It’s almost 2am and I am finally home. I had to stay on stand-by for a flight for three hours before I got one. It was incredibly boring. I mean, airports are hardly pleasure palaces. Anyway, I’m home now. All I wanna do is crawl into bed and sleep forever. Well at least until I forget Nick was ever in my life. I unlock the door and step inside. I can smell food cooking and stop dead, listening hard. Suddenly, music blares out and I grip my bag hard. There’s somebody in my apartment! I decide to see if I can see them before calling the police. I mean, I might be able to take them in a fight. I sneak down the hallway and see that the lounge is empty. I creep through, into the kitchen and see a familiar ass wriggling as its very cute owner sings loudly to a Sugar Ray song. I lean against the doorway and fold my arms. He spins around with a colander and shakes it as he realises I’m there. He almost drops the bowl but recovers himself to grin widely at me.
“What you doin’ here?!”
“Uh I live here,” I giggle. “Plus I was admiring the view.”
“You never change Ali,” he chuckles and puts the colander down before pulling me close for a long hug.
“Neither does your ass Jay.”
“Ya think?” he stands back. “It’s not dropped or gotten fat or…”
“Jay!” I giggle and hit him lightly. “It’s real good to see you but what are you doin’ here?!”
“Jade didn’t tell ya?”
“As if,” I roll my eyes and he shoots me a curious look. “Long story.”
“Ok, you can tell me over breakfast,” he shrugs. “I’m here on a little business – scouting out some drug dealers who moved here from Atlanta.”
“The same guys I met?”
“No, we got those guys. They’re serving 10 to 20 as we speak,” he grins. “But unfortunately, we put one guy away and three more come take his place.”
“Sucky,” I say, rubbing his arm.
“Uh huh. Anyway, that’s why I’m here. I called Jade and she sent me her keys. I thought she woulda told ya.”
“So would I,” I mutter and sit at the table. “Why are you cooking at…” I check my watch, “2am?!”
“I’m hungry!” he laughs and goes back to his preparation. “Plus I’ve been working from 5 to 1am so I’ve had no food since lunch.”
“Ah,” I nod. “Sure smells good.”
“Want some? I made plenty.”
“Hm, maybe a little. I just ate some unidentifiable crap.”
“Airplane food?”
“You know it,” I laugh.
“So, tell me what’s goin’ on with my sister,” he says casually and I sigh. “You might as well tell me now.”
“Fine,” I mutter. “But you’re gonna hate me too when I’m done!”
“Never,” he smiles.
“Fine,” I take a deep breath. “When I lived in Brooklyn and I did all that whore stuff, I also got into drugs,” I pause, waiting for his reaction but it doesn’t come. “I kinda got sucked in by my then boyfriend, a guy called Jake Flurry. I ended up owing him like $10,000 when I left state for Georgia. I never heard anything of him, until last week. I took Jade round Brooklyn and we bumped into him, exchanged a little abuse and then we left. The next day he kidnapped Jade and…”
“Whoa, my sister got kidnapped?!” he whirls round and I nod.
“She’s ok Jay. He didn’t do anything to hurt her and Brian paid the money so he released her after like 24 hours.”
“She got KIDNAPPED?!” he repeats, completely shocked.
“Uh huh,” I nod and reach out to take his hand. “Sit down Jay,” I tell him and he sits opposite, shaking his head slowly.
“Why the fuck didn’t somebody call me?!”
“Nobody could think about anything except getting Jade back safe.”
“I’m her BROTHER!” he exclaims.
“I know.”
“And she didn’t even tell me AFTERWARDS!”
“I guess she didn’t want to worry you,” I shrug. “Jay, I’m sorry we didn’t call you. It honestly just slipped our minds. Plus, what good would it’ve down? You were in Georgia! She was released before you could’ve gotten a flight to New York. All you could’ve done was worry and be scared and there were enough of us doin’ that.”
“I guess,” he admits. “Ok, so why are you back here then?”
“Everybody blames me for what happened. I didn’t tell anybody about the drugs thing. Jade was pissed cos she thought I only cared about myself, Brian got mad because I put his girl in danger… they all hate me. Even Nick!” I wail.
“He’ll calm down Ali. They all will,” Jay strokes my hand softly.
“He said he fell in love with somebody who isn’t me! That I’m not who he thought I was.”
“Then that’s his loss,” Jay says quietly.
“I love him Jay!” I look up and sniff back my tears.
“He loves you too Ali. How could he not love YOU?”
“Easily.”
“Just give him a little time to realise what he’s missing and then call him. He’ll be BEGGING you to go back,” he smiles. “I promise.”
“I’m sorry Jay,” I sniff. “You don’t wanna hear this crap about my life.”
“’Course I do,” he tells me.
“You don’t wanna say ‘I told you so’?”
“Why would I say that?”
“Because I chose Nick over you.”
“Ah. You chose the right guy for you at that time.”
“He’s not right for me now?” I ask.
“I dunno that!” he laughs. “That’s something you both need to think about while you’re apart. I mean, sure I still love you Ali. I think I always will have this little part of me that belongs to you. But right now, all that I can be is your friend.”
“That’s all I need Jay,” I murmur and he squeezes my hand before standing up.
“That and my killer spag bol!”