They Could Care Less

51: Imperfect Relationship

"What is it?" Jackson asked and stirred his drink around with the straw.

"Nothing," Thea lied and pushed her meatballs around with her fork.

"Why don't I believe you then?" he asked and Thea looked up.

"If you want the truth, I'll give it to you. And I won't be nice about it," Thea told him and his stirring movements stopped. "You're so engaged in your movies, series and red carpet events that I now talk to you once a week. We used to live with each other! Now I don't even know what continent you're on. It hurts to think that I might be your second biggest priority," she let the words spill out without even bothering filtering them because it had consumed her, the dark evil thoughts and it was a rush of adrenaline and relief to let it all out.

"You were the one that encouraged me to do it!" he hissed and Thea crossed her arms.

"Yes, but I expected you to continue being who you are! Now you're just some celebrity I see on the front page of gossip magazines."

"You should be happy for me! That I get to live my lifelong dream!" he said. Thea heard in his voice how he wanted her to support every choice he made, but Thea she was unsure if she could really continue doing that when his sudden fame was the very thing tearing them apart. "Please don't become my parents..." he pleaded and reached for her hand. Thea quickly pulled her hand back and took her purse off the chair.

"Perhaps you should consider thinking about me once in a while first," she whispered before she left him in the busy, dim restaurant. No one had noticed their argument, and no one had noticed Thea leaving. They were all in their own worlds and paid little attention to others, just like he did...

The same night Thea heard how Jackson knocked on her door, but she laid still in her bed silently. Not long after he gave up and she heard him walk back into his own room with heavy steps.

"What do you mean you're not coming for dinner with my parents?" Jackson yelled, and Thea's anger boiled and bubbled up to the surface before it spilled.

"I have things to do tonight! Besides, you told me ten minutes ago when you walked through the door that we were supposed to meet your parents in an hour!" she screamed back.

"What could be more urgent and important then? I texted you, but you weren't answering!" he screamed back and Thea let out a big scream of frustration.

"You know I'm having my phone fixed, you were the one that turned it in! Or did you already forget that like you forget everything else?" Thea shouted across the room.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" he stopped and asked, clearly offended.

"You know very well what it means, Mr. Meyers!" Thea screamed, picked up a pillow off the couch and threw it at him. It barely touched him before gravity kicked in and it fell to his feet.

"Now it's my fault that you're suddenly busy? Well, I'm sorry then, Ms. Perfect!"

"I'm not the busy one here! I'm not the one filming every single hour of the day, I'm not the one forgetting important days!" Thea screamed until her voice turned hoarse. He didn't reply, he only looked at her grimly. Thea studied his face, and slowly came to the realization that he really had forgotten. "Boyfriend of the year goes to you, congratulations!" Thea said as tears started to well up in her eyes.

"Thea-" he said and tried to grab her wrist, but Thea quickly reacted and pulled it away, his fingers graced her skin before she turned around with tears in her eyes.

"Don't even try," she whispered before she walked into her room and slammed the door. She collapsed in tears and sat with her back against the door. The tears streamed down her face as she recieved a text. She pulled her phone out and read.