~Tracey~
I thought about what Jives told me. He said I needed to stand my ground, or ask Brad what the hell was going on, and to do what’s right for me.
I wanted to know the truth. Was he cheating on me? Did he really have as much business as he claimed? I needed to know.
I tried to call him again and again, but still no answer. I then went over to his studio, and that’s when I saw it.
He was there with her. She was in a perfectly pressed suit, with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a curvy figure. She was talking to him, and I could practically see the cleavage bursting from her chest. He seemed to be noticing it too, because I saw that Brad didn’t look anywhere else. I grimaced, annoyed by this.
“So, do you have a date for the art show tonight?” she asked him.
“No, but you could be,” he told me with a smile on his face.
“Oh, really? I’m surprised you chose me. I mean, don’t you have that girlfriend of yours,” she said.
“You kidding? She probably won’t want to go to something like this. She hasn’t called or texted me in days. At this point, I don’t even see the point of dragging this on,” he said to her.
The two of them laughed, and I was fuming. How dare he treat me like I’m nothing! That fucking bastard. I looked at the way she sauntered her hips, and soon she was right next to him.
“Well, tell you what, why don’t the two of us have our own little fun then,” she said.
He then turned to her, their lips immediately up against one another. I felt like I was going to be sick. “I like the sound of that,” he replied.
That’s it. I was done with this charade. I couldn’t go on feeling like he’s actually interested in me. He didn’t care, and I could see what he does behind closed doors. I immediately grabbed the door, opening it and looking directly at him. He jumped about five feet into the air, shock settling in on his face.
“Oh, it’s you!” he said, looking at me.
“I have a name, you know. Not that you would care,” I said.
“It’s not what it looks like, Tracey,” he said.
“Oh, it’s totally what it looks like. Don’t play dumb, Brad. I’ll be honest with you, I’m pretty pissed with the way you’ve been acting. I can’t believe you think our relationship is some sort of joke, and that you can get away with this. So, let me guess, all those false promises were not real either,” I said.
“I swear, this isn’t what it looks like! And I mean, you’re one to talk! You haven’t called or texted me, period,” he said.
“I have. Take a look,” I said.
I showed him the calls and texts, and then he stepped back, looking at me.
“I swear, I just have a different number. That’s all,” he told me.
“Bull-fucking-shit. I’m done with you,” I told him.
“But Tracey!”
“You ruined this. I don’t have time for a man like you Brad. You haven’t been affectionate towards me in a while, and honestly, I don’t feel the love. I’d rather be single and not have to worry about someone like you, than to have to worry about being with a liar and a cheat,” I said.
The words cut through to him, and I was glad that they did.
“But, Tracey, wait for me! I swear I’m sorry,” he said.
“No, you’re not. You’re not sorry. I caught you in the act right beforehand. And I’m sure that if I didn’t come in when I did, you probably would’ve been fucking her by the time I did say something. You’re gross, Brad, and honestly, I don’t know how we stayed together for so long. I just, I can’t stand this. I told myself a long time ago that I won’t sit down and appreciate mediocrity. And now, I will do what’s right for me,” I told him.
After he looked at me once more, his eyes begging for me to stay, I stepped out, flipping him off and slamming the door. Tears flooded my eyes, and I couldn’t help but feel like I had something to do with it. I didn’t though. I tried to be a great girlfriend to him, to take care of him, to love him, and I did try my best to spend time with him when I did, but he did this. He hurt me like this and, for that, I honestly couldn’t forgive him.
I wanted to cry, but I wasn’t able to. I felt as if this was just another day in my life, another hellish nightmare that would hopefully soon go away. I went over to my studio, immediately wondering what I should do now.
I wanted to paint. Even though I didn’t know what I would paint, I just did that. I painted. I began to paint everything that I could, moving my hands in a skilled, meaningful manner, and it was all I knew that resonated with me. I didn’t feel pressured when I painted, and I actually did manage to get a lot of work done. But I also worked on my own pieces, a couple of paintings that showed me how I really felt. I was happy to finally work on my own art, but I also felt pretty upset about the whole mess. However, I didn’t know that it was about to get worse, but it sure as hell would.
After I finished work for the day, I noticed that there was a call on my phone from a different number. I realized it was an intergalactic phone call. That could only mean one thing.
“Audrey!” I cried out. I dialed the number, shocked that she would be calling me finally. After a couple of rings, I heard her voice.
“There you are,” she said to me.
“I’ve missed you!” I cried out. After the bullshit that happened, being betrayed like that, this was a pleasant sort of surprise.
“Well, I’m glad that I can make you happy. So, how’s it been?” she asked.
“I’ve been better. I found out Brad’s been cheating on me with his new agent. I found out unfortunately by walking in on them having some time together. So, now I’m single once more,” I told her.
“Oh, damn. I’m really sorry, Tracey,” she said.
“Honestly, don’t be. He’s gross. I know you’ve warned me about him, and I know that in the past you’ve told me that he might not be the best guy for me, but I didn’t listen to you. I was a dumbass,” I told her.
“Listen, we all make mistakes. I’ve done that. Anyway, are you doing okay, though?” she asked
“Yeah. It just sucks, since you’re all the way on another planet, and I mean, we can’t just go out and get drunk together,” I told her. I mean, I would love that right about now.
“Even if I was there, we wouldn’t be able to do that,” she told me.
I paused, listening to those words. “What do you mean? You love drinking,” I said.
“Yeah, but I can’t right now. Actually, there is another reason why I called you tonight Tracey. I wanted to tell you something. Something big. Something that I think you should know. I know we’re on different planets, and my job leaves me almost no time to do shit, but I do want you to know something,” she said.
Oh, God. What did she mean by that? I felt a bit scared, unsure of what she was going on about, but then, she spoke.
“So, Remi and I have a huge announcement. I actually am pregnant,” she told me.
Those words were so seemingly innocent, and yet I was so angry about them. I listened, frustrated by the way those words seemed to hit me. Why did I feel so annoyed by it? Why was I angry? Was it because of what happened?
“Oh. Great,” I said.
“I thought you’d be happier,” she said.
“I am happy, Audrey. It’s just… I’m kind of upset after the whole Brad thing. But don’t worry, I’ll be all right,” I told her.
“Are you sure? I mean, I won’t really be able to hang out with you or anything,” she said.
“Don’t worry, I’ll figure it out on my own,” I told her.
I would have to.
“Good. I hope it works out. Anyway, if you want to, when I do have the baby and I come back to Earth, you can come see it,” she said.
“That’s fine,” I said.
“Anyway, I feel sick as fuck. I just wanted to touch base and tell you what’s going on. Love you,” she said.
“Love you too.”
When the phone clicked, I felt more miserable than ever before. It wasn’t even because she was having a kid. I wasn’t jealous of that. It was mostly the fact that the stable force in my life for so long, my best friend, now had a new life to attend to, one that didn’t involve me. Honestly, that really hurt.
I didn’t want her to feel bad, but dammit, this hurt me quite a lot. I just hoped it worked out for her, and that her and Remi were happy. I mean, I’m not happy. I’m losing everyone that I had in my life, but there was still one person around that I could talk to.
Jives.