Chasing Pavements

“So I think we should talk about what happened last night.”

Violet was sitting on the couch in their living room, dealing with a pounding headache and her impatience with their coffee pot—they really should just invest in a Keurig. Tom was standing at the end of the couch, watching her carefully and waiting for some kind of response or acknowledgment.

“Can I have coffee and Advil first?” she asked, turning her head to look at him.

“Of course,” he said, looking concerned. “I take it you’re not feeling too well?”

She shook her head and instantly regretted it. The room spun slightly and the throbbing in her head increased.

“Do you even remember what happened last night?” he questioned.

“I was a jealous bitch,” she muttered. She was worried if she didn’t keep her mouth closed for the time being she was going to throw up all over their coffee table.

Luckily Tom seemed to understand this issue and she heard him walk away. He came back a few minutes later with two mugs of steaming coffee. He handed her one as he sat down next to her.

“You know, you might feel better if you just throw up,” he said, smiling at her. She glared in response. Tom just laughed.


When Violet was finally feeling well enough to move, and maybe even eat something, she and Tom walked to one of their favorite pizza places. If Violet was going to get through whatever it was Tom wanted to talk about while hung over, she was definitely going to need at least one good slice of pizza.

Once they had found a place to sit and all that were sitting between them were the crusts of the pizza they had just eaten, Violet sick for a whole new reason other than her weak stomach. She knew she had been out of line to be mean to Tom last night. She hated to admit that Tom could and probably would finally end this friends with benefits situation sooner or later.

“I’m really sorry about last night,” she finally said, looking down at the paper plate in front of her, pushing around crumbs on it with the tip of her finger. “I was drunk, and I know that’s not an excuse, but I said things I shouldn’t have.”

“I’m glad you said them,” Tom said, and Violet looked up at him in surprise. “It’s made me aware that we need to be more careful, and maybe more straightforward with each other.”

Violet nodded her head.

Trying to change the subject, Violet asked, “Did I make out with Kyle last night? That parts a little fuzzy.”

“Yeah,” he said. “I will admit that I was a little annoyed, but I think it’s good that you’re showing interest in other guys. I say go for it, if you want. We’re not exclusive. Sophie and I are actually going to go to dinner tonight to talk about some things.”

Violet’s heart plummeted into her stomach. She, of course, hadn’t changed the subject at all but probably helped put it more on track. At least she had strayed away from an awkward conversation on why she had been so jealous last night.

“I know it’s not my place to say this, but be careful with her,” Violet finally said. “Remember, she cheated on you. As your friend, I’m kinda against girls who cheat on you… or anyone for that matter.”

This time Tom was the one looking down at his plate.

“I know,” he said after a moment. “I don’t know…I thought I loved her. Maybe I still do. I figure it wouldn’t hurt for us to at least talk it out a bit more.”

Violet swallowed the lump in her throat and collected their plates to throw out.

“Well, do whatever you think is best for you,” she said, standing up. “Let’s head back though, because I think a nap would be what’s best for me.”



Violet went into her bedroom when they got back to the apartment with full intentions to take a nap, but she found she was unable to sleep. She lay on her bed staring up at the ceiling trying to wrap her mind around the fact that her arrangements with Tom might be coming to an end sooner than she had expected.

She wasn’t sure why Tom was even bothering with Sophie—I mean what more could they possibly have to talk about? And she cheated on him.

She hated to think it, but really, how dumb did Tom have to be to go back to someone who wasn’t able to go a few months without getting laid?

But Violet was getting ahead of herself. She didn’t know the complete details of their relationship. For all she knew, Tom might have been distant while they were apart. Still, she didn’t like the idea of them getting back together. As she often thought, she wished that Tom would just realize that Violet was all he needed.

Violet sighed and rolled onto her side and picked up her phone from the nightstand, unlocked it, and opened the messages, staring blankly at them before she finally made a decision.

She opened up a new message and selected Kyle’s number before typing out a quick text: Want to get dinner tonight? I think you’ve earned it.

She had barely set her phone down when it vibrated and she saw Kyle had replied.

Seriously??

Seriously. And I’m still hung over so I want Chinese!

So it’s a date?

It’s a date.

Violet smiled. See, that wasn’t so hard.