Jett watches me with entertained eyes as I fidget around my apartment, opening and closing the refrigerator door like I have OCD.
“I’m good, Ellie, but maybe you should have one?” He raises his eyebrows suggestively. I grab a water from the fridge and sit down on the couch. Jett follows, plopping down beside me. “Hmmm.” He bounces a few times. “Comfy.”
I nearly burst out laughing.
“It’s good to see you smile,” Jett says.
“It feels good to smile,” I tell him. There’s a few seconds’ pause.
“Why are you here, Jett? Not that I’m not happy to see you, it’s just so out of the blue.” I’m not complaining, trust me.
“I’ve come to deliver a message.”
“A message?”
“From Kayne.” He pulls an envelope out of the back pocket of his jeans and hands it to me.
I take it, inspecting it curiously.
“Open it,” he urges.
My hands start to tremble, and my heart starts to pound as I rip it open.You wanted this,I remind myself—repeatedly. I pull out the contents of the envelope, and am now thoroughly confused. “A plane ticket?”
“There’s something else,” Jett informs me. I look inside the envelope again, and pull out the thin piece of paper that was hiding under the ticket. I unfold it to read its contents, and just like before, only one word is scribbled:
I can’t explain what seeing that word does to me. It unleashes so many sparring emotions, it feels like they’re trying to kill me.
“Ellie?” Jett’s voice sounds far away. I look up at him not even realizing I started to cry.
Jett takes my hand. “I know you went through a lot. We all did. But if there is any chance you can forgive him, get on that plane tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” I study the ticket. Yup,tomorrow’s date, to “Bora Bora?”
Jett shrugs.
“How is he?” I ask guardedly.
Jett shoots me a sad smile. “Better, now that he stopped drinking and started showering again.”
“Did he really take me leaving that hard?”
“You have no idea, Ellie.” His tone is bleak.
“Why didn’t he come himself?”
“He didn’t want you to feel pressured or uncomfortable. Although, personally, I think he’s just afraid of your right hook.” Jett winks.
I roll my eyes. “It probably didn’t even hurt.”
“Ellie, you slapped him so hard,Ifelt it.”
“He deserved it.” I defend my actions.
“I suppose on some level he did. But what he really deserves now is your forgiveness,” Jett implores me. “Not just what he deserves, but what he needs.”
I crush the envelope, ticket, and piece of paper to my chest conflicted. This is what I wanted, so why am I having such a hard time coming to terms?
“I can’t make any promises I’ll be on that plane.” It’s the truth. It’s time to pull the trigger, and I’m hesitating. I’m pretty sure instances like that can get you killed.
