-Fourteen

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

My eyes rose from the injury on my finger. The wound was still fresh and it hurt. Ed's eyes softened.

Shaking my head, I chugged down another shot. "She pushed me. I wouldn't have taken it this far. I'm not crazy or-."

"Hey." It was only when Ed's hand came to my face I realized I'd let a few tears out. "It's alright. You're alright."

"It's just," I sniffed and wiped my eyes, "I'm frustrated. Nothing's working out. Five years of my life is about to go down the drain. Eric's ghosting. He won't speak to me. I'm confused."

"Come here." Ed pulled me to his chest and five seconds later, my throat clenched and all of my suppressed and locked up emotions broke free.

I let it out.

Everything I had tucked away safely flowed out.

I channelled all of the pain into tears and saying it felt good was an understatement.

At the time the doorbell rung, Ed and I were already watching tv. Jenna bought some pizza on her way back and we all toasted to their relationship. It felt great, oddly comforting, to have two of them suck each other's faces during the commercials of whatever movie Jenna insisted on us watching. I was happy for Jenna because she deserved to be happy, to experience love.

"I've got a surprise for you."

Before my eyes left the screen, Jenna had already disappeared. Sipping water, I unlocked my phone and checked. No message from Eric. Not even a text to find out if I was still alive. A huge part of me hoped he'd go back to our apartment and wonder where I was.

"Here. They're extra comfy."

My eyes lingered on my screen a few more seconds before moving up to Jenna. The second my eyes did, they zeroed in on the baby pink condom package.

Oh, for fuck's sake.

"Roxy was kind enough to actually get you this."

"Wow," Ed's low chuckle reverberated throughout the room. My cheeks became redder by the second. "Thanks."

"Open one. Feel it." Jenna urged. "Amazing technology."

"I'll take this as my cue to leave." With the fakest of smiles plastered on my face, I grabbed my water, yelled a goodnight and locked my room door.

The two rooms in Jenna's condo were separated by the living room. That meant, fortunately, I wouldn't have to endure listening to unusual sounds throughout the night.

My head hit the pillow after I showered and in less than a minute, I was greeted by a familiar darkness.

"Come on!"

My eyes fluttered open at the sound of giggles. Jenna's giggles. Groaning out loud, I sat up and a yawn escaped my lips. After several seconds of stretching, my eyes went to the bedside clock. It was half past seven.

Yawning again, my feet found the floor and then the toilet bowl. After pissing, I washed my hands and grabbed a new toothbrush from the cabinet. After brushing, I splashed water on my face and made for the kitchen.

"Come on. You're such a kill joy. Let's have some fun. She's still asleep. She won't ever find out."

"Ehem."

Both pairs of eyes immediately found mine.

"Morning, Roxy."

"Morning." I smiled at Ed before turning to Jenna. "I'm really dying for some coffee right now."

"Well, a good morning to you too." Jenna's voice more than expressed her displeasure.

"Sorry." I chuckled as she pushed herself off the counter.

"Sleep well?" Jenna asked as she poured me a cup of steaming hot coffee.

"Yeah." I nodded as the sweet sound of liquid spluttering into ceramic filled the air.

"Hope we weren't too loud."

The smile on my face fell with each word.

"No." I grabbed the coffee from her with a look. "Absolutely not."

She chuckled.

"Does she," Ed's eyes lingered on Jenna for a bit before turning to me, "act like this all the time?"

The coffee burned my tongue. "You have no idea."

"Sometimes," Jenna started, licking coffee off her lips, "I wonder how fun it'd be if we had a threesome."

Immediately the words escaped her lips, I did a spit take. Spit take as in all the coffee in my mouth came spluttering out.

"Pardon?"

"What? Me, you, Roxy. It'd be nice, don't you think?"

Ed and I stared at Jenna for a good number of seconds before turning to each other.

"How do you like your eggs for breakfast?" Ed piped up.

"Oh come on. Think about it."

"Sunny side up." My smile didn't reach my eyes.

"Perfect." Ed smiled. "I'm on breakfast."

"Now you guys are gonna treat me like I'm crazy?"

"You, my dear," I faced Jenna, "are crazy."

Rolling her eyes, Jenna got on her feet and grabbed a bowl.

"What are you doing?"

Jenna turned to Ed. "Helping."

"No you're not. Cause you're gonna leave."

She gave him one of her looks.

"I don't need any distractions."

Still with the dirty look, Jenna and I walked out of her kitchen.

"Tell me about it."

"Tell you about what?" Jenna asked when we were settled on her couch.

"What happened last night." I dropped my cup of coffee on the table.

Jenna looked up from her red nail extensions. "What happened last night?"

My eyes drifted to see if Ed was out of hearing range. "Come on. Last night."

"I slept with my boyfriend." Jenna furrowed her brows before smiling. "You want details?"

"No!" My eyes went wide. I didn't need her to scar me for life. "I mean why you were so flustered when I got here. You kinda-," I paused when Jenna's eyes enlarged and her cheeks reddened, "did that."

"Uh- well, I- uh."

"You..." I cocked a brow. I was genuinely interested in what could extract such a reaction from her. Jenna was the most open person I knew.

"It's really personal, Roxy, please!" she avoided eye contact. Jenna's face was as red as ketchup mixed with hot sauce.

"Personal. Really?" I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped from me. "Could've sworn you didn't know the meaning of the word with how you acted last night and this morning."

Jenna glared at me.

"It's okay," I shrugged, "it's all good if you don't wanna tell me."

Her face instantly lit up with relief. "Really?"

"Yeah. I mean I could just go help Ed out in the kitchen and then that thing that happened could just come up."

"What thing happened?"

"You don't remember?" I smiled.

Her brows furrowed an extra inch at my overdramatic tone.

"I'll remind you. Remember when we went to the Museum and you decided to-."

With wide eyes, Jenna pounced on me and her soft hand went over my mouth rather roughly might I add.

I smirked beneath her fingers.

"Shut the hell up!" she smacked me gently and I couldn't help my bubbles of laughter. "Fine. I'll tell you, Jesus." After sending me one of her deadliest glares, she continued speaking. "It was a-. Well, it is something that helps people get through... dark times."

"Dark times." I nodded.

"Yeah," she nodded with me. "Especially- uh- well for people like me and uh- it's like a-."

"Jenna?"

"Yeah?" she looked up at me with the most innocent of expressions.

"Stop beating around the bush."

"Beating around the bush?" she huffed. "I'm not beating around the bu-."

"Hey, Ed?"

"Ok fine!" she whisper yelled and then turned away. "It was a fucking vibrator."

My eyes snapped to her.

One second of silence.

Two seconds of silence.

Three seconds of si-.

"You and Ed took off your clothes just so you both could use a vibrator?"

"What?" Jenna turned to me. "What is wrong with you?"

I blinked.

"It was only me, idiot."

"You," I could feel the laugh coming on already, "use a vibrator?"

"Yeah so?"

"HOLY FUCKING SHIT!" I bent over in laughter.

"Oh, put a sock in it!" she glared at me and sat with arms folded and jaw tense. "Don't pretend like you don't use the one I got you for Christmas."

"Why?" I asked when I had finally regained my breath.

"You really need to ask that?" she turned towards the kitchen and looked back at me.

"You're right. I don't." I burst with another bout of laughter.

With eyes brows raised and eyes set in a glare, she eyed me. "Don't make a fuss about this. It was created for a purpose and it served that purpose very well to me!"

"Alright, alright. Calm down, Pocahontas."

"It's not funny."

I flashed her one of my smiles. "No one said it is."

***

"Ed, this is honestly the best bacon I've ever had." I moaned as my taste buds continued feasting in my mouth. "Both of you are literally gourmets in the kitchen. Your kids are gonna be so lucky."

Ed chuckled softly and only when I looked up to smile at him did I hear Jenna curse.

"What happened?" My eyes followed the stream of water running on the table and onto the marble floor.

"I spilled water. I'll get some paper towels." She got on her feet.

The air around the kitchen was stale, tense. Ed's eyes didn't leave her until she disappeared behind the door of her room. The second she got out, Ed resumed his eating. I resumed mine too. Jenna was probably just in a mood.

After my shower, I grabbed my bag and was soon on my way out.

"You sure you're gonna be okay?"

"Course I am." I smiled. "Just a meeting."

"Bye."

Waving, I shut the door behind me and hailed a taxi. Immediately the taxi pulled up on my driveway, I got out of the vehicle and with one glance at our apartment, my breath hitched. I wondered if he was home. I wondered if he'd even talk to me if he was. Well, there was only one way to find out. Stilling my thoughts, I made for the front door.

Exhaling in both relief and disappointment at the fact that Eric wasn't home, I pulled out an outfit from my closet and threw it on. After putting on my red bottom heels, I layered my lashes with some mascara and applied some lip balm to gloss my lips. Scrutinizing my reflection in the mirror, I settled for a little more colour and ran a single trip of red over my lips.

I grabbed my black handbag from my closet and locked the door behind me. Immediately I got into the taxi, I ordered the driver to take me to Westrn.

"Shit." I muttered under my breath when the empty battery sign flashed in my face before my phone screen went completely black.

Stalking my favourite celebrities proved to be helping with the waiting and anticipation and now with a dead phone, my anxiety shot through the roof. Taking several calming breaths, I busied myself with the passing cars.

When we finally came to a stop, I was forced to look up. Stepping out of the taxi, my eyes drank in the exterior of the castle-like building.

With the words, WESTRN-BLUE HOTEL AND SUITES, boldly imprinted on the front, the blue building stood tall and majestic in the street. The street lights, people and hell, even the air around, felt more expensive than my existence.

Well, this was it.

Summoning enough courage to actually take a step towards the hotel without taking ten steps back, I pushed the door.

*****************************

-C