The Wrong One

Chapter 10

Ten days passed and all I had accomplished was moving from my bed to the couch. Take out containers were the new face of my coffee table and I hadn't showered in 3 days. Who knew heartbreak was this bad? Ok well I'm sure everyone but this was new to me. I was never aloud to date so I never knew what it was like to be madly swept up by someone and then dropped back down like a sack of potatoes. Ten whole days and I had heard nothing from Jake. I'm not sure what I was expecting. Maybe a "hey I made it to Australia, talk soon?" would've sufficed. Just as I was drinking my fourth cup of coffee for the day my phone buzzed. I swear my heart has never beat so fast. Ugh, it was just a work email. Which I had been avoiding since Jake left. How am I supposed to focus on my music career right now when the potential love of my life is in another country?

"Hi Grace, look I'm sure you have a lot going on right now but Jake wants you to get back in the studio and start recording. Precious time is money! See ya soon." The email was from Noah, Jake's assistant. Jake wanted me in the studio? Which means he does have his phone on him and working actually, just avoiding me. I decided it was time to accept that me and Jake aren't working out anytime soon. I drug myself from the couch to the shower and actually felt refreshed after getting ready for the first time in over a week. Sarah had been calling my phone nonstop for the past two days, so I figured it was time to call her back. 

"Wow, she lives! Where the hell have you been? I've been trying to call you because I have juicy gossip that simply cannot wait." Sarah always had gossip. I was never sure where she heard it from but convinced she worked with TMZ. "Yeah, sorry I've been uh busy. Been in the studio nonstop letting my creative juices flow. What's up?" Ok, she would definitely know what's up now. Creative juices? Who says that. "Sure, of course. But this is going to blow your mind. So the Jake guy that you had been talking to is apparently seeing a very popular model in Australia. If you've been living under a rock for the past couple weeks then you wouldn't have seen it. Go on instagram and look up Kat Von Tross. She isn't native to Australia obviously but she has been doing a shoot there. It shows them leaving restaurants together, grabbing coffee, etc." 

She kept talking but I couldn't hear her. All I could hear was my heart about to leap out of my chest and throw itself in front of a moving vehicle. How could he move on that fast? And with a model nonetheless? I've been sitting here eating my weight in ice cream and Chinese food and he's going on dates with super models? That's fine. Two can play that game. "Sarah, what's that app you were telling me about? Where you can swipe or something and find a date?" She paused for a minute. "Tinder or Bumble? Did you hear anything I just said? You're man is macking on some hottie tottie super model. A super model Grace! Are you even the slightest bit upset?"

I couldn't answer her right now. Partly because my heart was shattered into a million pieces and partly because I was angry. I wanted to call him and give him a piece of my mind and shun him for leaving me in the dark for the past week and a half. "Sarah, I have to go. I'm at the studio and well time is money. I'll talk to you later about this. I don't really have an answer for you right now." Two hours later, I wrapped up my session and was actually feeling inspired. I guess I used my rage against Jake to make three killer songs. I was about to leave the studio when an arm on my shoulder stopped me. "Hey you look familiar, what's your name?" I turned around to see this striking man with huge blue eyes. His skin was perfectly kissed from the sun and those muscles. He must've noticed I was drooling because he chuckled and waved a hand in front of my face. 

"Oh wow, I'm so sorry. Just a little tired. I'm Grace, sort of new around here. And you are?" with a quick push of his hair back he gave me a huge, pearly white grin. "I'm Adam. Jake and I worked closely together before he took off and I remember seeing you at the club a couple times. How are you?" Right, forgot to mention Jake had taken me to a nightclub a few times before he split out of my life. How am I? I mean really. My heart is broken and all I want to do is run home, slip on my favorite yoga pants and eat ice cream. "Oh yeah I thought you looked familiar. I'm great thanks for asking. Hey this might sound a little forward but I was just heading out for some coffee. Want to join?" Whoa, down girl. "You know that sounds amazing, let's go." 

He led me to his very nice and I'm sure very expensive car. He opened the door for me and sprinted to the other side. What a gentleman. "So, where to? I know a great place on fifth that that has amazing espresso. It's a little far but totally worth it. You down?" I smiled and shook my head. Why not dude, what else do I have to do besides wallow in self pity. On the way there we talked about our families, friends, hobbies, dislikes, etc. Literally anything and everything you could think of. I hadn't had this much fun talking to someone since...well you know. "Here we are, let me grab your door. I promise this place is great." I think he said that because the outside looked like an abandoned old warehouse. 

Inside the atmosphere was so eclectic and cool. I could see why this was such a special spot. "Hi, welcome to Beans, what can I get you?" The menu was so overwhelming I had no clue where to start. "Look, I know this menu can be confusing but let's start with the basics. Hot or iced? Strong or sweet?" I didn't realize he was such a coffee connoisseur. "Uh iced, sweet but also strong and nothing with hazelnut or whipped cream." He smiled and ordered something I didn't understand and sounded complicated. After we finally found a seat I started sipping on my iced confusing named latte. "Wow, this is actually really good. Thanks for ordering for me." I smiled shyly as he drank in my entire face intensely. "I'm kind of like a coffee pro so it's no issue." 

After a few hours sitting and talking I felt like I knew him so well. "Oh wow, it's getting late. I should probably get back to my car." He led me to there car where he opened the door for me might I add. "Look, Grace. I'd like to do this again. I had a lot of fun with you and I don't know why but I just feel so close to you already. I mean I did tell you about the time I walked around with toilet paper on the bottom of my shoe." we both laughed and I felt a deep well in my stomach. Otherwise known as butterflies. "I had a great time too but where I'm at right now with my confusing relationship with Jake, I just don't think it's a great time to jump into something new. I hope you understand. I would still love to be friends." After a long, awkward ride back to the studio, I tried to break the silence. 

"Look, Adam. I can tell I upset you and that's the last thing I want to do. I think you are a great person and potentially a great friend. Like I said, I'm just not in a great place emotionally right now and that wouldn't be fair to you." He finally looked at me with such intensity I had to shift in my seat. "Grace, if Jake couldn't see how great you were. How much you have to offer, then the best thing he did was go to Australia alone. I know you don't want to hear that but he could've one hundred percent taken you with him. The thing that was stopping him, was him. He's always been so selfish. Always thinking about number one. Him. Can't you see that? You are this amazing, selfless, great woman who deserves to be cherished. I will be here whenever you decide to trust me." He kissed my hand and I was speechless. Utterly and completely speechless.