"I sense that something's bothering you," Jaime mumbles, hugging my waist from behind. I look forward, wondering what Lanie is doing right now.
"Okay," I say flatly.
"You okay?"
"Yeah."
"You don't seem okay."
"Uh huh…"
"Are you even alive?"
"What?"
"Talk to me, please," he asks.
"No, I'm good."
"Dominic!"
"What?!"
"Talk to me!"
"Make me!"
"Dude, seriously, just talk to me. It's not like you can't trust me…"
"Why do you need to know?" I ask, turning around to look him directly in the eyes. He sighs.
"Because…"
"Because what?"
"I love you…"
"You… what?" His statement catches me off guard.
"I love you."
"Why?"
"Why?! I don't know why! I just do!"
"I highly doubt you love me, Jaime."
"I don't!"
"Duh!"
"Seriously, tell me what's bothering you!"
"No!"
"How come you won't tell me anything?!" Jaime screams.
"Why can't you just drop it?!" I shout back.
"Why are you so scared, Dominic?!"
"I'm not."
"Yes, you are! You blame everything on your parents or your bitch sister or Casey or whatever! But the truth is, you're afraid!"
"Afraid of what?! I'm not afraid!"
"Oh, my god you're afraid! You're so afraid! You won't let anyone into that thick skull of yours so they can help you with your issues! Instead, you bottle it all in and keep everyone out! Even those who are most important, and maybe even vital to your life!"
"I'm not afraid…" I mumble.
"Then why won't you let anyone in?!"
"It's just the aftereffects... You let someone in and they chew you up from the inside out. They leave you lost and helpless and treat you like shit, like you never even mattered to them in the first place but were simply a toy for them to play with," I whisper calmly.
"I haven't left you," Jaime says, attempting suddenly to comfort me. I sigh deeply and look down.
"No, but you've only been with me about a year. I was with Casey all my life…" Jaime sighs.
"I can't be him, Dominic."
"I know."
"So, what are you going to do about this?"
"What do you mean?"
"Us. You can't get over Casey, obviously. What are you going to do about it?" I ponder for a moment, realizing what he's hinting at. I sigh.
"I'm sure you already know…"
"I'm sure I do, but I want you to tell me, out loud," he replies, his face contorting to hold back tears. I look him in the eyes, beginning to tear up myself.
"Jaime, I don't want to do this to you…"
"I don't care. You'll have to sooner or later."
"But it's so sudden, and it's not right."
"It is right if it's what you want. It's better to send me on my way rather than keeping me around when you don't really want me."
"But I do want you!" I shout.
"Do you love me?"
"What?"
"Do you love me?" he repeats. I stare at him for a long time before replying.
"No…"
"Then say it."
"Jaime—"
"Say it!"
"I WANNA BREAK UP WITH YOU!" I scream, inky tears suddenly streaming down my face. My body feels weak as I tremble, falling to my knees in front of Jaime. I shake slightly, not sure if I'm cold or if I'm heartbroken. I feel a hand touch my cheek gingerly.
"Nicky… It's alright…"
"How can it possibly be alright? I feel awful…"
"I'll live… Just… Go be happy… Find Casey, and go live your life. Don't let guilt of dumping me hold you back…"
"Why are you so amazing?" I question, the same thing I've questioned countless times since we met. He shrugs. I laugh weakly. "Would you go with me?" I ask. His expression changes.
"W…why?"
"For support."
"Why me?"
"Why not…"
"Uhm…"
"Please, Jaime…"
"What about Lanie?"
"She's with Leila for a few days… Please…"
"I guess… Not like I have anywhere to go home to or anything…"
"Thank you."
"When do you plan on leaving?"
"Now."
"Now?!"
"Yes."
"How are you going to catch a flight last minute?!"
"I'm fucking rich. I can buy my own jet if I wanted to."
"Oh. Right…"
"Now c'mon!" I shout, pulling him along by his wrist. I don't realize that I've left my phone in my room until we're already to the airport. Luckily, there's available first-class seating on one of the planes flying out. I sit still as stone while Jaime touches everything he can get his hands on.
"Oh. My. God. This is so incredible!" he whispers loudly, giggling and smiling harshly. I roll my eyes and grab onto his wrist.
"Dude. Chill."
"I'm sorry… It's just that I've never been on a plane before, and this is so very nice…"
"Yes, yes, it's wonderful. Now calm yourself."
"Okay…"
"It'll be six hours before we get to New York. I hope you can occupy yourself quietly…"
"I can, I can…"
"Don't be pressing buttons."
"I'm not five."
"Prove it."
"I can spell hippopotamus."
"Congratulations. So could I when I was six."
"But you were, like, modified or something, because you're, like, an alien child." I roll my eyes again.
"Still no excuse, hon…"
I'm so zoned out that it feels like minutes had gone by when we reach New York. I sluggishly get out of the plane, exhausted from jet lag. It's late in the afternoon, and the sun is beginning to set, turning the sky beautiful shades of yellow, orange, red, and blue.
I check my pockets for my phone before remembering where I left it. I smack myself in the face. I walk to a nearby park with Jaime, accidentally bumping into someone when I'm not paying attention. I twist around and look to see a muscular man, about my height, peering at me awkwardly.
"Uhhh… Can I help you?" I ask.
"You remind me of someone…"
"Okay?"
"What's your name…?" he asks warily. I hesitate, giving him a bewildered expression.
"Dominic…"
"Dominic…? Holy shit…"
"What?"
"You're Dominic?!"
"Uh…"
"You are Dominic?!"
"I'm so confused."
"Oh my fucking god!"
"What the fuck are you talking about you crazy flailing human?!" I shout, looking to Jaime. His expression is completely love struck. I begin to worry not sure if he's even breathing.
"Oh my fucking god! You're Dominic!"
"Yes, yes I am!" I shout, so utterly lost. He starts laughing and smiling and hugging me tightly. I pat his back awkwardly, realizing New York is a freakish place full of freakish people.
"Oh my god…" he mumbles, taking my hands in his. "I can't believe you're here… This is so amazing, the odds of me running into you! And just after—Oh, wow, this really is fate…"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about you!"
"Okay?"
"Oh my god!"
"What?!"
"I just can't—oh my god what is he going to think…?" the strange man asks himself. I raise a brow.
"What?"
"Nothing! Oh, this is just so fucking great!"
"Dude."
"What?"
"Who the hell are you?"
"What?"
"WHO ARE YOU?!"
"Oh! I'm Kelly!"
"Kelly?"
"Yes!"
"I don't know anyone by that name."
"I know!"
"How do you know me?"
"Okay… Don't freak out…"
"I'll try my hardest," I mumble sarcastically. Jaime is still standing like a moron that had been struck by cupid. I roll my eyes and look back at Kelly.
"Well… I dated someone for only three months…"
"That's fantastic."
"Shhhh let me finish! Okay… So I dated someone for only three months… Neither of us felt anything in the relationship, so we cut it off today!"
"I'm sorry…?"
"No! Listen! Okay… So I was talking to him just now, and he was talking about you!" I raise a brow.
"What?"
"He's always been talking about you. He never shuts up! He's in so much hard love with you; it's like a fucking love boner."
"Uhhh…"
"Go talk to him…"
"Who?!"
"CASEY!" Kelly screams. My heart drops out of my chest, my stomach fills with butterflies, and my thoughts become jumbled, and I have no idea how to speak English anymore! My jaw drops down, my body begins to tremble, and I feel the tips of my fingers getting colder with each passing second!
"C…Casey?" I manage to utter. Kelly nods slowly, smiling. He looks to Jaime, who's still struck. He holds out his hand, and Jaime places his hand in Kelly's. Kelly kisses the top of Jaime's hand, making Jaime melt. It's actually kind of sad to watch, but I do watch as Kelly walks off with Jaime attached to him.
"Dominic?!" I hear from across the street. I turn my head in what feels like slow motion, seeing, in a small black bench, the most beautiful, bright, wonderful, most sparkling face I've ever seen. I unthinkingly begin walking into traffic, not aware of anything around me but him… I hear no car horns, no screaming, no birds chirping, nothing. All I hear and see is him.
I don't stop until I reach him, falling limply onto the bench, sitting next to him particularly closely. We just stare at one another in awe, having seen each other for the first time in an entire year. My bottom lip trembles, me not being sure of what to say to him after all this time.
My breathing is shaky, my body freezing to me for the first time in my life, everything about him seemingly glowing brighter than it ever has. I can't feel my body parts anymore, but I don't care… I'm finally here, with him, and this time, NOTHING will keep us apart…
