Sequel: On and On ›
The Good Life
Chapter 33
I woke up the next morning face to face with a sleeping Joe. I glanced at the clock, 9:17, we had to leave in a little while to go to the airport. I ran my finger down the bridge of his nose, down to his lips softly tugging on his bottom lip. He licked his lips and then lightly bit the bottom one tightening his grip on me.
“Joe.” I whispered, pushing his hair behind his ear, he squirmed a little but wouldn’t open his eyes. “Jooooe.” I said a little louder. He still didn’t budge, I softly pressed my lips against his, “Joe.” I spoke against his lips, “Wake up honey.” I heard a low grumble in his throat, “Stop it.” He whined burying his head into my hair. I smiled and rolled on top of him, laying my head on his chest. His arms instantly wrapped around my waist to keep me balanced.
“I need to start getting ready, I have to go to work after I drop you off.” I said trying to push myself off him. His arms locked behind my back, “Wait.” I quit struggling and looked down at him, “Can I just hold you a little while longer?” He asked softly.
I smiled and pecked his lips and nuzzled my head under his chin. “What are you doing at work these days?” He asked twirling a lock of my hair around his fingers. “Well, mostly stuff for the New Year’s Eve party.” I said tracing the line of his collar bone with the tips of my fingers.
“The next couple of days we have to go pick up party favors, put the bags together, and go pick up all the decorations for the club.”
“Sounds like you’ll be busy.” He said opening one eye to look down at me. “Yeah, want to know the sucky part?” I said lifting my head up to look at him. “What’s that?” He asked. “We don’t even get to go to the party that we pretty much created.” I pouted.
“Aww, poor baby, whatever will you do on New Years Eve all alone?” My face dropped and I laid my head back down, “Way to rub it in Joseph.” I mumbled. His arms loosened from around my waist and I looked up in time to see him clap them over his face. “Kayden.” He grumbled through his fingers, “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“I know.” I sighed, “I just really wish you could be here.” His hands moved to the small of my back, “And you know more than anyone that I want to be here too. I want to be here and kiss you when the clock strikes midnight, because this year, is going to be our year.” He said whispering the last part. I smiled and pecked his lips, “I love you, and I forgive you in advance.” I said while pushing his bangs away from his forehead. He smiled, “I love you too.”
I was standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom putting on my make up when Joe sauntered in and pulled himself onto the counter. I could see him smiling at me from the corner of my eye, “What Joe?” I asked while putting on my mascara. He shrugged, “Nothing, I just love when you do that.” I averted my eyes from the mirror and looked at him, “Do what?” I asked smiling. “When you’re concentrating on something really hard and you stick your tongue out, it’s cute.” I grinned at him and continued what I was doing.
“So, what are you going to do for New Year’s?” He asked semi-cautiously, obviously not wanting to upset me. “Hmm, I don’t know, Hutch, Rilo, and Kodi are throwing a party, so I guess I’m going over there.” I saw him nod and look away, after he was silent for a while I looked over at him, “What?” I asked. He turned his head toward me, “I don’t know. I just don’t like you going over there with all those guys.” I scoffed and rolled my eyes looking back in the mirror muttering under my breath. “What was that?” He asked loudly jerking his head towards me. “Nothing.” I replied. “No, tell me.” He said. “I’m dying to know.” His voice dripping with sarcasm.
I closed the mascara and threw it on the counter and walked out of the bathroom, I heard Joe following me, his footsteps quicker than mine and then he grabbed my upper arm twirling me around. He was about to speak and by the look on his face I didn’t want to know what he was going to say so I spoke up, “I said that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.” He narrowed his eyes at me and I glanced down at his hand around my arm, he tightened his grip and I turned and glared back at him. “Tell me something Kayden, why is it that you can get mad at me about playing a part in a movie—”
I raised my voice and shook my head, “Oh, you’re going to bring that up again? Is that how this is going to go?” I asked. He gritted his teeth together and continued, “But I’m going to be gone and I tell you I don’t feel comfortable with you going to a party with a bunch of guys and you think I’M ridiculous?” I shook my head, “Joe! You know them! Nothing’s going to happen!” I yelled back at him.
“Yeah, Kayden! I know them. I don’t know who else is going to be there! And—” He paused as if thinking of whether or not he was going to say what was on his mind, I looked at him expectedly and he clenched his jaw and finished his sentence, more quietly this time, his eyes boring into mine, “You’re going to end up drunk and some guys going to talk you into leaving with him or going upstairs with him and you’re going to give in because—” I had heard enough, I brought my free arm up and slapped him across the face, the stern expression on his faced was replaced with a surprised one. I was surprised at myself I had never slapped someone before, not like that, at least. I felt a hurt expression form onto my face and the tears welling in my eyes, “Is that what you think of me Joe, you think I’m a whore?” He didn’t answer, he stood there staring at me with the same stunned expression from when I slapped him.
I shook my head and ripped my arm from his grasp, and turned to walk away, that snapped him back into reality, “Kayden!” He called out, I couldn’t read his voice, I didn’t know if it was anger, sorrow, desperation, and I didn’t really care. I stopped a few steps away from the door and turned around shaking my head, “You know what Joe?” I asked. “Whores don’t get married.” I said as I ripped the ring off my left hand and chunked it at him. I don’t know why I did it, but I did and I instantly regretted it. But I was too angry to care at the moment so I ran to the door letting the tears drain from my eyes, I opened the door and turned to look at him, he was breathing heavily and staring at the ring that laid on the floor, when he heard the door click open, he jerked his head up, tears were springing to his eyes, “Kayden. No! I’m sorry.” He said starting to walk towards me. I shook my head, “It’s too late Joe.”
Then I ran. I ran down the stairs, grabbed my phone and keys and got into the car and started it wiping my eyes so I could see. Joe shot out the back door and was banging against my window, I could hear him pleading with me to open the door and listen to him and saying he was sorry and as much as I wanted to jump out the car and tell him I was sorry too and that we could fix this, the anger inside me wouldn’t let me and I hated that part of me and it only made me cry harder.
I focused my eyes straight ahead and backed out the driveway, he chased me the whole way down and half way down our street, I looked in the rear view mirror and saw his body crumble into a heap on the ground his back heaving, just lying there, on the road. My breath hitched in my throat and a new round of tears brimmed my eyes. I hated this.
Joe was leaving in two hours, he had to go, it was his job. I knew he would leave and it killed me. How did this happen? We were so perfect this morning, he went from telling me how cute I was when I was concentrating to how he thought I would spread my legs for some guy at a party. I was sick to my stomach, I didn’t know where I was going but I just drove, I ended up at the office and decided I would occupy myself with work. I was three hours early so Quin would ask questions but the events of this morning would never leave my lips again.
The next few days I was like a robot, I went to work, worked on the party, Quin asked questions about what was wrong with me but I didn’t answer her, I didn’t speak at all actually, Joe didn’t call, not once, not one text, nothing. I wouldn’t look anyone in the eye, at night, I couldn’t sleep, I cried all night long. I had ruined my entire life within the span of ten minutes because when I ripped that ring off my finger, I ripped my heart out right along with it.
“Joe.” I whispered, pushing his hair behind his ear, he squirmed a little but wouldn’t open his eyes. “Jooooe.” I said a little louder. He still didn’t budge, I softly pressed my lips against his, “Joe.” I spoke against his lips, “Wake up honey.” I heard a low grumble in his throat, “Stop it.” He whined burying his head into my hair. I smiled and rolled on top of him, laying my head on his chest. His arms instantly wrapped around my waist to keep me balanced.
“I need to start getting ready, I have to go to work after I drop you off.” I said trying to push myself off him. His arms locked behind my back, “Wait.” I quit struggling and looked down at him, “Can I just hold you a little while longer?” He asked softly.
I smiled and pecked his lips and nuzzled my head under his chin. “What are you doing at work these days?” He asked twirling a lock of my hair around his fingers. “Well, mostly stuff for the New Year’s Eve party.” I said tracing the line of his collar bone with the tips of my fingers.
“The next couple of days we have to go pick up party favors, put the bags together, and go pick up all the decorations for the club.”
“Sounds like you’ll be busy.” He said opening one eye to look down at me. “Yeah, want to know the sucky part?” I said lifting my head up to look at him. “What’s that?” He asked. “We don’t even get to go to the party that we pretty much created.” I pouted.
“Aww, poor baby, whatever will you do on New Years Eve all alone?” My face dropped and I laid my head back down, “Way to rub it in Joseph.” I mumbled. His arms loosened from around my waist and I looked up in time to see him clap them over his face. “Kayden.” He grumbled through his fingers, “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“I know.” I sighed, “I just really wish you could be here.” His hands moved to the small of my back, “And you know more than anyone that I want to be here too. I want to be here and kiss you when the clock strikes midnight, because this year, is going to be our year.” He said whispering the last part. I smiled and pecked his lips, “I love you, and I forgive you in advance.” I said while pushing his bangs away from his forehead. He smiled, “I love you too.”
I was standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom putting on my make up when Joe sauntered in and pulled himself onto the counter. I could see him smiling at me from the corner of my eye, “What Joe?” I asked while putting on my mascara. He shrugged, “Nothing, I just love when you do that.” I averted my eyes from the mirror and looked at him, “Do what?” I asked smiling. “When you’re concentrating on something really hard and you stick your tongue out, it’s cute.” I grinned at him and continued what I was doing.
“So, what are you going to do for New Year’s?” He asked semi-cautiously, obviously not wanting to upset me. “Hmm, I don’t know, Hutch, Rilo, and Kodi are throwing a party, so I guess I’m going over there.” I saw him nod and look away, after he was silent for a while I looked over at him, “What?” I asked. He turned his head toward me, “I don’t know. I just don’t like you going over there with all those guys.” I scoffed and rolled my eyes looking back in the mirror muttering under my breath. “What was that?” He asked loudly jerking his head towards me. “Nothing.” I replied. “No, tell me.” He said. “I’m dying to know.” His voice dripping with sarcasm.
I closed the mascara and threw it on the counter and walked out of the bathroom, I heard Joe following me, his footsteps quicker than mine and then he grabbed my upper arm twirling me around. He was about to speak and by the look on his face I didn’t want to know what he was going to say so I spoke up, “I said that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.” He narrowed his eyes at me and I glanced down at his hand around my arm, he tightened his grip and I turned and glared back at him. “Tell me something Kayden, why is it that you can get mad at me about playing a part in a movie—”
I raised my voice and shook my head, “Oh, you’re going to bring that up again? Is that how this is going to go?” I asked. He gritted his teeth together and continued, “But I’m going to be gone and I tell you I don’t feel comfortable with you going to a party with a bunch of guys and you think I’M ridiculous?” I shook my head, “Joe! You know them! Nothing’s going to happen!” I yelled back at him.
“Yeah, Kayden! I know them. I don’t know who else is going to be there! And—” He paused as if thinking of whether or not he was going to say what was on his mind, I looked at him expectedly and he clenched his jaw and finished his sentence, more quietly this time, his eyes boring into mine, “You’re going to end up drunk and some guys going to talk you into leaving with him or going upstairs with him and you’re going to give in because—” I had heard enough, I brought my free arm up and slapped him across the face, the stern expression on his faced was replaced with a surprised one. I was surprised at myself I had never slapped someone before, not like that, at least. I felt a hurt expression form onto my face and the tears welling in my eyes, “Is that what you think of me Joe, you think I’m a whore?” He didn’t answer, he stood there staring at me with the same stunned expression from when I slapped him.
I shook my head and ripped my arm from his grasp, and turned to walk away, that snapped him back into reality, “Kayden!” He called out, I couldn’t read his voice, I didn’t know if it was anger, sorrow, desperation, and I didn’t really care. I stopped a few steps away from the door and turned around shaking my head, “You know what Joe?” I asked. “Whores don’t get married.” I said as I ripped the ring off my left hand and chunked it at him. I don’t know why I did it, but I did and I instantly regretted it. But I was too angry to care at the moment so I ran to the door letting the tears drain from my eyes, I opened the door and turned to look at him, he was breathing heavily and staring at the ring that laid on the floor, when he heard the door click open, he jerked his head up, tears were springing to his eyes, “Kayden. No! I’m sorry.” He said starting to walk towards me. I shook my head, “It’s too late Joe.”
Then I ran. I ran down the stairs, grabbed my phone and keys and got into the car and started it wiping my eyes so I could see. Joe shot out the back door and was banging against my window, I could hear him pleading with me to open the door and listen to him and saying he was sorry and as much as I wanted to jump out the car and tell him I was sorry too and that we could fix this, the anger inside me wouldn’t let me and I hated that part of me and it only made me cry harder.
I focused my eyes straight ahead and backed out the driveway, he chased me the whole way down and half way down our street, I looked in the rear view mirror and saw his body crumble into a heap on the ground his back heaving, just lying there, on the road. My breath hitched in my throat and a new round of tears brimmed my eyes. I hated this.
Joe was leaving in two hours, he had to go, it was his job. I knew he would leave and it killed me. How did this happen? We were so perfect this morning, he went from telling me how cute I was when I was concentrating to how he thought I would spread my legs for some guy at a party. I was sick to my stomach, I didn’t know where I was going but I just drove, I ended up at the office and decided I would occupy myself with work. I was three hours early so Quin would ask questions but the events of this morning would never leave my lips again.
The next few days I was like a robot, I went to work, worked on the party, Quin asked questions about what was wrong with me but I didn’t answer her, I didn’t speak at all actually, Joe didn’t call, not once, not one text, nothing. I wouldn’t look anyone in the eye, at night, I couldn’t sleep, I cried all night long. I had ruined my entire life within the span of ten minutes because when I ripped that ring off my finger, I ripped my heart out right along with it.