It Hasn't Been Long Enough
I Can Love You Better
“Hey, Callie’s not around, is she?” Pete asked, sticking his head in Patrick’s door.
“No, man, it’s her day off,” Patrick replied. “And why are you avoiding your girlfriend?”
“We got into a fight,” Pete admitted.
“About what?”
“She accused me of doing drugs again,” Pete said.
“What?” Patrick asked.
“Yeah, she kept asking me where I was yesterday, and I told her I was out with friends, but apparently that wasn’t the answer she was looking for, so she asked me if I was doing drugs again,” Pete explained.
“You’re not, are you?” Patrick asked quietly.
“Not you, too!” Pete yelled. “Come on, you know that I gave that up a long time ago. I’m not going back to it, especially now that I’ve finally got Callie back.”
“Did you tell Callie that?” Patrick asked.
“No,” Pete admitted quietly. “I couldn’t believe she accused me of doing drugs. I got pissed at her, and I just walked out.”
“Where were you yesterday?” Patrick asked.
“I can’t tell you,” Pete said.
“What?” Patrick asked in disbelief.
“Listen, I just can’t tell you right now,” Pete said.
“And you wonder why she thinks you’re doing drugs,” Patrick mumbled.
“You seriously think I’m doing drugs again!” Pete yelled.
“No,” Patrick said quickly. “I just said I can understand why Callie thinks you’re doing drugs. I mean, come on, man! You won’t tell anyone where you were yesterday. That’s how it was back when you were doing drugs. You’d just leave without saying anything to anyone. And then the next day, you’d deny everything.”
“Patrick, look at me,” Pete pleaded. “I am not doing drugs!”
“Okay, man,” Patrick said. As soon as he got the words out, Emma burst through the door.
“You need to go talk to Callie,” Emma told Pete.
“I’m assuming you talked to her,” Pete said.
“Yes, and I know why she thinks you’re doing drugs,” Emma said.
“Do you think I’m doing drugs?” Pete asked her.
“Does it matter what I think?” Emma asked. “I’m not the love of your life. Callie is. Anyways, apparently, she talked to Gloria.”
“Gloria?” Patrick asked.
“Yeah,” Emma said glancing at him before looking back up at Pete. “She said she talked to Gloria yesterday, and she told her that you were back on drugs.”
“Why would she believe Gloria? I just broke up with her! Of course she’d do anything to break us up. And she knows that Callie and I broke up before because of me using drugs. I’m so stupid!” Pete muttered.
“Anyways, like I said, go talk to her!” Emma told him.
“I’m going! Thanks,” he called back as he ran out of the room. He was almost out the door of the hospital when he ran into someone. “Sorry,” he said as he turned around to make sure they were okay. Seeing who he had run into, he stopped dead in his tracks. “You!” he yelled.
“Hey, Pete,” Gloria said, smiling. “How are you? Are you and Callie doing well?”
“No, as a matter of fact we’re not!” Pete yelled.
“Oh, really? What’s wrong?” Gloria asked as another smile spread across her face.
“Like you don’t know!” Pete exclaimed. “Why the fuck would you tell her I’m on drugs? We both know I haven’t used any drugs in three years!”
“Pete, don’t deny it. I wasn’t telling her to break you guys up. I just wanted her to get you some help,” Gloria said sweetly.
“Fuck you, Gloria! You know that I’m not on drugs. You’re just pissed that I broke up with you. Well, guess what! You need to get over it. I love Callie with all of my heart, and our relationship isn’t ending without a fight. And it sure as hell isn’t ending because of you!” Pete yelled at her.
“Wake up, Pete! She doesn’t love you like I do,” Gloria said. “Look at how easy she’s willing to give up on you. Just because she thinks you’re doing drugs.”
“Like I’ve said, Gloria, I’m not doing drugs. So, it doesn’t matter.”
“Pete, I can love you better than her,” Gloria said.
“First of all, you can’t,” Pete said. “And it wouldn’t matter anyways. I love her, not you,” he said. “Now get over it,” he said, walking out the front door of the hospital.
As he got into his car and sped over to Callie’s apartment, all he could think of was that he hoped he wasn’t too late to fix everything.
“No, man, it’s her day off,” Patrick replied. “And why are you avoiding your girlfriend?”
“We got into a fight,” Pete admitted.
“About what?”
“She accused me of doing drugs again,” Pete said.
“What?” Patrick asked.
“Yeah, she kept asking me where I was yesterday, and I told her I was out with friends, but apparently that wasn’t the answer she was looking for, so she asked me if I was doing drugs again,” Pete explained.
“You’re not, are you?” Patrick asked quietly.
“Not you, too!” Pete yelled. “Come on, you know that I gave that up a long time ago. I’m not going back to it, especially now that I’ve finally got Callie back.”
“Did you tell Callie that?” Patrick asked.
“No,” Pete admitted quietly. “I couldn’t believe she accused me of doing drugs. I got pissed at her, and I just walked out.”
“Where were you yesterday?” Patrick asked.
“I can’t tell you,” Pete said.
“What?” Patrick asked in disbelief.
“Listen, I just can’t tell you right now,” Pete said.
“And you wonder why she thinks you’re doing drugs,” Patrick mumbled.
“You seriously think I’m doing drugs again!” Pete yelled.
“No,” Patrick said quickly. “I just said I can understand why Callie thinks you’re doing drugs. I mean, come on, man! You won’t tell anyone where you were yesterday. That’s how it was back when you were doing drugs. You’d just leave without saying anything to anyone. And then the next day, you’d deny everything.”
“Patrick, look at me,” Pete pleaded. “I am not doing drugs!”
“Okay, man,” Patrick said. As soon as he got the words out, Emma burst through the door.
“You need to go talk to Callie,” Emma told Pete.
“I’m assuming you talked to her,” Pete said.
“Yes, and I know why she thinks you’re doing drugs,” Emma said.
“Do you think I’m doing drugs?” Pete asked her.
“Does it matter what I think?” Emma asked. “I’m not the love of your life. Callie is. Anyways, apparently, she talked to Gloria.”
“Gloria?” Patrick asked.
“Yeah,” Emma said glancing at him before looking back up at Pete. “She said she talked to Gloria yesterday, and she told her that you were back on drugs.”
“Why would she believe Gloria? I just broke up with her! Of course she’d do anything to break us up. And she knows that Callie and I broke up before because of me using drugs. I’m so stupid!” Pete muttered.
“Anyways, like I said, go talk to her!” Emma told him.
“I’m going! Thanks,” he called back as he ran out of the room. He was almost out the door of the hospital when he ran into someone. “Sorry,” he said as he turned around to make sure they were okay. Seeing who he had run into, he stopped dead in his tracks. “You!” he yelled.
“Hey, Pete,” Gloria said, smiling. “How are you? Are you and Callie doing well?”
“No, as a matter of fact we’re not!” Pete yelled.
“Oh, really? What’s wrong?” Gloria asked as another smile spread across her face.
“Like you don’t know!” Pete exclaimed. “Why the fuck would you tell her I’m on drugs? We both know I haven’t used any drugs in three years!”
“Pete, don’t deny it. I wasn’t telling her to break you guys up. I just wanted her to get you some help,” Gloria said sweetly.
“Fuck you, Gloria! You know that I’m not on drugs. You’re just pissed that I broke up with you. Well, guess what! You need to get over it. I love Callie with all of my heart, and our relationship isn’t ending without a fight. And it sure as hell isn’t ending because of you!” Pete yelled at her.
“Wake up, Pete! She doesn’t love you like I do,” Gloria said. “Look at how easy she’s willing to give up on you. Just because she thinks you’re doing drugs.”
“Like I’ve said, Gloria, I’m not doing drugs. So, it doesn’t matter.”
“Pete, I can love you better than her,” Gloria said.
“First of all, you can’t,” Pete said. “And it wouldn’t matter anyways. I love her, not you,” he said. “Now get over it,” he said, walking out the front door of the hospital.
As he got into his car and sped over to Callie’s apartment, all he could think of was that he hoped he wasn’t too late to fix everything.
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