Page 76 of The One…That I Crave
Jake:You’re gone for over a week…Send
Rakell:Perhaps you can figure out if I’m good enough for you by then…delete
Fuck that, Jake thought, reading her text. He didn’t want her getting on that plane without them discussing this.
Jake:This can’t wait…Send
Rakell:Done talking…Send
Jake:What the hell?…Send
Rakell:That’s ALL we do…Send
Jake:Meaning?...Send
Rakell:Talking doesn’t seem to get us anywhere.Paris will give us both space…Send
He grabbed a glass, dropped in a handful of ice, and filled it with bourbon.Damn her.Here we go again with the goddamn space shit, he thought, taking a swig.
Jake:Get on the plane w/o talking, you’ll get nothing but space…Send
Rakell:Is that a threat?...Send
Her heart was beating against her ribs.What the hell were they doing?
Jake:Fact…Send
He took a long gulp of his bourbon.
Rakell:Don’t have time to TALK…Send
She looked at her phone, checking the weather, deciding what clothes and shoes to pack for Paris.
Jake:Really? High school is over, sweetheart…Send
Rakell:Trying to get ready for Paris. Don’t have time…Send
Jake:END…Send
“Fuck!” he roared, throwing the phone on the couch. Then he filled his glass again before he stormed outside.Finished.He had to be done. She had wracked his brain and heart for an entire year and here they were on repeat. He couldn’t help but think this ‘caring shit’ was not for him. He had to move on; he couldn’t keep coming back to this. “Want space? You just got your fucking space, Sweetheart,” he yelled into the dusk.
Rakell:What?...Send
Rakell didn’t know what he meant byEND, but looking at the word, all caps, she squirmed internally, angst lodging in her psyche, her shoulders tightening.
Rakell:What is END…Send
Rakell:Jake?...Send
Rakell brushed the feeling aside, knowing she had to lean into this shoot in Paris...that sense that every opportunity mattered right now made her push aside the anxiety. She’d deal with whateverENDmeant when she got back.
Jake located Dwayne, then Jordan on the bench press. Hopping on himself, he pushed his weight limit, still jacked from his exchange with Rakell a couple of nights ago.
He heard his phone buzz again as he got off the bench.
Rakell:Jake, it’s late here, but I was hoping you could call…Send
Jake:Are you fucking kidding me?...delete
