You're My Favourite Sound

"Where to, Miss?" the cab driver asked me nicely.

I rubbed my head and continued to let the tears fall freely. "I don't care."

"Well Miss, I gots to take you somewhere, you got a boyfriend's place you want to go to?"

"I don't have a boyfriend," I mumbled.

"Oh, I'm sorry Miss, I just thought, well a pretty girl like yourself, shit, well, you got a friend's place? Or you want to just go home?"

"Can you just take me to Hill Drive?"

"Sure thing, Miss, I'm on my way."

I sat back in the cab and watched as the scenery slurred by. The reality of what had just happened was making my temples throb. I knew Frank was one of the only good things in my life, but it was just too much. It was bound to happen anyway, nothing good lasts.

The cab pulled up in front of my apartment complex about fifteen minutes later. I stumbled out of the cab and reached into my purse to pay the driver.

"Don't worry about money, Miss, you just get yourself inside and get some rest, you look like you need it. Things will look better later, ya hear?" he smiled gently at me.

I tried my hardest to return his genuine smile, but I failed. Before I even got to the door of the building, I felt incredibly sick and hunched over, throwing up most of my stomach into the bushes. I groaned as I stood up and finished my ascent to the apartment.

Once inside, I stumbled into the bedroom and collapsed on the bed. I was still crying, but my tear ducts had run dry. And before I could dwell on the terrible taste in my mouth, or the pounding of my head, I passed out.

But I wasn't out for long because the next thing I knew, my cell was ringing loudly in my purse beside my head and it jerked me awake again. I looked at the screen to see David's name, and slapped it to my ear, just as I realised I was late for work.

"October, where are you? You're a half hour late."

"I'm sorry, David," I mumbled groggily, sitting up on the bed and rubbing my forehead.

"Whoa, you don't sound good. What's the matter, are you sick?" he asked in my ear.

"I, um... a little," I said.

"Maybe you should stay at home tonight," he wondered, but I quickly got up.

"No, no, it's okay. I'm on my way now, I'll be there soon."

"Are you sure? You really don't sound that great..."

"I'm fine, it's just... a hangover," I lied, grabbing my purse. I didn't want days off work, I didn't want sympathy. I didn't deserve it.

"Oh, now that I can believe," he chuckled, "See you soon, alkie."

I really didn't know how he could tell I was crying, but he simply put the box of Kleenex from the shelf behind the bar next to me and wrapped his arms around me. He didn't say anything and it wouldn't have been needed either. Alex just offered comfort for a situation that he knew all too well. I think that's why we got along so well, he understood. Me, my situation, everything.

"I broke up with Frank," I told him in a whisper.

"I'm sorry, Halloween," he said gently. "Have you told Ethan anything?"

I shook my head, "He doesn't need to know anything, it'll just be like nothing happened." Alex pulled away with a sigh.

"I don't like this," he said softly, shaking his head.

"And you think I do?" I shot back, "I'm the one that's gonna have to live with it."

"So why don't you tell Ethan? Tell him everything, he'll appreciate your honesty."

"Oh right. Is that before or after I cut him up?"

"At least it'll be out in the open and you won't have to live with the secret eating away at you every day..."

I looked down and shook my head again, dabbing at my eyes with the tissue. "I can't, Alex, I don't want to do that to him and his family. I don't want to do that to my family, everyone's put too much into the wedding. Even if I tell Ethan and he forgives me, it won't be the same ever again. I'll always be that 'whore' his parents won't want anything to do with."

"So I'm gonna have to lie to Ethan for the rest of my life?" he frowned.

"It won't be lying if he doesn't ask."

"And what if he asks?" questionned Alex.

I shrugged briefly and sighed, "I'll make sure it never comes to that." The older man crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the bar.

"So what's for you and Frank now? Surely you can't just be friends again after everything you've been through?"

"I don't know," I replied honestly. "I mean, he's gonna be going back to Jersey soon anyway, right?"

Alex shrugged, "I guess. But won't Ethan find it weird that you two just suddenly stop being friends?"

"I... I don't know," I repeated, "I haven't really thought this through properly, you know? I-I only decided this a couple hours ago and I had to go straight to work and I've had to focus on that and... and..." I stopped and swallowed, feeling my eyes water up again.

Alex flinched suddenly and then he pulled out his vibrating cell phone from his pants pocket. Looking down at the screen, he winced, before showing it to me. Frank's name was flashing and I chewed my lip ring as Alex answered it.

"Hey, pal," Alex said casually, keeping his eyes on me. "Um, yeah, she's here..." I immediately shook my head, and he sighed. "Listen, man... I don't think she wants to talk to you."

Frank had tried ringing me a numerous amount of times in the past couple hours and I just couldn't bring myself to talk to him. I mean, what else was there to say? We'd broken up. That was that.

"I know, buddy, but it's what she wants, okay?" Alex continued. "You've gotta respect her decision... I'll talk to you later, alright? Alright, man, take it easy." He hung up and just looked at me.

"I am so fucked up," I whispered. The truth was coming out already.