missing in her little collection. It was almost like an obsession. I don’t think you ever showed any interest in her until that night,” Greg mumbled.
“Nope.”
“Because you wanted Aly.” It was a recap rather than a question.
“I knew exactly what I was going to say to you. I swear I had an awesome case to plead.” Greg laughed shortly, just as Jam had hoped. “That night changed it all. I kissed Collene then and there, and Aly was forgotten. She never really returned to being cruel to anyone else, either, so I thought what was my happiness against everyone else’s?” It was weird. He had never said that out loud, and it was scarily liberating.
“Yeah, that would have probably changed me, too,” Greg finally said. “So what’s the plan now? Collene hasn’t appeared, and no one knows where she is. Her mother seems relieved, and her father is furious.” Jam remembered her mother well. She was a timid little woman and probably the only one who ever had been remotely nice in their house.
“Collene isn’t here, either. Aly’s still safe and so is Alessandro. I should probably come back and –”
“Maybe you should stay and win Aly over. This can be your second chance, Jam. Especially if you spent the last decade being unhappy because Collene’s a fucking bitch. How did you ever get yourself to sleep with her?” Jam could almost hear the shuddering over the phone.
“She was a beautiful girl, no matter how she treated others.” The lie slid off his tongue easily.
“Damn, Jam.” Greg sighed, and Jam pinched the bridge of his nose. He hated the lies, but by now, they were almost as much part of him as his left hand or right foot. “Anyway, how about staying there?”
“Never, Greg. She deserves someone better. You should want someone better for her,” he whispered, looking up at the star-covered sky.
“You two had secret feelings for each other for ten fucking years. You stayed away from her to protect her. Now, she doesn’t need to be protected from anything any longer, and you can leave it all behind.” His best friend had no idea. Jamison couldn’t ever leave the past behind, especially not when he was wearing the evidence all over his body.
“I’m gonna go now. The lady who’s letting me stay in her house is demanding. Half of her house needs fixing and I have to get up early. I just came from Aly’s place and needed someone to talk to.”
Greg stayed silent on the other end, and Jam figured he had finally overdone it on the emotional front. “Uh, yeah, anyway, I …” He checked his watch, realizing with utter shock that it was three in the morning. “Damn, why are you even awake?”
Finally, Greg laughed. “I used the time your ass was out of the house and had a lady friend over. She was a disaster, so I ended up playing computer games. You got lucky.”
“This time, at least,” Jam commented, getting up again and turning. To the right was the house he wished he could return to, and to the left was the house he’d most likely lie awake in now until the sun came up. He shook his head and then went to Dorly’s house.
“Later, dude,” he said and hung up. He felt drained. Only after hanging up did he think about the fact Greg would most likely mention his little story to Aly. It was the last thing Jam wanted, but it was too late now. He wouldn’t call his best friend back to accuse him of gossiping. Besides, maybe, just maybe, he’d tell Alessia about this part. After all, it was possible just to retell part of his story. It had worked well with her brother. With that thought in mind, Jam went to bed, almost smiling.
The morning was slow, and Aly walked along the walls of her café. She had read those quotes times and times again, yet she loved each and every one of them. It didn’t matter if they were from Airicka Phoenix, an indie author sadly not enough people knew, or Shakespeare, who everyone knew. She loved them all and, by now, could recite each
“Nope.”
“Because you wanted Aly.” It was a recap rather than a question.
“I knew exactly what I was going to say to you. I swear I had an awesome case to plead.” Greg laughed shortly, just as Jam had hoped. “That night changed it all. I kissed Collene then and there, and Aly was forgotten. She never really returned to being cruel to anyone else, either, so I thought what was my happiness against everyone else’s?” It was weird. He had never said that out loud, and it was scarily liberating.
“Yeah, that would have probably changed me, too,” Greg finally said. “So what’s the plan now? Collene hasn’t appeared, and no one knows where she is. Her mother seems relieved, and her father is furious.” Jam remembered her mother well. She was a timid little woman and probably the only one who ever had been remotely nice in their house.
“Collene isn’t here, either. Aly’s still safe and so is Alessandro. I should probably come back and –”
“Maybe you should stay and win Aly over. This can be your second chance, Jam. Especially if you spent the last decade being unhappy because Collene’s a fucking bitch. How did you ever get yourself to sleep with her?” Jam could almost hear the shuddering over the phone.
“She was a beautiful girl, no matter how she treated others.” The lie slid off his tongue easily.
“Damn, Jam.” Greg sighed, and Jam pinched the bridge of his nose. He hated the lies, but by now, they were almost as much part of him as his left hand or right foot. “Anyway, how about staying there?”
“Never, Greg. She deserves someone better. You should want someone better for her,” he whispered, looking up at the star-covered sky.
“You two had secret feelings for each other for ten fucking years. You stayed away from her to protect her. Now, she doesn’t need to be protected from anything any longer, and you can leave it all behind.” His best friend had no idea. Jamison couldn’t ever leave the past behind, especially not when he was wearing the evidence all over his body.
“I’m gonna go now. The lady who’s letting me stay in her house is demanding. Half of her house needs fixing and I have to get up early. I just came from Aly’s place and needed someone to talk to.”
Greg stayed silent on the other end, and Jam figured he had finally overdone it on the emotional front. “Uh, yeah, anyway, I …” He checked his watch, realizing with utter shock that it was three in the morning. “Damn, why are you even awake?”
Finally, Greg laughed. “I used the time your ass was out of the house and had a lady friend over. She was a disaster, so I ended up playing computer games. You got lucky.”
“This time, at least,” Jam commented, getting up again and turning. To the right was the house he wished he could return to, and to the left was the house he’d most likely lie awake in now until the sun came up. He shook his head and then went to Dorly’s house.
“Later, dude,” he said and hung up. He felt drained. Only after hanging up did he think about the fact Greg would most likely mention his little story to Aly. It was the last thing Jam wanted, but it was too late now. He wouldn’t call his best friend back to accuse him of gossiping. Besides, maybe, just maybe, he’d tell Alessia about this part. After all, it was possible just to retell part of his story. It had worked well with her brother. With that thought in mind, Jam went to bed, almost smiling.
The morning was slow, and Aly walked along the walls of her café. She had read those quotes times and times again, yet she loved each and every one of them. It didn’t matter if they were from Airicka Phoenix, an indie author sadly not enough people knew, or Shakespeare, who everyone knew. She loved them all and, by now, could recite each
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