The best thing about tonight's that we're not fighting
Could it be that we have been this way before?
I know you don't think that I am trying
I know you're wearing thin down to the core
But hold your breath
Because tonight will be the night
That I will-
I hit the mute button on my phone. This was my song of the moment, and it was my ringtone for when Gustav calls me. If you noticed, I stopped John Vesely from singing 'fall for you over again' because... Well, I didn't feel like I was in love. Yes. I sound pathetic, don't I?
Good. He's stopped calling. I went to my kitchen and sat on the counter, slowly eating the strawberry shortcake my friends bought me a day back. I still had two slices in the fridge and they were the best tasting thing in the world.
The best thing about tonight's that we're not fighting
Could it be that we have been this way before?
I know you don't think that I am-
I hit the mute again. Maybe I should totally turn my phone off this time. Gustav is annoying me. What am I doing, you ask? Let's see. I've just turned a year older one day ago, and I celebrated it with my friends since I was in college and away from my family. My boyfriend, surprisingly, never called me once. Not a card, not a teddy bear, not even a text message. I waited the whole day and nothing from him.
Yes. I am very disappointed. And very sad, but I'm over it. I think.
The best thing about tonight's that we're not fighting
Could it be that we have been this way before?
I know you don't think that I am trying
I know you're-
With a sigh, I picked up the phone. It's time to give John Vesely a break. It's a Saturday morning, anyway. And it's because I'm sick of the song as well. I pressed the phone lightly against my ear and made no sound. The other side was very quiet. Weird.
"Hallo?" Gustav said in a soft voice. "Lea?"
I didn't feel like talking to him. I didn't forget his birthday but he forgot mine. Is it right for me to get pissy and reject calls from him all morning? Well, he only started calling me this morning. My birthday was the day before. Ugh.
"I know you're there, Lea," Gustav continued. And then he gave a sigh. "Look, I'm so sorry."
"Hi, Gustav," I said. Sarcastic. "How's tour? Are the girls getting prettier every day?" Yes, I teased him a lot about all the girls he'd meet. That's just me.
I heard Gustav give another sigh. "I know you hate me a lot right now," he said. "I just want to say I'm so sorry. I should have said this a day ago, but Happy Birthday, Lea."
I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. I was left wordless. Should I relent? "Thanks," I said. There was a moment of silence so I decided we had nothing else to talk about. I decided to hang up. "So I'll talk to you later then-"
"No!" Gustav said suddenly. "Don't. Don't hang up the phone, please?"
"It's not cheap, Gustav," I said. The phone calls. We were miles away in a different country and stuff.
"But it's not expensive either- I mean, the thing is I'm sorry. It's my fault. Time flies, and tour goes on every day for me. I missed the alarm on my phone for your birthday so I must have-"
"Your phone remembers my birthday for you?" I asked, surprised. Sure, I was bewildered. I was pretty bummed out today. "Oh. Never mind-"
"No, Lea!" Gustav continued persistently. "It's just that I hardly have time to even look at my phone. We're always on the move, and I'm so far away from you... Okay, stupid excuse. There's nothing good to defend myself on this, so please forgive me?"
I let out a soft groan. I wanted to, but another part of me was really irked by the fact he actually forgot my birthday. How long have we been together? Almost a year now, and I'm sure he was going to forget our anniversary. "I forgive you," I said. "That's all."
"That's all?" Gustav questioned. "Oh, Lea. Please don't do this to me. I swear I won't do this again the next year, okay?"
"If we have a next year," I said bluntly. Then I heard Gustav give a long sigh. Well, better late than never, right? I have to stop being so mean about this.
"I love you," he said. "I miss you and I love you. Don't hate me, please? I'll make it up to you, I swear."
I could hear the sincerity in his voice, and he wins me over every time. Sweet killer accent that no one would guess where he hails from, and I could only imagine his face right now. Pure guilt, possibly. White wifebeater, dark brown shorts, drumsticks in his hands- No, he would be holding the phone.
"Lea?" Gustav said again.
"I miss you, too," I said. And then I heard someone shouting in the background. It sounded like Tom. And then Gustav cursed under his breath.
"Shit, I've got to go now," he said, sounding very frustrated. There he goes again. "I'm so sorry, babe. I'll call you back again, okay? Happy Birthday and I love you. Bye." And then he hung up.
I mumbled an 'I love you, too' into the phone, to no one. And I heard the beeping of the other line which went dead. And I hung up with a small sigh.
The next morning when I woke up, I was greeted by a strong flowery scent and it drove me nuts. I stepped outside and was overwhelmed when I saw a whole corridor of red roses outside my college dorm. "Oh my God," I muttered under my breath.
Everyone who passed by was staring at me, and a lot joked about how I was going to be setting up a flower stall sometime soon. There was a card that was slipped in between a bunch near my door and I picked it up. There was a digital printout of a picture Gustav and I took with his phone. Only he had that picture, and I loved it. I wished he was here in person.
Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, mein Liebe!
More when I come home, I promise.
Happy Birthday, my love. Jeez. Now I really wish he was here with me right now.
