The lost parts of another story

1

Jade puts the lid back on the sizzling bacon as her phone rings for the second time in a row, wishing to ignore the ringing she stares at her phone as it continues to go off. With a final breath she clicks to answer the persistent calls. "Hey Ma, yea I know i'm sorry, i have been really busy lately" Jade turns to lean against the counter so she can shoot Asa a daring glare as she hears the snickers coming from the couch. She wasn't completely honest with her mother but she never really has been and today didn't feel like the day to turn a new leaf. "And you know how expensive tickets are, yea yea I know" putting the phone in between her ear and shoulder she turns back to the stove and continues to cook. Frustration sets in on her face as she continues with short quips to her mother glaring at her friend any chance she got.
"What's going on now?" Asa teases as they dangle off the couch as soon as Jade hangs up the phone.
"Apparently my grandmother is still dying and they are all convinced that this time will be the time. They are promising it is not like the last handful of times they were sure she was going to kick the bucket." She starts to chop up some vegetables making whatever she could think of with the contents of their shared fridge in the shared apartment. The task of Sunday night dinners had always been Jade's job as the challenge excited her, with hardly ever more than enough ingredients to make a simple dish she had to push herself to think of new dishes that they didn't eat last weekend.
Asa gets off the couch and tries to steal a bite of dinner as Jade slaps their hand out of the way with a chastising grin, "I'm sorry babe, I know you don't like going home" Asa says as they hug Jade swaying softly, tucking her head under their chin. The soft crackling of the bacon created background noise as Jade's head spun.
After a moment, Jade whispers tightly barely audible to Asa, they stop swaying so Asa can listen, "I'm just- I just can't afford a ticket right now." They know better than to pry but that more is going on than Jade wants to let on.
Jade can tell Asa has started talking more because of the rumbling in their chest than because she was paying attention, "What if you and I were to go. Together." Asa tests the question weighing their options of continuing, "That way you won't be alone, I know how much your grandma means to you and I don't want you to miss seeing her one last time." Asa pulls back to hold Jade by the shoulders and makes sure Jade looks at them in the eyes "I'll even buy your ticket, I have been saving some and want this for you." Asa loosens their grip and Jade looks to the floor. She has never been good at receiving gifts, she never got many that didn't come with strings before she met Asa.
After a beat Jade turns abruptly from their grasp and starts pulling the bacon off the pan and throwing the next batch on with more aggression than is necessary then moves to the pot that was boiling and whisks the contents. After she finished her tasks she glanced back to Asa who had retreated back to the couch. The one piece of actual furniture that they have in their living area, they were so proud the day that they got that couch. It was not a large couch but it barely made it through the door let alone trying to make it fit in the space itself. The only way the couch fits is if it spills into their hardly there kitchen that only has a fridge, stove, sink, and one small section of counter space. Nothing else will fit in their living space except the TV that sits on the ground, and even that gets bumped into regularly as they come and go. "You know we have established that you and I are not gonna work, you don't have to keep trying to woo me or win me over." Jade says not unkindly trying to get a rise out of Asa.

Asa gets this wicked grin, "We both know my charm is irresistible, that's why you are still living in my place." Jade flicks whatever was on her whisk in their direction.
Softer than before Asa continues, "Hey, i'm just saying, think about it ok" Jade turns back around flipping the bacon over as she thinks of her reply.
Defeated, she responds, "I will think about it, but don't get too big of a head. We agreed that this was the cheapest rent and we are great as friends even if you couldn't keep up with my romantic needs." Obviously teasing as she points at Asa with her whisk as they hold their hands up as if they were the guilty one. They both know she is without a romantic bone in her body, Asa was the romantic out of the two of them. Even after they had decided to stop dating and stay friends Asa will still come home with just-because flowers and know the best non-dates dates to take Jade on.
    With a pleading look shot Jade's way Asa continues, "We could buy one way tickets, I know you love fresh starts and it feels like you have almost hit your quota of time here. We spend some time with your family and then keep moving west and find a new city." Asa wasn't wrong she was getting tired of her job that never has enough work for her and threatens to lay her off. She has never been great at staying in one spot, even though staying with Asa has been the only time she felt like she had a home, she was getting restless.
Leaning against the counter and crossing her arms, Jade sits and thinks for a moment "Now you make a convincing argument, but I can't just take your money. We don't work that way." Asa lets out a huff as they throw themselves further into the couch. Jade moves as a drip falls from her whisk she turns and grabs a towel to clean it up.
From somewhere between the cushions "I have also been wanting to get out, this is our chance, please Jade just think about this as a means to an end" Jade stands from where she was cleaning on the ground and moves to finish working on dinner turning over what Asa said in her head.
Even as she sat on her bed listening to the pipes whine as Asa finished their forever long shower, in the closet sized room that is her bedroom, she wasn't sure this was a great idea. The deadweight of her phone is a constant reminder of what she has to decide. Looking at the ceiling she closes her eyes taking in the musty smell of the apartment, a comforting scent that reminds her of the love Asa has shown her in the last year. She wasn't sure this was even a good idea as she opened her phone and hit send to the message she had written over an hour ago. She did however feel excited to leave the city she was in and find a new place to explore and with a final exhale she put her phone down and crawled under her sheets.