Uncharted

The next day was work was even worse than any before. With my client's wedding approaching, she was pressing me harder and harder, and I was close to breaking. There were several times during the day when my emotions threatened to take over, but I refused to let them. However, I knew what would happen the moment I walked through the front door of my apartment, and it did.

As soon as I crossed that threshold, tears began to pour down my face. I knew it wasn't just from work, but I tried to tell myself that it was. Blaming my tears on work was much easier than thinking about everything that had happened with Jonny the night before.

I drug a hand across my face, wiping away the tears the best that I could. It wasn't like anyone could see me crying, but I still didn't want to cry. Just as I cleared my face of the evidence, the phone in my pocket began to ring. I felt my hands shake as I reached into my pocket and pulled it out, praying that it wasn't Jonathan's number flashing on the screen. I was, however, surprised to see Patrick's name.

"Hello?" I asked, walking into my bedroom, having no idea why my best friend's husband was calling me.

"Huh, I'm kind of surprised that you answered," Patrick said on the other end of the phone over some rather loud music in the background.

"Where are you at?" I questioned, glancing at the clock. It was nearly eight o'clock. Had I really worked that much overtime today? Pulling off my blazer, I threw it on my bed while I waited for Patrick's answer to my question.

"My house," he said. I heard him talking to someone in the background. This caused my eyes to roll as I began to change in my bedroom. "Which you need to come to," he finally said as I pulled my jeans over my hips.

"You've got to be shitting me, Patrick," I start. My legs carry me into my closet where I try to find a shirt to wear. "I don't want to come ov..."

I heard the phone leave Patrick's hand half way through my sentence. For some reason, this made me even madder at the whole situation. Patrick HAD to know what had happened between Jonny and I. He had to know how royally his best friend had fucked up. So why was he calling me, inviting me over to some party he knew I wouldn't want to go to? When Sara's voice came on the other line, I knew I was in trouble.

"Bailey, pleeeeeaseeee come over. We want to cheer you up!" She sounded happy, almost too much so.

"I don't want to be cheered up!" I practically shouted at her before ending the call and throwing my phone on my bed. This brought on a whole new breakdown. I sunk down on my bed, letting the tears go. Ever since I left Jonathan's house the night before, I had been keeping everything inside. It was almost like the moment he told me the news, everything inside of me went numb. I hadn't felt a thing, but hearing my best friend and her husband so happy and carefree gave way for the misery to take over.

This is also the time I realized that I didn't want to be alone.

Forcing myself to my feet, I reached for my phone and dialed a familiar number, and one that I hadn't called in quite some time. "Hi," I said meekly, "What are you doing?"

"I just got off work," Christine said, her voice a nice comfort. "What's the matter?"

I didn't realize just how upset I sounded, but it was apparently pretty bad. I didn't tell Christine everything that had happened, feeling like that would have to wait. All I said was that I had a fight with Jonny and I didn't want to be alone. It seemed childish and stupid after the words had come out, but they were as honest. She told me that she'd be there in twenty minutes and "not to worry my pretty little head." Classic Christine encouragement.

-x-

Christine had been by my side for the past two hours. I explained everything that had happened the night before from Patrick's apology to Sara, to the drink being poured over my head, and the confession by Jonathan. She listened to every word intently, offering comfort when it's needed. It felt like forever since I had last seen her, but between both of our jobs, boyfriends, and everything else under the sun, we just didn't seem to have the time. It meant the world to me that she was here now, though.

"He just...didn't tell you?" She asked when I had finished my story finally. "Like, just pretended like it was no big deal?"

I shook my head. "He knows it's a big deal. I could tell that he had just been terrified to tell me. From what he said, it was not even a month back into our relationship when all of this happened. I just feel like he should have been able to tell me about it."

"Did he say why he couldn't tell you?"

I nodded, rubbing my neck slightly. "He didn't want to lose me," I forced myself to say, though my voice cracked with almost every word.

It was easy to see her mulling over the idea. Out of all of my friends, Christine was probably the most level headed. She had always been the one I ran to when I needed advice, and I sure as hell needed advice on what I should do in this situation. "At least he had good intentions," she pointed out, taking a sip of her coffee.

"But, even with good intentions, I would have rather known."

Again, she sat there and thought about what I had said. "Has he tried to contact you at all since then?"

Again, I let me head shake. I hadn't heard a word from Jonny since I drove away from his house. I didn't know whether this was a good or bad thing. Either he was trying to give me time and space, which I appreciated, or he figured that it was over, done. I wasn't sure which one it was, and part of me didn't want to know.

"Bailey Monroe, you are one of the smartest and prettiest girls I know. Even if things don't work out with Jonny, and you know I wish more than anything they would, you will find someone who loves you for you. Guys do really stupid things, even if they have good intentions behind them. I don't think he ever meant to hurt you, and I know you two will find a way to get past this."

And with that, I felt a million times better.