. Go back to the hostel and get some sleep. We have all your information, so I will enter it into the system today and we will see you bright and early tomorrow,”
“Thank you.” I turned and left the little office, closing the door behind me. Walking through the hospital, I smiled at as many nurses as I could, even stopping for a chat with a couple, who had seen me with the lanyard of the company I was being employed by. They were, for the most part, friendly and I was starting to think this was going to be a good decision. I had texted my Pa and told him I was in Chicago and would ring him later, once 1 had gotten settled in Now I had to go and get some food and some basic nursing supplies, like a new pair of shoes and I’d be set for tomorrow’s shift.
Moving through the lobby of the building, my phone rang, and I fished it out of my handbag and my stomach fell to the bottom of my shoes.
Jake
Staring at the number, as I exited the hospital, I hesitated about answering it, but in the end, 1 accepted. “Hello?”
“Joey? Hey, how are you doing?” Jake sounded tired. As if he hadn’t slept for a week,
“I’m good, Jake.”
Hearing his voice did something to me. Usually, I would have been happy to be speaking to my best friend, but right now, I wanted to tell him to fuck off, and hang up the phone.
There was a bit of a pause, before Jake spoke again. “So, I was hoping to catch up with you. Are you home tomorrow?”
I stopped walking and blinked, staring off into space.
Tomorrow? Wasn’t he still on his honeymoon?
“I thought you were still in Hawaii until next week?” I turned and walked to a small bench outside the hospital and sat down, bringing my handbag into my lap and clutched at it
“Uh, no. We cut it short. “I could hear a bit of annoyance, and a little bit of embarrassment in Jake’s voice, but before Leould say anything. I heard the screech of Phoebe on the other end of the line, asking Jake who he was talking to. The phone became muffled, and I heard Jake answer her. “It’s just work, baby. I’ll be done in a sec.”
I lowered my gaze, staring at the sidewalk.
Had.. had he just lied to his new wife about talking to me?
Jake came back to the phone, his voice quieter than it had been. “So, are you free tomorrow?”
I couldn’t believe he was sneaking behind his wife’s back about speaking to me, and asking if I was free. What the hell?
I shook my head, even though I knew he couldn’t see it. “No, I’m not. I won’t be for a while. I’m..”
Was I going to tell him where I was I knew what Jake was like. He might not have seen me as an option for romance, but he had been overbearing when it came to other aspects of my personal life and didn’t like me traveling, unless he knew my whole itinerary as if he owned me.
Tu not in Miami at the moment.”
The silence on the other end of the line was deafening and normally, I would have cringed with it, hoping Jake wouldn’t start whining at me about me not telling him what I was doing. But right now, I honestly didn’t care anymore. He had his life, I needed to start living my own.
“What? Where are you? Why aren’t you in Miami anymore? You were supposed to be here.” The tone to Jake’s voice set my teeth on edge.
Why hadn’t I noticed it before? The horrible whine and tinge of anger.
Excuse me?
I gave him a chance to change his tune, to backpedal on his statement, but he didn’t. Instead, he put his foot more in his mouth and almost choked on IL
“You were supposed to be here, waiting for me to get back from my honeymoon. Now who am I going to see when I need a break from Phoebe! It’s very selfish of you, Joey.”
I bit my teeth between my lips and dug my nails into the palm of my hand. I tried to keep the anger from my voice, but in the end, it came out in my tone, as I replied.
*Selfish of me? Are you fucking kidding?” my gaze lifted from the pavement, and 1 looked around, noticing the curious
need a break this early
glances from people walking past, and I lowered my voice. “You are the one who married her. If we
on, then maybe you married the wrong fucking person, Jake. I did warn you.”
There was silence from the other end of the line, and I continued, while I had the gall to do so.
“Wasn’t it you who told me, in front of over one hundred people, I was free to go and find my soul mate? Well, I am out there doing that, because I fucking know he’s not in Miami.”
Jory
“No, I am doing my own thing, Jake. I’m not a twelve–year–old you can boss around anymore. You need to go and be a husband to the woman you married. If you need a break from her, then go find someone else. I’m living my own life now.” 1ended the call and as I moved it to shove it into my bag, it rang again. I looked at the screen, seeing Jake’s number flashing and I silenced it, shoving it into the bottom of my bag.
How dare he speak
me as if I was a piece of property
I was not a secondary option. For anyone.
Standing up, I turned toward the hostel where I was staying and made my way back, my mood officially ruined by someone who used to be my best friend.
