Ever After Never Came

I couldn’t sleep, not after being so accustomed to having a warm body next to me. Bus call was in less than thirty minutes, a good five hours after I’d last seen Jack. Only god knew what kind of trouble he was out getting into. I pushed the covers away and climbed out of the bunk, walking to the living area where Rian, Zack, Vinny, Colussy, Flyzik, and Alex where sitting. They each had a bottle of beer in their hand and poker chips and cards lying in front of them.

“Hey, Abby,” Alex said, being the first to spot me. The others gazed at me, each giving me a small smile.

“Hey guys,” I replied. I ran my fingers through my hair, twisting the curls into a better ponytail.

“Have you heard from Jack?” Flyzik asked, rearranging his hand of cards.

“No, I haven’t,” I answered. I could hear the sadness in my voice and I noticed Zack and Rian share a look.

“Where the heck is he? We’re leaving in less than half an hour,” Flyzik muttered.

“I’m going to get something to eat,” I said, not wanting to risk questioning.

I walked to the kitchen area, rummaging through the oak cupboards looking for something to eat that wasn’t completely made out of sugar. The bus door opened behind me and my eyes fell on a very intoxicated Jack Barakat.

“You have got to be kidding,” I hissed. “You’re drunk?”

“No,” Jack giggled. Well that was a lie. Jack wasn’t one to giggle. “Okay, maybe I am! Just a little, I can still walk okay.”

I grimaced at him, smelling the alcohol that reeked off him. “Flyzik! The asshole’s back. We can leave!” I called through the bus.

Flyzik appeared through the small hallway, glaring at Jack as he passed to the driver’s area. I imagined he went to give the driver the go ahead to move. My assumption was confirmed as I felt the bus move. I shifted slightly to accommodate the movement.

“Asshole? You never cuss,” Jack observed, eyebrows furrowing at the new sensation he was no doubt feeling. “Ugh, this doesn’t make me feel better.”

“You are incredible,” I told him in amazement. “After I confronted you about Hannah, you still have the audacity to go, get drunk, and meet her?”

“Meet who?” Jack asked, dazed. “Oh, Hannah Addams?”

I nodded, amazed that this man in front of me was actually the love of my life. I sure knew how to pick them.

“Oh, yeah well, she wasn’t going to chew me out for just being a guy,” Jack slurred slightly. “See, Hannah, she gets me. She understands that I’ve got needs. And she’s more than willing to put out, something you rarely do.”

I could feel my face heat up, my blood boiling. I literally wanted to punch Jack right at this moment. I was surprised that there were no stinging tears, I wasn’t begging him to lie about Hannah and his affair.

“I don’t put out enough for you? I am not with you all the time!” I yelled. “Our relationship was never supposed to be about sex, and now you’re holding that against me as the reason you cheated?”

By now everyone had crowded at the hallway door, watching Jack and I. Jack wasn’t completely drunk anymore, it seemed our fight was sobering him up nicely.

“Our relationship wasn’t based on that! But how do you expect me to feel? I only get to see you every once in a while, and even then you won’t let me touch you. After almost a year of touring it got hard, then suddenly Hannah was there. That night was a mistake, I got drunk and I had no clue what was going on. I regretted it. I even paid Hannah off to keep quiet because I didn’t want you to know,” Jack ranted. “I didn’t want to hurt you!”

“You didn’t want to hurt me? Are you fucking delusional? God! How could you even entertain that idea?” I yelled back. “How could keeping something like this from me, not hurt?”

“You’re not seeing the entire picture! I wasn’t cheating on you regularly. It was that one time,” Jack sighed.

“So what, you expect me to believe that all you did was meet up with her? That you didn’t sleep with her?” I asked. There was a sudden burst of lightning outside the window, but I ignored it along with the soft pitter-patter of the first drops of rain.

Jack looked at me, nodding. “Yeah, I do, because I didn’t sleep with her, Abby. I met up with her, had a few drinks, and told her to leave me alone.”

“I find that hard to believe,” I told him.

“Why? What is it that you want to hear, Abigail?” Jack raised his voice. “What? You want me to tell you that you’re not what I want, that I wish all the time that you’d just leave me already so that I could live my life?”

Ouch, that hurt. I felt my eyes water. “Is that what you want?”

“Of course not, I love you!”

“Then why would you do this to me!?” I screamed. “Do you know how much it hurt me to find this out? To know that you lied to my face back when I would ask you what was wrong?”

“I didn’t know how to tell you,” he admitted.

“I asked you to tell me,” I responded.

“And then you asked me not to,” Jack reminded.

“Well that’s because I wanted to believe that you were better than Linda,” I fired back. “I can’t do this.” I started walking away.

“You can’t do what?” Jack caught my arm and pulled me back to face him. I tore myself away from him.

“Us, I can’t do us. I don’t trust you and I’m not going to go through tour or life wondering where you are and who you’re doing,” I told him, tears rolling down my face. I strode to the bunk area grabbing all my things, Jack following closely behind.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

I didn’t answer him, instead grabbing my duffel bag and stuffing all the clothes from my drawer into it. Once I was done, I set it next to the bus door.

“Abby, what are you doing?” Rian asked, clearly the only one brave enough to get in the middle.

“I’m leaving,” I answered simply. “Vinny can handle merch on his own. He has for the past two years, so don’t say that I can’t go.”

“Abigail, you’re being ridiculous,” Jack huffed.

“And you are the most selfish, egotistical guy I’ve ever met,” I spat.

“Abby, I think you should just calm down,” Rian said, following Jack, who was following me to the driver’s area.

“Stop the bus!” I yelled. Flyzik and our driver, Max turned to me confused. “Stop the bus.”

“What? Why?” Flyzik asked.

“I need off, so stop the bus or I will open the door and jump out,” I challenged.

“You will not!” Jack interrupted. “You can’t just leave. We’re going to be in Vegas tomorrow, that’s nowhere near home.

“Abby, it’s raining and we’re in the middle of nowhere,” Flyzik pointed out.

“We just left. Town is not that far. I will book a flight home; just get me off this damn bus!” I spoke to Flyzik, completely ignoring Jack.

Flyzik sighed and nodded at Max, who started to slow the bus.

“Flyzik, what the fuck, are you seriously listening to her?” Jack demanded.

I walked straight toward the door, Alex, Zack, Vinny, and Colussy watching me worriedly. Rian simply stood next to the door.

“Abby, Jack’s right. We’re not that close to town, it’s raining, and you could get hurt or sick.” Rian crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“I really don’t care.” I grabbed my bag, only to have it tugged away by Jack. “Let go,” I warned.

“No, you’re being ridiculous and completely crazy. I’m not letting you off this bus.” Jack blocked the door.

“Let me go, Jack or I swear to god I will call your mother and tell her exactly what happened.”

“That doesn’t scare me.”

“MOVE!”

“No!”

I pulled my bag and Jack came tumbling down on top of me. I rolled us so that I was free and hopped up, opening the bus door and running out with my bag. Jack was up quicker than I expected, coming after me.

“You can’t just leave damn it!” Jack yelled through the rain. It had started falling much harder, making it hard to see where I was going.

“Yes I can, just like you can go screw Hannah,” I yelled back. I felt him grab my arm, pulling me back to the bus.

“Abigail, come back to the bus,” Jack said.

“No, I’m not going back with you!” I tore myself away from him and stood about a yard away from him. “I hate you!”

The words came out like they were the easiest things to say, like I really meant them. Jack’s face contorted in pain. I almost wanted to take the sentence back, but it was too late, and I needed to get out.

“I can’t believe you just said that,” Jack stated. I could barely hear him over the sound of the rain falling.

“I hate you,” I repeated. “You did this. It’s all your fault.” I turned away from him, walking away. I knew I hurt him enough that he wouldn’t follow me. I saw everyone’s faces at the bus window, watching me as I left the man I loved out in the rain.

I had no clue where I was going, but I need to leave. No matter how much it hurt.

“Abby, wait!” Jack called. I stopped, but I didn’t turn around. “Abby I need you.”

I closed my eyes, glad that the rain blended the tears that were falling. “Yeah well, I don’t need you.”