"Hey so how is it over there? You having fun? You doing good?" I casually asked, phone to my ear laying in bed staring up at the ceiling as I waited for Vee's response, picking at my 100 thread silk sheets.
"Harry, it's 4 in the morning here..." Vee's half conscious voice slurred over the speaker.
"Oh wow, it's 6 am here, just a few hours ahead of you. Isn't that like, so cool how each part of the globe just has different time zones-"
"Mhm. Really cool babe. I'm really sleepy still so I'll call you when I wake up, okay?" She informed in a slow, gravelly voice as I tried to mask the disappointment in my tone.
"Oh right, sure of course, you must be tired-"
"Yeah."
"I should let you go then. Ha, just call me whenever you want, or whenever you're free you know- I'll- I'll be here." I continued, sounding completely pathetic even to my own ears as I heard her release a small "mhm" of acknowledgement.
"Okay, I love you. Night." Vee's soft, sleepy voice said, and I had no idea whether it was because she was half awake or she just didn't care but the words slipped out so naturally out of her mouth that I was stunned into silence for a moment, blinking with wide eyes, sweaty hands, a racing heart, and flushed cheeks.
Say it, just fucking say it back you idiot.
"Vee, I- I care about you so much and I- hello?" The sound of her heavy breathing emanated from my device, the kind of breathing I was now so used to falling asleep to since it was the sound of her sleeping besides me.
I stayed on the phone a little longer, even if she was no longer awake, staring up at the ceiling listening to her slow, steady breathing as if she was laying right beside me before I decided to end the call, not wanting her to wake up to find me listening to her sleeping on the other line like a creep.
My head turned to the right side of my bed where Vee always slept, the space looking empty and cold as I ran a hand over my face in frustration.
My gaze then moved to the floating red balloon in the corner of the room, the 'I love you' seeming to mock me with the words that struggled to pass my own lips.
I sighed, resting my head back onto my pillow.
I really needed to get out.
There was a time 'BV' as I liked to call it, Before Vee, where I'd spend my days out in the sun, on my private yacht or beaches chasing exotic babes in bikinis with a bottle of champagne, laughing and spraying their slick bodies with the expensive drink.
Thought I could try reliving that now that Vee wasn't here.
I sipped at my glass of champagne, cupping the side of my mouth and letting out a holler of celebration, smirking, watching one of my closest mates Chandler chase the Puerto Rican girls around the yacht, bouncing and giggling.
One of them came closer to me, batting her lashes and combing a manicured hand through her wet, jet black hair as she sent me a smile.
My own smile immediatly dropped.
"Don't touch me I have a girlfriend." I quickly pressed myself closer to the corner I had permanently situated myself in with a stern face, raising the hand that was holding the red balloon up to stop her and opening my buttoned, pastel shirt to reveal the shirt with Vee's face on it underneath.
All my friends looked at me, at least one or two sun kissed women clinging onto each of them aside from me where I had isolated myself to the shaded far end of my yacht, holding on to Vee's red balloon she had given me, hand still raised to the sweaty, shapely girl in front of me like I was a holy priest and she was some type of horrid exorcist.
