Jack & Lucy

Jack

We left the hotel and headed back to Phoenix on cloud nine. I know Lucy said she was going to be the insatiable one, but I'm pretty sure I was the one already craving her again. She made a plan with Stella and Fischer for dinner tonight from the passenger seat and then proudly showed me a picture she posted of us snuggled up on the cabana bed. She's laying against me and the amount of skin showing and the lopsided grins we're both wearing basically tell the world that we are fucking. 

"I told all of Facebook that I am in a relationship with Jack Dalton," she tells me smugly while looking at me behind her cat-eye sunglasses. "And made it pretty clear on Instagram. You'll be in the video I am dropping on TikTok and YouTube on Monday so by Tuesday, the entire world will know you're mine." 

"Has Maggie said anything to you on any of these platforms yet?" I ask, wondering if the Valentine's are going to publicly shame us. 

"She texted me this morning and told me our final checks were ready to be picked up," she says in a melancholy tone. "Guess our friendship status is now, it's complicated." 

"She'll come around. She'll realize she misses you. Trust me, I know from experience," I tell her and she gives me a small smile. She lets me listen to my "shitty" music on the way back to Phoenix and she eventually passes out with her head tilted back and her lips partly opened. When we stop at a red light, I snatch my phone out of the cupholder to snap a picture of her completely passed out. I'm about to open the camera when I see I have an unexpected text from Keeley Thomas. I dart a glance over to Lucy and decide not to open it, I have no idea what it will say since I haven't talked to her since I strategically ghosted her about a month ago. I was in a weird headspace with Lucy and Keeley was uncomfortably calling me her future husband after we went to Mexico together in December. We had a fucking wild time in Cabo and I didn't think she saw it as her taking a boyfriend away for Christmas. But she did. She kept pushing me to define our relationship and I did not want to tell her I had just figured out I was in love with my best friend after I denied having feelings for Lucy when she asked me about it one night at Mag's. It started to get messy and I wanted none of it. I stopped having sex with her shortly after Lucy left and I stopped texting her altogether before Valentine's Day. She eventually took the hint, so I wonder why she is now texting me almost a month later. 

When we arrive back at my house, I jostle my girlfriend awake and she whines about having to get ready for dinner. She trudges off toward her side of the house and when I hear her bedroom door close, I pull my phone out. I open Keeley's message and read:

Keeley Thomas: Are you fucking serious???

I read her text again and debate writing her back. I am confused as to where her hostility is coming from so I decide to write:

Wrong number??

A message comes back within seconds. 

Keeley Thomas: This is Jack Dalton, No?

Yes, hi Keeley.

Keeley Thomas: Oh, so your phone does work. 

Never said it didn't.

Keeley Thomas: Were your hands broken then? Wondering why you couldn't write me back. 

I stare at my phone, totally confused. I have no idea why she is coming at me right now and I don't know if I even want to engage. I decide not to play games and just ask. 

What's up, Keeley? What do you need?

Keeley Thomas: Closure asswipe. I just wanted to let you know I think it's bullshit that you said you needed to focus on school and that you were drowning in classwork and didn't have time for a relationship just to see you now flaunting your new relationship with Lucy Halloway of all people. Why did you tell me there was nothing there??? You told me she was just a co-worker. If you didn't want to be with me fine, but fuck you for stringing me along. That's a real shitty way to treat someone Jackass.