“What?” She turns around and looks at me, confused.
“It’s only goodbye until you’re ready. I’ll keep my distance, but you know where to find me when you’re ready.”
The sunlight streams in through the blinds and I groan out, rolling over. My head’s throbbing, but I’m trying to grasp my bearings and figure out where I am. It only takes a second before I hear the phone buzzing, realizing what woke me up.
Across the pillow on the other side of the bed, the fanned out black hair contrasts the white sheets, my head flops back down on to mine.
“What?” I snap through the line without even looking at who it is, and low enough to try to not wake Roux, a special guest at the strip club last night, where she is still sleeping next to me.
“Chill out.” Axe comes through the receiver.
“Whatever.”
“Look, man, we’ve got a meeting today. Where the fuck are you, anyway?”
“Uh…” I pause as I look around, making him laugh slightly.
“You don’t remember who you left with, do you?”
“Does it matter?”
“Kind of, since your bike’s still at the club.”
“It’s fine, I’ll figure it out.”
“Chill the fuck out, bro. Linc is already outside the hotel.”
I grumble some incoherent words at him about how I know who’s in bed with me before I hang up the phone, pushing myself off of the bed and looking around the room. It spins as I shake my head, looking back over at the bed, and feeling the twinge of guilt consume me as I sigh.
Of course, I know the feeling of guilt is ridiculous. Shaking my head, I reach down, grabbing my jeans and walking into the bathroom.
As I button up my jeans, I look at the bed again. It’s a strange feeling to feel loyal towards someone who you’re not even with. I only wish that I could convince myself every time I fuck anyone else. The girl looks up at me, maybe hopeful as I stand up from grabbing my shirt off of the floor, causing me to hesitate for a moment before she sits up, holding the sheet to her chest.
“You don’t have to say anything.” It comes out as disappointment, and I watch her frown. “I knew what this was. I’m not expecting anything.” She pauses, looking up again. “Besides, everyone already knows who you’re in love with.”
“What?” I pause, staring at her in disbelief.
She laughs, shaking her head.
“I’m not…” I stop myself, not being able to say what I want to… or not sure if, when I say it, that it will actually be believable.
“It’s fine. Everyone knows. You’re angry now because she chose him—”
“She didn’t fucking chose him.” I snap out too quick, wishing that I could backtrack what I just said.
Her eyes widen as she just stares at me for a few more moments and nods her head. “Oh… that makes way more sense.”
“What do you mean?”
She smiles at me and nods. “Everyone knows. When she married him, everyone was confused. He trapped her, didn’t he?”
I don’t answer; I fucking can’t answer. It’s not my story to tell, so I just stare at her, pressing my lips into a firm line.
“What a piece of shit.” She mumbles under her breath as she shakes her head. She finally pushes herself off of the bed, reaching down, grabbing her sheer shirt, and pulling it up and over her head before she struts the remaining distance towards me. “I get it. Last night was fun. Want to get your mind off of it again? You know where to find me, no strings, Z.”
“So, you’re just cool with this?” I look after her, confused why I’m getting out of this situation so freely.
I hear a laugh follow her into the bathroom before she peeps her head back out again. “Maybe I’m trying to forget someone, too.”
