This is probably my fastest update in months. SO BE HAPPY. Because this is a sad chapter. :(
It was snowing lightly now, the skies had a pink tint to it, showing that the sun had came up. I shivered as I wrapped my arms tighter around me, in an attempt to keep warm. It wasn’t working well; the air was just too cold. I got up and started to walk again, still in the opposite direction of the house. New York lived up to its nickname.
It was 5 am and the streets were already swarming with people. I spotted a coffee shop on the corner. I walked in and instantly started t
o feel better, smelling the fresh roasted coffee beans. "What would you like?" A cheerful blond cashier girl asked behind the counter. "Um, a Soy, 6 pump, extra hot, no water chai, please." I said automatically.
"that'll be 3.84, anything else?" I shook my head and paid for my coffee and went to find a place to sit on a comfy chair.
"You look like you've been through hell and back." A woman who looked to be in her late 20's commented in the chair across from mine.
"You have no idea." I admitted, letting out a breath. They called my name and I grabbed my drink on the counter and sat back down.
"Guy trouble?" she asked almost knowingly.
I nodded sheepishly, taking a sip of my tea. Despite the hot chai warming my body, I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that felt like a ton of bricks."We had a fight."
She nodded, her mouth in a grim line. "Do you want to talk about it?"
I let out a sigh. I didn't know why I was going to tell all of this to a complete stranger but she was the only one around that was willing to listen. "I wish I could take back everything I said to him last night. Our fears were what caused the rift and my fears kept me from staying as close as I had become to him. He's stubborn, and arrogant, and he never shuts up. But for some reason I still love him. How does that work?"
"I honestly don't know, but love just works that way. Its tough, and you have to fight for it. Usually its worth it in the end. I think you two should make up and try to be more open with each other. But I could be wrong, afterall I'm just a girl in the coffee shop." She laughed lightly. "I'm Ann." She said, holding out her hand for me to shake it.
"Hayley." I said with a small smile. "I agree with what you're saying, but I really don't want to go back yet. I think we need to have a little room to breathe once and while."
She nodded understandingly. "Hey, I work over at H and M and we are doing free full on make overs today. I think the best remedy for a bad fight is a spa day. Would you be interested?"
"I'd love that!" I said with sincere excitement in my voice.
- - -
It was nice to spend the day out with someone besides Jack and Alex. Ann was such a nice person and we exchanged numbers to stay in touch. My freshly cut and dyed hair blew in my face as I walked down the streets to go back to the house, feeling better about everything. The new shade of red was going to take some getting used to...the stylist wanted to keep the red in my hair but instead of the dark red I usually did, she dyed it a very bright, very cherry red. It was definitely a change I needed.
I walked up the snow covered steps to the house, hoping he would be there so I could apologize for everything.I unlocked the door and curled my fingers around the cool doorknob, opening it slowly. “Alex?” I yelled, hoping he could hear me. My breath was uneven.
“Alex isn’t here, H-bomb.” I heard Jack say softly from the kitchen. “He left earlier. He was really upset.” He was sitting on the barstool next to the counter, beer in hand, his mouth shaped into a grim line. “He said you guys had a fight.”
“Yes, we did have a fight. But it was stupid!” I said loudly, exhaling in frustration. “He was drunk. We both said some things that we didn’t mean, and I need to find him! To tell him I love him and apologize.” I said in a huff. “Just tell me where he is, please Jack.”I begged him.
He stood up and shoved his hands in his pocket. “I think I might have an idea to where he might be…” he said grimly. He wouldn’t look me straight in the eye.
“well then lets go!” I said, grabbing his hand and pulling him out the door.
- - -
He stopped the car by an apartment building and street similar to where my old apartment was. It all seemed like a distant dream, I didn’t want to think back that far. But at the same time, it was the time where I first met Alex, everything was so easy with him, we were on the same level, but too afraid to take the extra step to stay that way. “The apartment number is 354, I’ll wait out here for you.” He said quietly, still not acting like himself. I nodded and grasped my hand around the handle and opened the car door. Just as I got my feet out of the door he grabbed my arm gently.
“Be careful, okay?” he said sincerely, his jaw clenched tight again. I nodded again, giving him a faint smile as I stepped out of the car and shut the door, walking up the stairs and into the building. It took 2 flights of stairs until I finally got to the door that read 354. I heard faint music and giggling from inside and my throat got tight, trying not to fear the worst.
I knocked on the door 3 times and paused as I head voices again. “It’s open!” I heard someone’s muffled voice yell through the door. I swallowed hard and tried to compose myself. If he was cheating on me, they definitely wouldn’t invite strangers in… I grasped the doorknob with shaky fingers, opening the door slowly. The minute I walked into the door I wish I hadn't. I practically choked on the overwhelming smell of "incense" in the air. I saw a glimpse of Alex, surrounded by others who were shooting up what looked to be heroin into their arms.
"and you call me the hypocrite." I said, choking back the sob in my throat.
"Hayley, wait--"
"NO!" I yelled. Everyone fell silent. "No more Alex. I'm done." I spat, grasping the necklace around my neck and ripping it off and throwing it at him before running out of the building, not being able to hold back my tears as the fell freely onto my cheeks. Jack was already out of the car when he saw me coming out of the building in a horrible, blubbering mess.
He wrapped his arms around me as I cried into his chest. "I'm so sorry, Hayley. I'm so sorry." He whispered as he held me tight as I cried.
"It's over." I managed to sputter into his coat. "I can't do this anymore."
