Forget Yesterday

Alex really hadn’t wanted to go to work the next morning. Really, not even a little. He’d much rather have holed himself up in his bedroom than face the world, but unfortunately for him Rian wasn’t having that. It was true what Rian had said, that Alex didn’t do anything wrong so he shouldn’t hide in shame, but it wasn’t just that.

Rian seemed to have forgotten that Alex’s boss was Jack’s best friend.

And Jack had undoubtedly told Vinny all about the disaster last night if the frowns Vinny was sending his way were any indication.

Alex managed to get away with hiding in the piercing room, silently piercing three belly buttons and one septum, until just after lunchtime before Vinny walked into his piercing room and locked the door behind him.

Damn it.

“Hey, um, can we talk?” Vinny asked nervously.

“Are you going to fire me?” Alex asked bluntly.

What? He might as well get it over and done with.

“What?” Vinny asked confused.

“Don’t act dumb, I know Jack’s told you about…last night,” Alex muttered.

“Well, yeah, he has, but…I’m not going to fire you,” Vinny said.

Alex just raised an eyebrow. Yeah, right.

“No, seriously, I’m not going to fire you. I’ve heard Jack’s side of the story and now I want to hear yours. I love Jack, he’s my best friend and all, but when it comes to someone he loves so dearly he doesn’t think straight. I want to know what happened from your point of view,” Vinny explained.

Alex bit his bottom lip, looking down into his lap. Was Vinny really giving him a chance to explain?

Vinny sighed, resting his hand on Alex’s shoulder.

“Look, I know I’m probably the last person you want to talk to about this, seeing as I’m your boss as well as your best friend’s boyfriend and your boyfriend’s best friend, but I think it’ll help if you just talk about it,” Vinny said softly.

Alex swallowed heavily but nodded. What did he really have to lose? He’d practically lost Jack already anyway.

“I was home alone. Again. Like I always am on a Friday night. I heard the doorbell ring and opened it. There stood my ex, Danny. The guy that tore me to pieces without even thinking twice. We’d bumped into each other the other week and talked for the first time since he broke up with me. Anyway, um, Danny had a bunch of flowers in his hands and I thought that he’d finally come round to apologise so we could move on with our separate lives,”

“Alex…” Vinny groaned.

Alex scowled.

“I get it, okay? I’m stupid and naïve and I shouldn’t have ever thought I possibly deserved a fucking apology. But can you just let me finish?!” Alex exasperated.

Vinny smiled weakly and nodded. Alex huffed before continuing.

“As I was saying. I let Danny into the apartment and he started spouting all this shit about how he should never have let me go and so on, and he said he missed me, and I started to say that I missed him too but he kissed me before I could finish saying but I have a boyfriend now and I love him, not Danny. I pushed him away and finished my sentence, and this was when Jack spoke up, obviously having seen Danny kissing me but stupidly thinking that I wanted the kiss to happen and that I was kissing back. One thing led to another with Jack yelling and punching Danny, and Jack said outright that he didn’t believe me. Now he hates me,”

Alex clenched his fists tightly after he’d finished ranting, not daring to look at the man in front of him.

“Jack could never hate you, Alex,” Vinny eventually said.

Alex snapped his head up, fire blazing in his eyes.

“I said that I love him. Jack said that my love wasn’t enough. I said that I love him and that I know he loves me too. Instead of confirming this, he left without another word. He hates me, Vinny. He doesn’t love me any more, even when I begged him to say it. Even when I begged him to stay,” Alex spat, tears filling his eyes.

Vinny’s jaw dropped slightly, only making Alex angrier. Of course, Jack hadn’t told that part of the story.

“I-I am so sorry. I didn’t know…”

“Yeah, I figured. Look, yesterday was shitty enough so can you just spare me the words of pep and encouragement? I just want to finish my shift and go home,” Alex interrupted, running his hand over his messy hair.

Vinny pursed his lips, obviously not happy, but he nodded, standing up.

“Everything will work out you know. Jack may be angry right now, and you may be angry too, but a love like yours doesn’t just disappear over night,” Vinny said firmly.

“How about you tell Jack that, hmm?” Alex mumbled.

Vinny sighed before leaving Alex’s room. Alex didn’t realise he was crying until sobs tore from his throat.

How had everything been so good and turned to such shit so quickly?