The Heartbreak Factor - Part Two

Chapter Fifty-Four.

Standing on the edge of the stage, I looked across at Lisa, who was stood at the back of the room and smiled at her. It wasn't even the nerves that were getting the better of me. It was one thing in particular that was getting over my mind and taking over the space in my brain that should have been focusing on the rehearsals for the big performance this weekend - George. Moments before I got onto the stage, my phone buzzed. I opened up the text from George to only be able to read the first few words of his message before Lisa ushered me down the corridor towards the stage, where Ed was waiting for us to rehearse our duet ahead of this weekend’s concert.

The words kept replaying in my mind as the sound engineers altered the equipment on the stage and the lighting directors experimented with different lighting sequences - ‘I’m your supposed boyfriend yet..’ There was so many different ways that message could end. He could be joking and saying he’s seen paparazzi photos with me and some celebrity I’d met in Los Angeles, or some ridiculous rumour he’d picked up on Twitter. But then there was the other end of the possibility spectrum. He could be really upset with me. I hoped it was the first one, but in my heart I knew it would be the second one. 

My mind kept replaying the words as I tried to focus on the rehearsals but the trying turned into a possibility. Luckily, by the time we finished the first run through, a speaker decided to blow a fuse, causing the directors of the concert to cancel the rest of the rehearsals and just to reschedule the run through until the morning of the concert - Saturday. 

As soon as I got out of the arena and into Lisa’s car, I reluctantly read the rest of the message. 

“I’m your supposed boyfriend yet I feel like a complete stranger to you. You hardly have time for me and it feels like you’ve forgotten that I even exist. I know you’re some big hot shot now in Los Angeles and I’m proud of you, but I wish you weren’t such a complete ass about it.” 

My heart sank and my worry was filled with a surprise emotion of anger. Instead of replying, I shoved my phone into the pocket of my hoodie and slouched back into the car seat, pretending like nothing had happened. 

Sat on the edge of the steps of the villa, looking out at the waves as they crashed onto the shore, I wrapped my arms around my chest as the cool ocean breeze blew along the beach. Looking out at the horizon, I sighed to myself as my phone vibrated on my lap for the second time. Hesitantly, I picked my phone up and unlocked the screen to view the text message that was evidently from George. "Are you okay to talk or have you got things more important to do than talk to your supposed boyfriend?"

I didn't even reply by text, instead, I pressed 'call' and put the phone to my ear aggressively. As I waited for George to pick up, I heard some clattering noises coming from inside the villa behind me over the international dialling tone. Getting up off the steps, I walked across the sand and down the beach, waiting for him to pick up as my anger raged inside, "Hello?"

"What the fuck did you mean by that text?" I scowled down the phone. "Supposed boyfriend? You are my boyfriend, you know you are, so why say that?"

"How am I supposed to react, Sammy? You're on the other side of the world to me and I don't know when you're gonna be back. We might as well just end everything we've had and got if this is how it's gonna be like."

"Gonna be like what?" I asked, confused as to where this was coming for.

"I really can't be doing with this anymore, Sammy," George snapped. "You've been gone for three weeks now. I've been trying to make time for you but you can't do the same for me."

"I've made time for you. Our nightly phone call is 1pm here and 9pm there - just like we agreed the other week."

"Oh, one hour slot each day for me? Is that it?" George asked. “Is that all I mean to you? Do you really think that one hour a day is enough? Is that all I deserve? Sixty minutes out of your entire day?”