The Housemaid [in edit]

The Housemaid - Chapter Thirty-Two

NOTE: The countdown to the final chapter is on!!! Oh, my emotions...

Actually, the next may be the last...

32—The Final Decision

As Christine and Jay walked back into the apartment, they silently parted ways: Jay went back to sleep, while Christine went to her room to grab comfortable clothes to dress for the day and changed in the bathroom. Since the band was still asleep, Christine knew she couldn’t sit around and wait for them to wake up—she had to get out of there. It was starting to dawn on her of how much pressure they were giving her, just like what they did with Penny. She left them a note that she was going to buy them food, and left the apartment.

By the time she walked in the garage, the heavy weight on her shoulders began to lift slowly. A drive around town couldn't hurt to leave sleeping men in her apartment for a while. 

She was on her way to her car when she saw Joanna come walking in, fresh faced and cheerful after a night in with her friends. 

“Where are you off to?” Joanna asked with a grin. Christine wondered why she was so cheerful at this hour. Joanna’s face softened the moment she noticed the worried look on Christine’s face. “…What happened?”

“Get in the car and I’ll tell you.” Christine said. She went in the driver’s seat. Joanna shrugged and obeyed her sister’s orders. As soon as they left the parking garage, Christine began to tell her the story of how Eric was asked to bring her to her favorite bookstore, just so the band could tell her that she had been part of a cruel bet started by the band’s manager and her own; how the band’s real life girlfriends came to part with this, up until the morning with Jay. 

During the drive, Joanna went on a rant, screaming how much she hated the band for doing that to her, and hated herself for loving them. By the time they were parked in the parking lot at a local park, Joanna started sobbing. 

“Joanna, please don’t cry…” Christine frowned. 

“They were such nice people!!!” She cried.

“And they still are, Jo." 

“But it changes everything!” She sniffled. “How will I face the band who betrayed you now that I know what they’ve done? And why the hell would you keep them in our apartment even if they didn’t have anywhere else to go?! I can’t believe Eric even allowed this—”

“Jo, Jo…” Christine placed her hands on her sister’s shoulders. “…I have it under control, okay? The six of us have been through a great deal up to this point, so…it’s fair that I give them something in return, at least. They might leave later today so we won’t have them under our roof for much longer.”

“Fine…” Joanna rolled her eyes. “…What are you gonna do about Tom, then? He had always given you looks…looks of eye sex or something like that. It’s kind of annoying.”

Christine couldn’t help but blush, or even laugh. Joanna’s change of heart for the band was an amusing sight to see. She cleared her throat before she lost herself in amusement. “…That’s a good question…um…I…think…I want to break it off with him—”

“As you should!” Joanna promptly shouted.

“Jo!” Christine sighed, “This is serious…I really like him. But as much as I do…I don’t think I want to be with anyone right now…not even with Jay.”

Joanna’s eyes widened with a small gasp. “You realized you haven’t exactly…fully recovered from…you know, from the stuff that happened with you, and the counseling sessions? Don’t get me wrong, Chris, but…I’m glad you found and worked in your first ever job, but…it seems like you may have rushed yourself…with…wanting a relationship, especially when you lived with attractive men who all happen to be in a boy band.”