the counter and followed Zoe to a seat in the middle of the room stuffed with mis-matched couches. Whatever she had to say to me, I'd have to endure and I wasn't looking forward to it. I noticed her boyfriend sitting by the front window, a coffee on the table front of him. Truthfully, I was scared of Zoe. She and Dee had this thing that was… I had no words to describe it. She'd fight to the death to protect him and he'd probably do the same. Who was I to compete with that?
She eyed me across the table, taking in my shaking hands and I shoved them under my legs. "Why'd you do it?"
I stiffened. That was the million dollar question wasn't it? Why'd I keep fucking up everything? The only thing I had was the story I kept telling myself over and over. The one that oozed integrity, because I didn't really have any of that. I was a walking lie.
"When I started interning, I vowed not to be like Georgie. I promised myself that I'd never mix with the bands like that. I wanted to keep my relationships strictly professional. I overstepped the line."
"Bullshit," Zoe cursed, making me jump. "Sometimes you have to break your own rules to get your happy ending."
"I can't. I've screwed things up anyway."
"Yes, you have. But why do you think I'm here?"
I shook my head. "Why are you here? I assume you want to beat my ass and quite frankly, I don't blame you."
Zoe laughed, sitting back in her chair. "I'm not gunna beat you up, Jessie. I'm Dee's best friend. I know him like the back of my own hand. He'd do anything for me and I'd do anything for him. He has feelings for you and by the look on your face, I think you have feelings for him too."
"I can't," I began, looking around the cafe, anywhere but into Zoe's eyes. "It's too late. He wouldn't-"
"I wouldn't be here if I didn't think you'd have a chance of getting him back."
"It's not that simple, Zoe. I can't leave." Another excuse.
She let out a sharp sigh. "Four years ago, my now ex-boyfriend pushed me down a flight of stairs, left me in agony and turned all my friends against me. I know all about running and not trusting. I wouldn't be who I am now without Dee's help and I certainly wouldn't be with Will. So yeah, I know exactly what you're going through. The first time Will kissed me, I ran away I was so fucking terrified he'd break me again."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because I can see it written all over your face. I don't know what you're running from Jessie, but you're running in the wrong direction."
I crossed my arms over my stomach, squirming in my seat. How the hell did she know? Was I that much of an open book?
"Takes one to know one," she said, picking up on my feelings.
"Where is he? Is he here?" I swallowed hard. I didn't know what I'd do if he walked through that door now. He probably hated me. I hated me..
"No. He's on some crazy road trip in the middle of god knows where." She rolled her eyes, like it was messing with her too. "Look, he'll never come find you. He's not like that. Dee's had his fair share of ups and downs with women, but he's never had his heart broken before. He's taking it pretty hard. He's lost."
I flinched, looking at the table top. When I left, I didn't think it'd turn out like this. I thought I was saving him from heartache, not giving it to him. "I didn't mean… I…"
"I get it," Zoe said.
"Do you really think I have a chance at fixing this?"
She smiled, glancing over to where her boyfriend Will was sitting drinking a coffee by the front window. "We were in Huston," she said. "The only reason we're here is because of you. If that doesn't tell you anything, then I don't know what else I can say."
"Oh." They really flew all that way to convince me to try and win Dee back?
"Now, what are you gunna do? If you want him, I can help you track him down, but after that you're on your own."
The last time I'd made such a spontaneous decision, it landed me in hot water so deep, I'd almost drowned. If I could win back Dee, then maybe
She eyed me across the table, taking in my shaking hands and I shoved them under my legs. "Why'd you do it?"
I stiffened. That was the million dollar question wasn't it? Why'd I keep fucking up everything? The only thing I had was the story I kept telling myself over and over. The one that oozed integrity, because I didn't really have any of that. I was a walking lie.
"When I started interning, I vowed not to be like Georgie. I promised myself that I'd never mix with the bands like that. I wanted to keep my relationships strictly professional. I overstepped the line."
"Bullshit," Zoe cursed, making me jump. "Sometimes you have to break your own rules to get your happy ending."
"I can't. I've screwed things up anyway."
"Yes, you have. But why do you think I'm here?"
I shook my head. "Why are you here? I assume you want to beat my ass and quite frankly, I don't blame you."
Zoe laughed, sitting back in her chair. "I'm not gunna beat you up, Jessie. I'm Dee's best friend. I know him like the back of my own hand. He'd do anything for me and I'd do anything for him. He has feelings for you and by the look on your face, I think you have feelings for him too."
"I can't," I began, looking around the cafe, anywhere but into Zoe's eyes. "It's too late. He wouldn't-"
"I wouldn't be here if I didn't think you'd have a chance of getting him back."
"It's not that simple, Zoe. I can't leave." Another excuse.
She let out a sharp sigh. "Four years ago, my now ex-boyfriend pushed me down a flight of stairs, left me in agony and turned all my friends against me. I know all about running and not trusting. I wouldn't be who I am now without Dee's help and I certainly wouldn't be with Will. So yeah, I know exactly what you're going through. The first time Will kissed me, I ran away I was so fucking terrified he'd break me again."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because I can see it written all over your face. I don't know what you're running from Jessie, but you're running in the wrong direction."
I crossed my arms over my stomach, squirming in my seat. How the hell did she know? Was I that much of an open book?
"Takes one to know one," she said, picking up on my feelings.
"Where is he? Is he here?" I swallowed hard. I didn't know what I'd do if he walked through that door now. He probably hated me. I hated me..
"No. He's on some crazy road trip in the middle of god knows where." She rolled her eyes, like it was messing with her too. "Look, he'll never come find you. He's not like that. Dee's had his fair share of ups and downs with women, but he's never had his heart broken before. He's taking it pretty hard. He's lost."
I flinched, looking at the table top. When I left, I didn't think it'd turn out like this. I thought I was saving him from heartache, not giving it to him. "I didn't mean… I…"
"I get it," Zoe said.
"Do you really think I have a chance at fixing this?"
She smiled, glancing over to where her boyfriend Will was sitting drinking a coffee by the front window. "We were in Huston," she said. "The only reason we're here is because of you. If that doesn't tell you anything, then I don't know what else I can say."
"Oh." They really flew all that way to convince me to try and win Dee back?
"Now, what are you gunna do? If you want him, I can help you track him down, but after that you're on your own."
The last time I'd made such a spontaneous decision, it landed me in hot water so deep, I'd almost drowned. If I could win back Dee, then maybe
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