47–Joey
I was numb.
Sitting in the back of the cab, on the way to the airport, I felt as if the rug had been pulled from under me again. I couldn’t believe I was doing this.
Going back to Miami.
Back to Jake, after what he had done to me.
I was trading what I had with Alex, for someone who thought of me almost as a possession.
Even after the horrible phone call we’d had two months earlier, my brain kept telling me, as his best friend, I needed to be
there for him
That was my job.
I knew it was because of the years of conditioning he’d put me through
The narcissistic nature he had, and I didn’t know how long, if ever, I would be free of it.
But what made me really numb- Alex’s reaction.
He’d become so… cold.
He seemed to have no trouble in rossing the last two months into the trash, just like I thought he would. He’d told me to leave, and he didn’t care….
I was nothing to him, but a bit of fun.
An easy fuck.
Someone he could use, and flaunt around until it suited him.
Fuck him
He was just as bad as his brother. If not worse. At least I knew exactly where I stood with Jake. I was his best friend. With Alex–I was nobody.
The cab pulled up to the airport and I paid the driver and got out. Walking into the terminal, I managed to find someone to help me get a flight to Miami and then went and found somewhere to sit while I waited. I secluded myself in a corner of the airport, near my gate and bought out my phone, checking it. Another message from Jake.
Please Joey, let me know if you’re getting these
I need you
I snorted and almost sent back and ‘fuck you” but didn’t
Instead, I sent him a message. It was short, not giving him too much information.
I will come back to Miami and help you, however I can.
I will let you know where I am staying when I get back.
It took a few moments, but there was a reply.
Thank you!
I didn’t reply to him but sat and thought about what a sad turn my life had taken. Even sadder than when Jake had married
Phoebe
I was happy with Alex.
We laughed and loved and talked about everything from our childhoods to something funny Sota had done the week. before, and I was about to toss that all away to go back to the guy who always put me at the bottom of his list.
I was fucking nuts. I had to be, to be doing this.
On more than one occasion. I found myself standing to walk out of the airport and go back to Alex, but I’d stopped, when I remembered how cold he’d been. How indifferent, and if not a little angry with me and I would go back to my seat and wait. fighting back tears in the process.
After trying to pass the time for close to four hours, and with my nerves in tatters, I finally hoarded my flight. Sitting in the seat, I looked out the window, as the plane taxied its way down the runway.
This was it. There was no turning back now and I highly doubted I would be looking at the New York skyline again. Not when it reminded me of what I had just walked away from
Shutting down the blind, I pulled out a pair of earbuds and put some soft music on, and closed my eyes and before too long. I drifted off to sleep.
Three hours later, I was leaving the plane and stepping into the heat of Miami.
Moving through the terminal. I collected my solitary suitcase and headed to the taxi ranks.
My first thought was to just go straight to Ma and Pa Kazumi’s house and see if Jake was there. But I didn’t want to just show up. in case it was something they didn’t know about.
So, instead I got the cab driver to take me to a hotel, any hotel he thought would be suitable for a couple night’s stay. As we pulled up. I paid and climbed out, looking up at the building.
It was the same one Alex had stayed in.
*You have to be kidding me.” I muttered, as the cabbie handed me my luggage and left me standing in front of the hotel. “Karma is a bitch.”
I could turn around and go to another hotel, but honestly, I was dog tired and just wanted to lay down. Sighing. I walked into the hotel and booked a room. Thankfully, the room which Alex had stayed in wasn’t the one they gave me, and I took my suitcase up. Falling onto the bed, 1 stared at the ceiling and thought about what was going to happen next.
If Jake was actually okay and this had been a ploy to get me back under his thumb, would I stay?
If Jake wasn’t okay, would I stay?
In the end, the question was.. would I stay?
Well, I couldn’t go back to New York.
Not now.
Not after the shit show that was this morning, because I knew, if I turned up on Alex’s doorstep, he’d probably slam the door in my face, and then call Sota to escort me off the property.
I fished my phone out of my pocket and opened the texts, hoping to see one from Alex, with an apology, or asking me to
come back.
There wasn’t any, other than the one from yesterday asking if I wanted to go to the Dragon for drinks and I frowned. I wouldn’t be surprised if by now, he had wiped my number from his phone.
Closing out of those texts, I opened the ones from Jake and quickly typed him a message
Have checked into a hotel for the night.
I will message you with the room number and which
I need some time to get over the flight.
hone, tomorrow.
If he was any kind of friend, he would understand, and I almost dreaded the reply.
It was a simple, “K“, and I wanted to throw the phone across the room
Tossing it to the side, I stood and went and showered.
Feeling a little more human, I called down for room service and started to search the TV for something to watch.
I needed the distraction before I went back to the airport.
