Ever After Never Came

I’d wasted my first day in panic, thinking maybe Jack had found out on his own or that maybe Alex had run out of patience whenever Jack approached me. Jack wasn’t in the best of moods to begin with, something about Matt getting on his nerves. Alex wouldn’t even speak to me, and I was avoiding Lisa’s calls like the plague. I couldn’t work up the courage to tell her.

I almost had a panic attack when Alex approached me with his cell phone in hand. “Lisa wants to talk to you. She says you won’t answer your phone.”

I held out a shaky hand to take it from him, swallowing the lump in my throat as I answered. “Uh, hello?”

“Abby! What’s up? I’ve been calling you all day today. Are you okay?” Lisa asked. I could hear the concern in her voice.

“Hey Lisa, I’m fine. I promise, just been really busy,” I lied.

“Oh, well then I hope I’m not interrupting something.”

“No, no, things slowed down,” I told her. I made my way to Jack’s bunk, or rather our bunk. The thought that I’d end up kicked out of that bunk once I told him made my stomach turn in ways unfamiliar to me. “So what’s up?” I asked Lisa, trying to ignore the feeling.

“Nothing, Alex just said that you had something you needed to talk to me about. That’s why I was so worried,” Lisa explained.

Damn it Alex Gaskarth. What the hell? He was really trying to ruin my life. “Oh, yeah about that uh,” I stammered. “I was just wondering if you’d be willing to fly out to see us tomorrow?”

I smacked my forehead while I waited for her answer.

“Oh, I can’t hon,” Lisa replied, confused. “But thanks. Is there something special happening?”

Only the biggest fight in the planet involving three people I adore, I thought to myself.

“No, nothing, just missed you. You know I love you no matter what right, Lisa?”

“Of course, and I love you too. What brought that up?”

I sighed and closed my eyes, gathering my wits. “Lisa, you’re going to absolutely hate me and you have every right to. I am so sorry, but I made a huge mistake. I – I slept with Alex,” I finally spit it out.

There was silence on the other line, then a sharp intake of breath. Oh god, here it comes.

“YOU DID WHAT?” Lisa screamed. I pulled the phone away from my ear. “I can’t believe you! What kind of friend are you!? I love him!”

“I know! I’m so sorry Lisa, you have no clue. We were both drunk and had no clue what was going on, I swear,” I said painstakingly. God, don’t ever let her find out about the morning after when we were sober, I thought.

“Screw you, Abby. Don’t ever call me again!”

Click.

I stared at the little phone in my hand. A drop of salty water fell onto it, and I realized I was crying. Lisa had freaked out, as she had every right too, but it scared me. This was only a tenth of what Jack would do and I was already blubbering. I wiped my tears with my arm and tried to pull myself together.

I handed Alex his phone back, trying to hide my face. Of course, when you don’t want Alex to be observant, he’s the most observant fuck in the world. Luckily for me, everyone else including Jack had gone to get food.

“I guess it didn’t go well?” he asked.

I looked at him incredulously. “Are you kidding me? First you give me an ultimatum because I won’t go out with you and then you bamboozle me out of nowhere by having Lisa talk to me and you still have to ask if it went well?”

“I was tired of her calling me. Would you rather I had told her instead of you?” Alex asked. He had a point, but still.

“No! But still, why would you do that? She hates me! She told me never to speak to her again and that without you two actually dating. Imagine what Jack is going to do. We’re still together and he’ll give me hell for the fact that I am a hypocrite!” I ranted.

“Well what do you want me to do? Pretend that it never happened; pretend that I don’t love you?” Alex raised his voice, standing up in the small space in the lounge.

“Yes!” I shouted. “I have to pretend that I don’t have feelings for you, you should do the same. I want things to go back to the way they were before I slept with you!”

“Y-you slept with, Alex?”

Alex and I both turned to find Jack standing with bags in his hands, the rest of the crew and members behind him. I had no clue what to say. I stood with my mouth open and looking back and forth between Jack and Alex. I was speechless, absolutely speechless. I ruined everything, and for what?

I looked at Jack trying to find the right words. “J-Jack, I –I -”

“Did you sleep with Alex?” Jack asked quietly. His eyes bore into mine and I could feel his pain. How long ago had we been in the same situation with the roles reversed? I felt so guilty, I couldn’t even answer him. I looked down at the ground, simply nodding.

“Wow,” Jack scoffed, putting down the bags he’d brought in. He walked out the bus door without another word. I looked at everyone’s face noting that no one would look at me in the face. I ran after Jack, calling his name.

“Jack! Jack, wait, please!”

“Don’t Abby, I really don’t want to talk to you right now,” Jack snapped. I flinched at his tone. I followed anyway; I had to make this right.

“You know, after all the shit you gave me about cheating on you and breaking my favorite guitar, you seriously have the nerve to do the same thing?” Jack turned suddenly to face me. “What kind of hypocrite are you? Were you even going to tell me or let it slide hoping you could keep the halo you love to shine every night?”

I couldn’t look him in the eyes. Every word coming out of his mouth was right. I was a selfish hypocrite who was trying to lie to his face. I opened my mouth, willing the words to come out and say the right thing.

“You’re so full of shit, Abby,” Jack seethed. “You made me practically grovel just to get back to you speaking to me. You never let me live it down and now look at you. How does it feel to be on the receiving end?”

Anger sparked in my head and I glared up at him. “I didn’t let you live it down? Are you serious? I took you back, Jack! What do you want me to do? Do you want me to get on my knees and beg you to forgive me?”

Jack’s mouth turned up in a menacing smirk. “Oh believe me I know that you’re quite familiar with being on your knees.”

My jaw dropped in shock and I could feel the tears brimming in my eyes. “I never thought you’d stoop so low. You’re no better than Jordan.”

I turned on my heel, holding back my tears as I fled to the bus. Everyone filed out, not wanting to witness my crying jag. I pulled out my cell phone as I grabbed my suitcase throwing all my stuff in.

“United Airlines, this is Ramona. How can I help you?” A female voice answered.

“Hi, I need the earliest flight you have to Baltimore,” I said.