Misery Business
Let the Pain Remind You Hearts Can Heal
Chapter inspiration: Hate to See Your Heart Break – Paramore
Even after fifteen minutes, Victoria was still in the same position: hands locked around the steering wheel with her forehead leaning on it. From the corner of her eye, she could see a car pull up behind hers. It was hard to see with the rain hammering, but she managed to spot Jack’s lanky body running through the downpour.
He opened the passenger seat and quickly slid in, his gray sweatshirt already soaked. He shook the water out of his hair, looking back at the remains of the CD in the backseat. “I’m guessing you listened to the disc.” He joked, but Victoria didn’t make a move. It was like she was corpse.
He debated on it, but he soon reached over and put a hand on her shoulder. “Vic, what happened?”
“Everything.” She sniffled into the leather wheel.
“Does it have to do with Alex?”
She didn’t answer, just turned her head his way so he could see the lines of mascara running down her cheeks. “I didn’t want to tell you before.”
“Fuck, Vic.” He pulled at her face and rubbed away the dark lines under her eyes. “Why didn’t you want me to know?”
“I don’t want you and Alex to fight anymore.” She closed her eyes.
“Just tell me what happened.” He begged, pulling her close to him in the passenger seat and having her head rest in the crook of his shoulder.
She was silent for a moment, until finally she clung onto the collar of his shirt while whispering, “She caught us.”
It didn’t take Jack long to guess who that was.
She continued as he brushed strands of hair from her face. “It wasn’t supposed to fucking happen. He came over to say sorry again when you left yesterday and I didn’t accept, but then he kissed me and I―” She breathed in heavily. “She caught us in the doorway and went fucking ballistic, saying your band was ruined forever.”
His brow furrowed. “So you’re saying―”
“She’s been blackmailing Alex the whole time to stay with her.” She felt a sigh of relief escape her lungs as Jack traced circles into her back. “If the relationship were to ever break, she would threaten him with a bad review of your band and ruin your lives on that fucking Buzznet website where she’s a writer and editor.”
“That’s why Alex had stayed with her …”
“And then this afternoon,” she started again, and Jack knew this was going to be the thunder of the storm. “He had come over while I was leaving for work. He said Lisa would forgive him if he―” deep breath “―had no more contact with me. I had to delete my contact from his phone and promise to the deal. And then I just didn’t go to work because I wanted to clear my head.” She moved her head a little to look at the pieces of the CD. “It didn’t really help.”
Jack let out a sigh, trying to stay calm as his fingers brushed over Victoria’s fair skin. “I’m going to kill him …”
“No, don’t,” she suddenly sat up. “I don’t want this to spiral out of control.”
“It’s already spiraled, Vic! He’s put your through complete misery these past few weeks, and you’re just gonna let him off with it?”
She looked down at her hands, lacing them together in nervousness.
Jack finally understood, and he rolled his eyes. “You’re still in love with him …”
She nodded slowly.
“Okay, let’s just …” He couldn’t take her to work, she’d kill him. He ran a hand through his hair as he thought of what to do. “I’ll just take you back to the apartment.”
“What about your car?” Her eyes still remained on her hands.
“I’ll have Rian and Zack pick it up.”
They sat in her car for a while, Jack tracing small circles into her back while Victoria rested her eyes. The only movement Jack made was to turn off the radio when Jimmy Eat World’s “Night Drive” came on.
Rian and Zack soon parked behind them and ran out of their big truck. Jack pulled on his hoodie and went out to meet them. Victoria watched Jack talk to them and then pointed his thumb back to her. Rian and Zack’s eyes met hers with solemn and pity. She didn’t need that right now. The last thing she wanted in the world was pity.
She saw them all nod and Rian hopped in Jack’s car to drive it back to the apartment, while Zack took their truck. Jack sprinted back to Victoria’s car, hopping in the front seat while she was still curled up in the passenger.
They were silent the whole ride, which worked in Victoria’s favor. She was kind of tired of talking at this point. When they arrived at the apartment building, Jack gave her his sweatshirt as they walked to the entrance, leaving him soaked again. He unlocked their place and threw a blanket over her as she sat on the couch, making a mental note to call her work later. What she didn’t know was Jack’s plans as he exited their place and took the elevator downstairs.
---
Jack pounded his fist against the door until his hand nearly cramped up. After a minute, his friend answered, running a hand through his dark fringe and opening his sleepy brown eyes wide. “What’re you doing here?” He asked.
Jack was done playing nice. He pushed open the door, shoving his friend backwards a little. “YOU’RE SUCH A FUCKING IDIOT, ALEX!” He hollered.
Alex put his hands out in front of him, protecting himself from his skunk-haired friend. He didn’t need an explanation, he knew Victoria told him. “Listen, dude, I’m sorry. There was nothing I could do.”
“YES, YOU COULD!” Without thinking, Jack pushed out his hands, knocking everything on the mantle beside them to the ground. He had no regret as he pointed his finger at Alex. “You could’ve stayed with her. You could’ve taken the bad review. It wouldn’t have ruined us forever. YOU COULD’VE DONE SO MUCH, BUT YOU DECIDED TO BE A DUMBASS AND GO BACK TO SOMEONE WHO DOESN’T EVEN MAKE YOU HAPPY.”
“The review would’ve ruined us. You don’t know her.” Alex whispered while shaking his head.
And just at the mention of her name, Lisa walked from their living room and into the scene. She gaped at the cracked glasses and vases on the ground from Jack’s anger parade. “Jack! Pick up all that! What is wrong with you?!”
Jack’s fiery eyes moved from Alex’s to Lisa’s. He shook his head at them and poked Alex in the chest hard, muttering, “You’ll be lucky if she ever forgives you for this.”
Even after fifteen minutes, Victoria was still in the same position: hands locked around the steering wheel with her forehead leaning on it. From the corner of her eye, she could see a car pull up behind hers. It was hard to see with the rain hammering, but she managed to spot Jack’s lanky body running through the downpour.
He opened the passenger seat and quickly slid in, his gray sweatshirt already soaked. He shook the water out of his hair, looking back at the remains of the CD in the backseat. “I’m guessing you listened to the disc.” He joked, but Victoria didn’t make a move. It was like she was corpse.
He debated on it, but he soon reached over and put a hand on her shoulder. “Vic, what happened?”
“Everything.” She sniffled into the leather wheel.
“Does it have to do with Alex?”
She didn’t answer, just turned her head his way so he could see the lines of mascara running down her cheeks. “I didn’t want to tell you before.”
“Fuck, Vic.” He pulled at her face and rubbed away the dark lines under her eyes. “Why didn’t you want me to know?”
“I don’t want you and Alex to fight anymore.” She closed her eyes.
“Just tell me what happened.” He begged, pulling her close to him in the passenger seat and having her head rest in the crook of his shoulder.
She was silent for a moment, until finally she clung onto the collar of his shirt while whispering, “She caught us.”
It didn’t take Jack long to guess who that was.
She continued as he brushed strands of hair from her face. “It wasn’t supposed to fucking happen. He came over to say sorry again when you left yesterday and I didn’t accept, but then he kissed me and I―” She breathed in heavily. “She caught us in the doorway and went fucking ballistic, saying your band was ruined forever.”
His brow furrowed. “So you’re saying―”
“She’s been blackmailing Alex the whole time to stay with her.” She felt a sigh of relief escape her lungs as Jack traced circles into her back. “If the relationship were to ever break, she would threaten him with a bad review of your band and ruin your lives on that fucking Buzznet website where she’s a writer and editor.”
“That’s why Alex had stayed with her …”
“And then this afternoon,” she started again, and Jack knew this was going to be the thunder of the storm. “He had come over while I was leaving for work. He said Lisa would forgive him if he―” deep breath “―had no more contact with me. I had to delete my contact from his phone and promise to the deal. And then I just didn’t go to work because I wanted to clear my head.” She moved her head a little to look at the pieces of the CD. “It didn’t really help.”
Jack let out a sigh, trying to stay calm as his fingers brushed over Victoria’s fair skin. “I’m going to kill him …”
“No, don’t,” she suddenly sat up. “I don’t want this to spiral out of control.”
“It’s already spiraled, Vic! He’s put your through complete misery these past few weeks, and you’re just gonna let him off with it?”
She looked down at her hands, lacing them together in nervousness.
Jack finally understood, and he rolled his eyes. “You’re still in love with him …”
She nodded slowly.
“Okay, let’s just …” He couldn’t take her to work, she’d kill him. He ran a hand through his hair as he thought of what to do. “I’ll just take you back to the apartment.”
“What about your car?” Her eyes still remained on her hands.
“I’ll have Rian and Zack pick it up.”
They sat in her car for a while, Jack tracing small circles into her back while Victoria rested her eyes. The only movement Jack made was to turn off the radio when Jimmy Eat World’s “Night Drive” came on.
Rian and Zack soon parked behind them and ran out of their big truck. Jack pulled on his hoodie and went out to meet them. Victoria watched Jack talk to them and then pointed his thumb back to her. Rian and Zack’s eyes met hers with solemn and pity. She didn’t need that right now. The last thing she wanted in the world was pity.
She saw them all nod and Rian hopped in Jack’s car to drive it back to the apartment, while Zack took their truck. Jack sprinted back to Victoria’s car, hopping in the front seat while she was still curled up in the passenger.
They were silent the whole ride, which worked in Victoria’s favor. She was kind of tired of talking at this point. When they arrived at the apartment building, Jack gave her his sweatshirt as they walked to the entrance, leaving him soaked again. He unlocked their place and threw a blanket over her as she sat on the couch, making a mental note to call her work later. What she didn’t know was Jack’s plans as he exited their place and took the elevator downstairs.
---
Jack pounded his fist against the door until his hand nearly cramped up. After a minute, his friend answered, running a hand through his dark fringe and opening his sleepy brown eyes wide. “What’re you doing here?” He asked.
Jack was done playing nice. He pushed open the door, shoving his friend backwards a little. “YOU’RE SUCH A FUCKING IDIOT, ALEX!” He hollered.
Alex put his hands out in front of him, protecting himself from his skunk-haired friend. He didn’t need an explanation, he knew Victoria told him. “Listen, dude, I’m sorry. There was nothing I could do.”
“YES, YOU COULD!” Without thinking, Jack pushed out his hands, knocking everything on the mantle beside them to the ground. He had no regret as he pointed his finger at Alex. “You could’ve stayed with her. You could’ve taken the bad review. It wouldn’t have ruined us forever. YOU COULD’VE DONE SO MUCH, BUT YOU DECIDED TO BE A DUMBASS AND GO BACK TO SOMEONE WHO DOESN’T EVEN MAKE YOU HAPPY.”
“The review would’ve ruined us. You don’t know her.” Alex whispered while shaking his head.
And just at the mention of her name, Lisa walked from their living room and into the scene. She gaped at the cracked glasses and vases on the ground from Jack’s anger parade. “Jack! Pick up all that! What is wrong with you?!”
Jack’s fiery eyes moved from Alex’s to Lisa’s. He shook his head at them and poked Alex in the chest hard, muttering, “You’ll be lucky if she ever forgives you for this.”
Notes
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2/6/14