Ever After Never Came

“Jack! We’re late!” I tore myself away from Jack, who was still sleeping. The clock on his nightstand read 4:45am. The bus would be here in fifteen minutes. I scrambled around the room changing into a pair of sweats and one of Jack’s band shirts. I through my hair in a messy bun, grabbing all my stuff and throwing them into the bags we’d packed over the last couple of days.

“Jack!” I shook Jack’s sleeping form.

“What?” Jack mumbled.

“We’re late. Its 4:50 and the bus will be here in ten minutes,” I hissed, slightly irritated. I pulled out his clothes and lay them on the bed. “Get dressed; you can sleep on the bus.”

Jack reluctantly pulled himself out of bed and took his clothes to the restroom without a word. I was starting to get upset with him more often. He was distant with me at best. I was worried that maybe I was hogging the conversation, so I’d ask him about tour. He’d say it was just like what he’d already told me, why was I still asking? Then he’d start texting on his phone instead of talking to me.

This week we’d gotten into fights over the silliest things. I’ll admit, I did start them, but he’d make it a point to continue them. Then he’d bring up things from the past to add to the stock pile of arguments. It was getting tiresome, and I wasn’t sure what to do anymore.

I carried the bags down the stairs and placed them by the door. Joyce had told us to wake her and Bassam before we left. I walked to their room and knocked gently. “Joyce, we’re getting ready to leave.”

I heard movement from the other side of the door and soon Joyce opened the door. Bassam was behind her. “You have everything?”

“I think we do, I’m about to make a last minute round and Jack should be out of the bathroom soon,” I replied as I climbed the stairs, passing the bathroom door. I heard Jack’s voice, muffled through the door. I stopped and pressed my ear to the smooth surface.

“No, I can’t. I’m going to be really busy. We’ll be in Phoenix on the third; I’ll try to see you then okay?”

I frowned to myself, wondering who on earth he’d be talking to at this ungodly hour.

“Yes, I promise I’ll-”

I knocked on the door as Jack was in the middle of his sentence. I heard him mutter shit and knock over something. “Hang on, just a minute.”

I crossed my arms and shifted my weight to my right leg. The door opened and Jack stuck his head out. “What?”

“Who are you talking to in there?” I asked skeptically.

“No one,” Jack answered.

“Are you serious, Jack?” I scoffed. “I heard you talking on the phone telling someone that you’d be in Phoenix on the third. Who was it?”

“It’s not really any of your business, Abigail.” Jack crossed his arms and fixed me with a glare.

“I don’t have time for this, Jack. The bus will be here any minute.” I walked away with a terrible weight on my chest. Was Jack cheating on me?

I sat on the couch in the living room next to our baggage and waited. Joyce and Bassam joined me, each with a cup of coffee. “Everything okay, dear?”

I looked at Joyce and nodded. “Yeah, everything’s fine. I’m just getting homesick.”

Basam chuckled, “You haven’t left yet.”

“I know, but still.”

Jack finally made it to the living room just as the bus horn sounded. I ignored him and said my goodbyes to Joyce and Bassam, giving them each a hug before grabbing my bags and heading out.

Zack stepped out of the bus and I couldn’t help but squeal in glee. I hadn’t seen him in such a long time. “Zack!” I dropped my bags and ran to him. He caught me in his arms easily and nearly crushed me in his arms.

“Abby!” Zack finally put me down and held me at arm’s length. “You haven’t changed a bit.”

I laughed smacking his arm. “Look at you; you’re even bigger than last time. Keep working out like that and you won’t fit through the bus door,” I joked.

“That was lame,” Zack teased.

“Where are the rest of the guys?” I asked excitedly.

“Alex is asleep in his bunk. Rian’s watching TV, Colussy’s with the bus driver, and Flyzik’s on his MAC doing his tour manager thing,” Zack replied. “Go on in, I’ll get your bags.”

“Thanks.”

I stepped into the buss that I’d be calling home for the next month and a half. It was a very nice bus actually. Much better than the twelve passenger van the boys had been traveling in before. From the entrance to my right was the driver’s area, where I could see Colussy’s head. To the left was a small kitchenette with a table and bench seating on one end, and a food pantry, sink and stove on the other. Cabinets lined the walls for optimal space. Matt was sitting at the table staring intently at the computer screen. I waved at him, but he seemed to ignore me a little.

I wandered past the kitchen area into the bunk area; there were six small bunks three on each side. I assumed those would be the bunks the guys would use since I heard Alex’s light snores coming from the top left bunk. I wondered where I would sleep if it was the four boys, Colussy and Flyzik who would be there. Then I remembered that Jack and I would be sharing.

I sighed and pushed the thought out of my head as I explored. After the bunk area, came the small restroom to the right and a door with full length mirror that led to a storage area that served as a closet. I nodded to myself as I opened the door, pleased to find that the bathroom wasn’t too bad. I could shower in there if necessary.

As I shut the door again, I saw Rian sitting on the couch in the living area, already watching ESPN.

“Rian Dawson, it’s not even five thirty in the morning and you’re already watching football?” I smiled.

“Hey!” Rian greeted with a grin. “I can’t help it, I’m addicted. Come over here loser.”

I grinned back at him and sat on the couch next to him, leaning on his shoulder. “I’m tired,” I yawned. “How’s Kara? I haven’t seen her in a while.”

“She’s good. She loves college, unlike you,” Rian smirked, lowering the volume on the TV to talk to me. “She’s also modeling on the side.”

“That’s great. I miss talking to her all the time,” I sighed.

Ever since we’d gone our separate ways, it was much harder to hang out with Kara and Lisa the way I used to. Even though Jack would visit me often, Rian would go visit Kara, who was going to college in a different part of town and busy with modeling requests. Alex would go see Lisa, who was focusing solely on modeling. She hardly had time to do anything. I of course was busy with school and working at the diner. I was working to save up enough money to quit while I travelled with Jack.

“She misses you too,” Rian stated. I yawned again as Zack walked in putting my bags in the bunk I assumed was Jack’s and mine. Jack appeared behind Zack as the bus pulled away. Zack scooted into his bunk as Jack pulled out the very bags Zack had placed in our bunk and tossed them to the floor before climbing in to sleep. I sighed in annoyance then remembered why I was worried.

“What’s wrong?” Rian asked quietly.

“Nothing,” I replied unconvincingly. Rian raised an eyebrow at me. “What?”

“You’re a terrible liar, that’s what.”

I sighed again, rubbing my temples. “I heard Jack on the phone this morning in the restroom. He was telling someone he’d see them in Phoenix on the third. When I asked him who he was talking to, he refused to tell me,” I explained.

“So, you’re worried that he’s seeing someone else?” Rian asked, sitting up a little more, paying attention.

I nodded. “It’s not just this phone call. He’s always texting, he ignores me, and we’ve been fighting more often. I don’t want to freak out and overreact, but how else am I supposed to see it?”

Rian shrugged, and shook his head. “I don’t know, Abby. I’m sorry. I don’t think Jack would do that shit, but I just don’t know.”

“It’s okay, Rian,” I assured him. “I just needed to talk to someone about it. Have you noticed anything wrong or different with him before you guys took the break?”

“He just seemed a lot quieter than normal,” Rian answered. “I don’t know what else to say. He basically kept to himself and his phone. We figured he was texting you all the time.”

I frowned. “He didn’t really text me very often.”

“Let’s try not to freak out just yet okay? Let’s just pretend that he was talking to his mom or maybe one of the guys from another band,” Rian suggested.

“Right, he wouldn’t do that to me. He loves me,” I stated, though I wasn’t sure if I was trying to convince Rian or myself.

“He does,” Rian confirmed. “Jack loves you.”

I nodded and stood up, wobbling slightly from the movement of the bus. “I need to put things in order.”

I pulled the few bags we’d packed and took out the items we’d need more often and put them in the small drawers provided. Once I’d put things in order and placed the suitcases in the storage area, I climbed into the bunk with Jack. I was please to find that it was roomy enough for both of us. I wrapped my arms around Jack, but he pulled away slightly.

“I’m tired, Abby,” he muttered.

“I just wanted to hug you,” I mumbled. “I can see that you don’t want me to.”

Jack turned over to face me. “Abs, please, I don’t want to fight.”

I turned away from him. “Fine, Jack, don’t worry about it. Just sleep.”

“Abigail,” Jack sighed.

“No, Jack,” I said firmly. I turned to face him. “I don’t know what’s going on with you, but we’re going to be on tour together for a month and a half. It’s not going to be easy if we’re broken up.”

“Are you saying that you’re going to break up with me?” Jack scoffed. “What the hell have I done?”

“You’re sneaking around behind my back and you don’t talk to me… this entire week, you’ve barely touched me,” I said, the tears threatening to fall. “Are, are you cheating on me?”

Jack stared at me for a moment. “Abby, I-”

“No wait… don’t answer that. I can’t handle that right now. Just forget it,” I cut him off. “Just go to sleep. I’m going to the living area.”

I grabbed a blanket from the bunk as Jack sighed in irritation. I walked to the living area where Rian was still watching TV. I settled next to him and pulled the cover over me.

“Rian, I think he’s cheating on me,” I managed to say before I burst into sobs. “I don’t want to lose him.”

“I know, Abs,” Rian sighed. “I know.” He rubbed my back consolingly.

I was heartbroken, but I still didn’t know the truth. I had interrupted Jack before he answered, because if he’d admitted he was seeing someone else, I would’ve just about died. I loved Jack, so much; I didn’t know what I would do without him. At the same time I wanted so badly to believe that he wouldn’t do that to me, that he loved me enough to respect our relationship.

Please, don’t let him do this to me.