Love in Baltimore

My hands trembled as they hovered over the keyboard on my phone. “It was a
mistake… I never meant to hurt you and I never should have slept with him…” played over and over in my head like a broken record. Really? How do you, as my friend AND roommate, “accidentally” sleep with MY boyfriend? How could the two people closest to me BOTH betray me? These questions raced through my head as I try to tone out the fact that my best friend slept with my boyfriend of three years. Three fucking years of my life gone to nothing because two people couldn’t keep it in their fucking pants.

I look around my room in desperation to relieve my mind from the verge of a mental breakdown. Instead I find myself picturing Brooklyn and Tyson fumbling around the room, hands running up and down each other’s bodies, lips pressing together, bodies grinding against one another, craving each other’s touch. He pulls her towards the bed him and I share and pushes her roughly against the sheets; kissing up and down her neck he leaves love bites along the way like he does with me. Slowly, she bites her lip as she unbuttons his pants and shirt while he looks her naked body a once over. She pulls him down and reconnects their lips again as he lines himself up t--

NO! I will not do this to myself; I will not sit here and torment myself. Fuck, I need to get out of here. I got up, threw up the hood on the hoodie I was wearing, and gave the apartment a last once over before slamming the front door shut, refusing to look back. The reality of situation didn’t set in until I was about three blocks away in the pouring rain. My fast, determined pace slowed down to a questioning, offbeat stumble. I had no one in Baltimore, I had no place to go. I moved here from Iowa with Brooklyn on her wild whim to go to the East Coast after graduating high school; my desperation for adventure and purpose led me to follow her. Shortly after moving here, I met Tyson at my bank teller job and we quickly hit it off. After that, I never felt a need to go out and meet or befriend other people… for three years…

I took a seat on the bench outside of my favorite cafe, I felt my phone buzzing in my pocket like crazy. I pull it out to see an incoming call from Brooklyn. I batted the tears away from my eyes as the sadness began to overwhelm me. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and hit ignore. I nervously checked the time, 9:49 PM… a completely acceptable time to get trashed. My phone quickly began to buzz again, only seconds after ignoring the first call. This time, however, Tyson was calling me. Fucking great... They’re together, or at least talking. How else would he know to call me immediately after she did? Once again I ignore the incoming call and stand up to walk to the nearest curb to hail a taxi; there was only one place I wanted to go right now.

**Flashback to February 26, 2018**

The flashing lights glided along my skin while I danced on a crowded floor like my life depended on it. In my drunken state I was hardcore grinding on Brooklyn and Lucie while simultaneously sipping my Manhattan. The song “Yeah!” by Usher had me bumping and grinding like it was my job.

“I’m gonna go get another drink!” I yelled over the loud music. I tipped the rest of my drink back and spun on my heels in the direction of the closest bartender.

“Wait, I’m coming with you!” Lucie yelled behind me after looking at her empty glass.

Brooklyn nodded at us walking away before having her attention drawn to a dark haired man that she began to dance with. She always had a tendency to attract every male in our direct vicinity. Lucie and I managed to reach the bar although our stumbling and giggling made it rather apparent we were feeling pretty damn good.

“Another Manhattan, please,” I said, trying not to slur my words.

“Alright, and for you?” He nodded in Lucie’s direction while beginning to make my drink.

“Um, another Daiquiri, please.” Lucie looked away trying to hide her drunken state from the bartender.

He handed us our drinks and we turned to face the dance floor.

“Did you see Brooklyn started dancing with a guy basically the second we both left?” I asked.

“I mean I can’t say I’m surprised…” she bit her lip, “did you see who it was?”

“No, all I could tell was that he had dark hair. Oh man, I swear if it’s her ex I’m gonna be so pissed. You don’t think she’s that stupid-drunk, do you?!”

Lucie paused, furrowing her eyebrows and pursing her lips, “No… I’m sure it was just a stranger.”

Neither of us said anything for the next minute or so: we just listened to music. I couldn’t help but be bothered by Brooklyn instantly finding a guy to dance with… I don’t care that she enjoys being a bit more promiscuous than Lucie and I, that’s her choice and I love her no matter what. This time was weird though, something about the guy I saw her with gave me an uneasy feeling and I couldn’t put my finger on it; I didn’t get a good view of him, I literally only saw the back of his head.

Lucie was the first to break my thoughts and our silence, “So where’s Tyson?”

“Oh, um, he should be here soon. He said he was gonna be late, but he’d be the DD to make up for it.”

“Have you guys been doing better? I only ask because the last you told me about you two is that ever since his promotion at the bank he’s been a real prick.”

I rolled my eyes, of course she would want to bring this up… tonight... of all nights. “I just feel like he’s been hiding shit from me. All. Of. The. Time. But I have no proof if he’s lying to me or if he really is being secretive, it’s all just suspicion…” I paused, “Anyway, we’re not discussing anymore of this on my birthday, especially since you’re leaving to go back to Iowa tomorrow night. Let’s go dance!”

I pulled Lucie back out to the dance floor, drinks in our hands. We searched for Brooklyn
with no luck for several minutes. I began to think she left with the man she was dancing with earlier, until I caught a glimpse of her bobbed, bright blonde hair bouncing up and down as she moved to the song. Then I saw him, the man she was dancing with. He was tall, had dark hair, and was… Tyson. Why would she dance with MY boyfriend? Why would he dance with her instead of following me to the bar? Did he not see me because he sure as hell found her in an instant. My drunken state gave me the confidence to push my way to them, ready to go off.

“Louise! Hey, look who I found!” Brooklyn hollered.

Tyson grabbed my hand; my body visibly relaxing to his touch. “Hey, babe, I was looking for you but Brooklyn says I missed you by a second. Figured I’d just stay here and wait for you to come back instead of attempting to fight through the crowd to you.”

I quickly cooled off, his reasoning made sense to my drunk self. The place is pretty crowded and he’s a pretty big guy, it had to be difficult for him to push past people compared to me. I had to be overreacting, right? But something about this still didn’t feel right though, I’m not sure what it was, maybe it was the defeated look Lucie was trying to hide… Could she know something I don’t know? Am I just imagining all of this? Fuck, I’m not drunk enough for any of this: some birthday. I down the remaining three-fourths of my drink.

“Whoa, there, Louise. You may want to slow down… I just got here and I already know you’re gonna puke if you drink one more of those within this next hour. Come on, let’s go babe.”

Tyson thanked Brooklyn and Lucie for watching me until he arrived, although he made sure to scold them for not pacing me better. I sway my body back and forth to the music, enjoying the last few moments I have left in the bar. I look up at the DJ playing “Happier” by Marshmello and notice a very tall man standing next to him. He had short, platinum blonde hair with black roots. We made eye contact and time felt to slow as his chocolate eyes kept me in a trance. I could barely feel Tyson’s gentle hand on my wrist that lead me to the exit.

**Current Day**

“We’re here, miss,” the cab driver said kicking me out of my own head.

“Oh, um, thank you.” I said digging through my purse to grab the money I owed, “Here, keep the change.”

“Thank you, have a great night.”

The taxi pulled away from the curb leaving me outside of a noisy bar. I look up and read the large sign: The Rockwell.

Notes

Hey, guys. Sorry this one didn't have much about Jack. I wanted this chapter to be focused on the flash back in order to develop a background for a few of them. Stick around for the second chapter, I promise it picks up! Thank you so much for reading my first chapter of Love in Baltimore.