Too Much of a Good Thing

James quietly entered the apartment, hoping not to wake Jo up since it was almost midnight. The event had ended two hours ago but he had spent those last two hours with Melanie at a 24-hour diner.

The apartment was silent. He removed his shoes by the front door next to Jo’s sandals. He placed his keys slowly on the metal bowl, where a stack of mail and a couple of Jo’s rings were in.

“Fuck,” he breathed out. After a night of just having fun, letting loose after endless days of training and arguing with Jo, being back at the apartment just brought back all the weight he hoped he had left when he walked out the door that same day.

He made his way towards the bedroom when he saw something from the corner of his eye. He nearly had a heart attack when he saw Jo sitting on the couch with a blank stare.

“I didn’t even see you there,” James said, walking closer to Jo. She said nothing.

“What are you doing up? It’s almost midnight,” James moved to touch her but suddenly shot up from the couch.

“Don’t you dare touch me,” she warned.

“What the hell?” He said, confused by her sudden outburst.

“What the hell is right!” She yelled, walking around him.

James turned, “What’s going on here, Jo?”

She stopped walking and turned around to face him with a scowl on her face. “Why don’t you tell me what’s going on.”

He raised his hands but no words came out. What was there to explain? Why he was late? Surely he knew that Jo never questioned his whereabouts for as long as he came home safely.

“Come on now, I’d looooove to hear your side of the story,” Jo said sarcastically.

“Would you just tell me what the hell you’re talking about?” James started to get angry, feeling the familiar heat rise up and spread all over his body.

Jo stomped her way to their bedroom and James followed. He was about to say something when he was met with a shove to his chest.

“There! Explain that to me!” Jo had pushed her cellphone against his chest with the photo she had seen on Twitter opened and ready for some sort of explanation from him.

“Fuck,” James breathed out for the second time. “Jo...I know what it looks like and I know you’re mad but-”

Jo shook her head, “I’m way beyond mad.”

James hung his head low.

“I was at my meeting, feeling sorry as hell for the way I acted and for leaving you all alone here and then I see this shit,” she pointed a shaky finger at the picture, “and suddenly I don’t feel so bad anymore. I suddenly feel like I wasted almost two years of my life with a guy like you.”

“You don’t mean that,” James said, feeling hurt by her words.

“So now we’re telling each other how to feel? Is that how it is now?”

“This isn’t you, Jo. Don’t be like this.” James tried to reach out.

“You’re right, this isn’t me,” Jo said sadly, referring to the photo that was in James’ hand. “What are we doing, James? For the past few weeks all we’ve done is fight and...and I’m just getting tired of it.”

James silently agreed.

“What do we do now?” He asked.

She shrugged.

“Are we breaking up?” James had to ask. He wasn’t so sure where their relationship stood. Every single day, it felt like both of them were on the edge, waiting to see who would be the first one to push.

“Do you want to?” Jo tested. “Just tell me now if you want to. I rather not find out on Instagram or Twitter about who you’re seeing now a days.”

James put her phone down on top of the drawer. “I didn’t cheat on you, Jo. I would never.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, of course,” he said with no hesitation. He pulled Jo in for a hug and to his surprise, she didn’t push him away. Instead, he was met with a sob.

Cry.

That was what Jo really needed to do. Just cry. She had been bottling up her feelings and crying it out gave her a sense of relief.

“She’s just a friend. Honest to God. I would never cheat on you. I love you so fucking much, you don’t even know it.” James pulled away and held her face with both hands. He kissed her forehead and then her lips. He tasted the saltiness of her tears and kissed away the sobs that escaped the lips he adored.

“Paul is my friend too,” Jo said when she pulled away from his kiss but remained in his embrace. “You scared me last night, James. You didn’t even let me explain the situation.”

“I’m so sorry, baby. I really am. I was just...I just couldn’t bear the thought of you with someone else and leaving me.”

She managed to laugh. “I didn’t know you felt so strongly about me.”

James laughed in return. “You’re a real jerk, you know that?”

“But you love me anyway.”

He smiled, “That, I do.”

They stood there in the middle of their bedroom, holding each other, just enjoying being so close to each other after feeling like they’ve been separated and drifting apart for awhile. That was until James remembered to ask Jo something.

“I know we’re finally on good terms but I really have to ask,” Jo’s eyebrows shot up in question. “Why didn’t you tell me that you saw Paul at the store?”

“I honestly just forgot. I meant to tell you.” She said honestly.

James didn’t need any other explanation. He believed her one hundred percent. He wasn’t even sure why had doubted her in the first place.

-

The next morning, James told Jo that they should hang out and lounge around the apartment when he gets home from training. Jo happily agreed and decided that would only do a little bit of work on her laptop.

Jo spent the whole morning replying back to Edith’s emails and just handling the business as usual. Around one o’clock, an hour before James would come home, Jo’s phone rang. She read that it was Paul and picked it up.

“Hey Paul,” Jo tucked her phone between her ear and her shoulder as she scrolled through numerous pages of bed frames.

“Hey, hope you’re not busy,” he laughed on the other line.

“Nope,” she answered. “Just looking for a new bed frame.”

“You guys ready to move?” Paul asked.

Jo sighed. “I wish. Some of the rooms haven’t even been painted yet. Plus, we need new furniture.”

“Sounds like you’ve got a lot on your plate.”

“You have no idea.” She agreed. “So what did you want to talk about?”

“Oh right,” Paul remembered the reason why he called in the first place. “Is the Pittsburgh thing still on? I know you’re not really sure anymore after Nealer’s breakdown.”

“Oh God, Paul, I’m so sorry about that,” Jo apologized on behalf of James’ behavior. She had gotten a text from Paul, letting her know about James calling him. She couldn’t apologize enough for the tornado that was James.

“Don’t worry about it, Jo. I’ve seen the real deal at his worst plenty of times. Compared to the other times, his phone call to me was the most calm he’s ever approached a fight.”

“Still,” Jo prodded. “He shouldn’t have just bombarded you with questions.”

“It’s alright. No worries,” Paul assured. “So...is Pittsburgh still a go?”

“Of course!” Jo held her phone and stood up to stretch. She had been sitting on that chair for hours. “I can already imagine how it’s going to look. It’s going to be just perfect.”

“Have you told James about it?”

Jo bit her lip. “No…”

“Jo…” Paul mimicked. “He’s just going to get even more mad if you don’t tell him now.”

“I know,” Jo couldn’t help but slump back into her seat. “I’ll tell him but I just need him to be in a really good mood before I do.”

“Nealer is an old grouch, nothing puts that guy in a good mood.” He stated.

“Oh trust me, I know a couple of ways to put him in a good mood,” Jo said and didn’t even realize what just tumbled out of her mouth.

“Gross. Didn’t need to know that.”

Jo burst out laughing. “You’re the one with a dirty mind!”

Jo was laughing so hard and so loud that she didn’t hear the front door open. James popped his head in their room and wondered what’s got his girlfriend all giddy. He knocked on the door frame, startling Jo and causing her to drop her phone on the carpet. She quickly picked it up and tapped on the screen.

“I didn’t know you were home,” she put her phone down and got up from the chair. She hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “How was training? Tiring?”

“Yup,” James went around her and flopped down on the bed. Jo did the same thing and laid on her side.

“So what’s the plan for tonight?” Jo asked, playing with the ends of his curly hair. She should probably tell him to get a haircut but truthfully, she liked his hair long.

James smiled and flipped her so that she was underneath him. He kissed her and said, “I have a few things in mind.”

Jo giggled, “I hope it involves popcorn and a movie.”

“Oh there will be a movie,” James said lowly, kissing her on different parts of her face making her giggle some more. “Not sure about popcorn though.”

“Are you thinking what I think you’re thinking?”

He smirked and started to kiss her down her neck with one hand ready to peel off her t-shirt, “You’ve got one dirty mind, babe.”