Not the One
Chapter 22
I woke up to find myself lying down on my hotel bed. I could hear a familiar voice asking me, “Leo? Are you awake? How are you feeling?” It was Tina.
My vision cleared and I saw her looking at me concerned. “Ughn.” I groaned.
“Leo! How are you feeling?”
“I don’t know… what happened to me?”
“You were drunk at Jane’s party. She told me everything that happened.” I was too exhausted to get up.
“Please tell me,” I said.
“You got drunk, went crazy, kissed Jane, and her boyfriend beat you up.” Now I remembered. God, I felt awful. Why did Jane have to tell her about the kiss?
“I’m so sorry, Tina. I didn’t know what I was thinking. And… that kiss meant nothing, I swear. I was drunk, and it just happened.” I got up and gave Tina a hug.
She said, “No, I’m sorry. I was the one who left you and didn’t come to the party. None of this would have happened if I came.”
I sighed. “It’s my fault for making you mad earlier. I’m sorry.” She gave me a forgiving look. “Please forgive me and that meaningless kiss.” I smiled. She smiled back.
“Sure…” But she didn’t sound so sure. “You should get more rest. Let me go get you a glass of water first.” I still couldn’t believe what happened at the party. It was my first time drinking, getting beat up by someone, and making a move on Jane.
Tina and I spent the night at a park, counting stars. It was hard, but it was a fun pastime, and it was something to keep us busy. I didn’t know what Tina was thinking, but all I could think about was Jane. That kiss did actually mean something. I was afraid to tell Tina and make her even more upset. I really wanted to talk to Jane in private about things between us, my feelings towards her, and how I wished we could be more.
“It’s getting late,” Tina said.
“Yeah. Should we go back?” I asked. She nodded her head yes. We held hands and walked quietly home. I didn’t know what to talk about. I felt like she was still thinking about the events of the party, but I hope she was really over that.
When we arrived back at the hotel room, Tina announced she wanted to go to bed. I sat down on the couch, waiting for her to start snoring. She had the cutest, softest snore ever. I got up and took my phone from the desk next to the bed. I stared at the screen, waiting for the time to change. Minutes went by. An hour later, I took a deep breath. I was going to call Jane. I called her, waited for it to ring four times. She finally answered.
“Leo?” She whispered. “Why are you calling so late?”
“I want to talk to you in person tomorrow. I have things to discuss with you,” I said quietly, trying not to wake Tina up.
“Okay… where and what time?”
“Eiffel Tower at 6 in the morning?” I didn’t want Tina to know I was out with Jane, so I wanted to go out early.
“Um, sure,” she said, not really sounding sure.
“Well, I’ll see you there. Don’t be late.” I hung up and held the phone to my chest. My heart was pounding fast. I wasn’t exactly sure what I planned to tell Jane. I just really hope Tina would not find out. I wanted to settle this before things got too out of hand.
For the rest of the night, I couldn’t sleep. I sat on the couch, checking the time on my phone every couple of minutes. I was eager to meet up with Jane. I just really wanted to see her, hold her. In a fairytale, we would be together. I felt as though Fernando and Tina were getting in between our relationship. In a way, they weren’t. I really liked Tina, and I wouldn’t mind spending the rest of my life with her… but it was just that I also yearned for Jane. And Jane probably really liked Fernando too. Why else would she be with him?
My thoughts brought me back to the day when Jane left. Why didn’t I just say I had big plans like she did? I might have been successful doing something, and she would have been with me. Maybe I would have come with her to Paris too. Stupid me. At the time, I didn’t think it was that big of a problem for me to have small goals. I never knew Jane liked me like that… and for her to just throw her feelings for me out the window was the most hurtful. I might have gotten over her if she never admitted she liked me in the first place. I sighed, and put on my shoes, ready to meet up with her.
My vision cleared and I saw her looking at me concerned. “Ughn.” I groaned.
“Leo! How are you feeling?”
“I don’t know… what happened to me?”
“You were drunk at Jane’s party. She told me everything that happened.” I was too exhausted to get up.
“Please tell me,” I said.
“You got drunk, went crazy, kissed Jane, and her boyfriend beat you up.” Now I remembered. God, I felt awful. Why did Jane have to tell her about the kiss?
“I’m so sorry, Tina. I didn’t know what I was thinking. And… that kiss meant nothing, I swear. I was drunk, and it just happened.” I got up and gave Tina a hug.
She said, “No, I’m sorry. I was the one who left you and didn’t come to the party. None of this would have happened if I came.”
I sighed. “It’s my fault for making you mad earlier. I’m sorry.” She gave me a forgiving look. “Please forgive me and that meaningless kiss.” I smiled. She smiled back.
“Sure…” But she didn’t sound so sure. “You should get more rest. Let me go get you a glass of water first.” I still couldn’t believe what happened at the party. It was my first time drinking, getting beat up by someone, and making a move on Jane.
Tina and I spent the night at a park, counting stars. It was hard, but it was a fun pastime, and it was something to keep us busy. I didn’t know what Tina was thinking, but all I could think about was Jane. That kiss did actually mean something. I was afraid to tell Tina and make her even more upset. I really wanted to talk to Jane in private about things between us, my feelings towards her, and how I wished we could be more.
“It’s getting late,” Tina said.
“Yeah. Should we go back?” I asked. She nodded her head yes. We held hands and walked quietly home. I didn’t know what to talk about. I felt like she was still thinking about the events of the party, but I hope she was really over that.
When we arrived back at the hotel room, Tina announced she wanted to go to bed. I sat down on the couch, waiting for her to start snoring. She had the cutest, softest snore ever. I got up and took my phone from the desk next to the bed. I stared at the screen, waiting for the time to change. Minutes went by. An hour later, I took a deep breath. I was going to call Jane. I called her, waited for it to ring four times. She finally answered.
“Leo?” She whispered. “Why are you calling so late?”
“I want to talk to you in person tomorrow. I have things to discuss with you,” I said quietly, trying not to wake Tina up.
“Okay… where and what time?”
“Eiffel Tower at 6 in the morning?” I didn’t want Tina to know I was out with Jane, so I wanted to go out early.
“Um, sure,” she said, not really sounding sure.
“Well, I’ll see you there. Don’t be late.” I hung up and held the phone to my chest. My heart was pounding fast. I wasn’t exactly sure what I planned to tell Jane. I just really hope Tina would not find out. I wanted to settle this before things got too out of hand.
For the rest of the night, I couldn’t sleep. I sat on the couch, checking the time on my phone every couple of minutes. I was eager to meet up with Jane. I just really wanted to see her, hold her. In a fairytale, we would be together. I felt as though Fernando and Tina were getting in between our relationship. In a way, they weren’t. I really liked Tina, and I wouldn’t mind spending the rest of my life with her… but it was just that I also yearned for Jane. And Jane probably really liked Fernando too. Why else would she be with him?
My thoughts brought me back to the day when Jane left. Why didn’t I just say I had big plans like she did? I might have been successful doing something, and she would have been with me. Maybe I would have come with her to Paris too. Stupid me. At the time, I didn’t think it was that big of a problem for me to have small goals. I never knew Jane liked me like that… and for her to just throw her feelings for me out the window was the most hurtful. I might have gotten over her if she never admitted she liked me in the first place. I sighed, and put on my shoes, ready to meet up with her.