Chapter 29
Will You?
With Craig gone, Manny gone and Jay on his way out Emma and Sean decided that perhaps they could finally spend some quality time together He knew just what to do, he wanted treat his girl to a special dinner just Emma and Sean no distractions, interruptions or last-minute crisis because everyone is doing their own thing miles away. Sean had his first day back at Tony's Garage and so far it was a long, exciting and profitable day.
He had three clients and he was able to get them in before his shift ended, they were minor jobs and simple fixes nothing to get his hands too dirty with but definitely enough to keep him busy. Fortunately for him, he made some new long-lasting contacts who would be back when anything goes awry on their car they know where to find him. Things have looked up, however he wanted to soften the burn of explaining to Emma something that he kept from her, the huge elephant in the room, Shane and have some much-needed alone time together. He needs her help and instead of wallowing around without a prayer at least he knew if he talked to Emma she could tell him what he should do. Sean still takes what Emma says to heart, she's still the smartest person he knows and he trusts her judgement over anyone else. She knows she couldn't do him wrong.
He walked into Emma's apartment, fully dressed and he saw her going through her bills at the kitchen table wearing her purple glasses keeping her finances straight. She looked up at him, and beamed, "Looking good, what's with the suit?"
"Why don't you get dressed and find out." Sean replied as he leaned against the wall, she got up from the table and walked toward him.
"What's going on? Big promotion?" She asked as she put her hands upon his shoulders pulling him close. As she pulled away once to pull her glasses up onto her head.
"It's uh kind of a surprise." He answered her touching his nose to her nose.
"Well, uh can't I have a hint?" She flirted a bit to kind of pinpoint what she should even dress herself into, "What should I wear?"
He thought for a moment squinting his eyes, "Well we're going to Lana's that place on 15th."
"I literally have nothing to wear." Emma answered, "And it's so expensive, I can't afford that."
"You don't have to." Sean beamed, "I want to take my girl out, unless you had other plans?"
She walked toward him, "Well, I'd love to. Let me get ready. Should be in fifteen."
"Sweet." He remarked before falling down onto the couch as she went in the bathroom to get ready. He heard the shower come on and the water fall down with force. He turned on the television and watched the news. There was nothing more mind numbing than the news. Sean just listened to the different things that were discussed and then he sort of awaited Emma as he tuned out.
He was alerted though when he heard about the supposed scandal with Manny on the television. His eyes widened. Emma emerged from her room dressed in a black dress, she spun around but he was fixated on the television, she got his attention quickly enough, snapping her fingers, "How do I look?"
"You know you look gorgeous." He replied as he turned off the television, got off the couch and inched toward her, he looked at her skeptically, "Did you hear some weird story about Manny yet?"
Emma nodded, swallowing hard, "Yeah. It's pretty bad. I wonder how she's feeling about it."
"You talk to her yet?"
"I tried to call her. Does Jay know?"
"Jay is out in LA." Sean murmured, "I forgot to tell you."
"Wait, what?" Emma asked with surprise, "No, no way this is . . this isn't good."
"Yeah, you're telling me."
"No, like is it even true?" Emma asked, "Don't tell me he's trying to get her back."
"I helped him."
"Sean . . . I thought we agreed it was good to not get involved with it. I mean they're our friends but they have to do this on their own."
"It was his choice."
"Well that changes everything."
"Yeah, it's monstrously bad timing." Sean sighed, shaking his head, "I haven't heard anything."
Emma silently pursed her lips naturally shrugging her shoulders, "Well if they haven't said anything then they're fine for now, of course."
"So Craig finally went back to the hotel?"
"No, he's going home."
"Oh God, now we're going to be in the middle of this."
"It's not our business." Emma said, "I mean, they're our friends but they have their own lives. It's not like high school, we can help them but I feel like it's not our place to pass blind judgement or make assumptions just because we want to help. If they reach out to us, they reach out but - I think it's going to pan out. I'm shocked but I don't really believe it."
"I know." He said sadly.
"I really can't see it, it has to be a rumor."
"It probably is and even if it's true, I doubt it had anything to do with her hurting Jay." Emma said solemnly, "If I know her like I do it's because she wanted to hurt herself, and she wasn't thinking clearly. Maybe she's been unhappy for a long time and no one is noticing. So they rally around her when she's fine but against her when she hurts."
"And now her biggest fear is realized." Sean replied implying how she always kept a divide between her personal and professional life, and her past essentially closed off and sealed.
"I know." Emma said, "I don't even know what to say to her, I don't want to wait for her to call either."
"Shall we go?" Sean asked giving her his arm, "I mean, we can always cancel the reservations."
"No, alone time out could be good for us considering." Emma whispered, "We've been surrounded by people for the better part of this cluster of time."
"May as well take full advantage."
"Right where you are." She beamed, as she linked arms with Sean as they left for dinner at the expensive and supposedly delicious Lana's.
. . .
As Emma and Sean got inside they admired the old world charm and decor it wasn't them, but they could still admire it's beauty. Outside it was this stuffy looking white hulking castle like architecture but inside was like a French Salon the tables round with pearl white lace coverings. The crown jewels came in with the restaurants three pink silver and white and crystal chandeliers, mirrors and natural light. A beautiful view of a golf course, country club to the right, and a wedding gazebos. A partition blocked off a banquet hall that was known to be equally extravagant if not even more beautiful than the standard dining room. Lana's sold homemade gourmet foods from all around the world and specialties a large scope in culinary delicacies. Emma's heard from around that the desserts are literally to die for, but that's if you have enough room in your stomach between dinner drinks and appetizers. When you come to Lana's you leave with a food baby, and you go home full and happy and feeling like you spent a fortune. There's not a dining experience like it in the area and people go there for business and special occasions and it's customary to call ahead with reservations, as Sean did a few days before.
When they arrive it was crowded with people, dressed up. It's the kind of restaurant where the women wear dresses and the men wear a suit or a jacket, so formal and Emma and Sean didn't miss the mark, Emma even had a sash on to keep warm where the old building manages to get drafty. Although it's Emma's first visit to Lana's and obviously Sean too they felt swallowed up by its immensity and heard enough about the quality of the food that it's worth the trip. Nothing though, could have prepared them though by what else they would find there that night.
Sean held Emma's hand as they observed the sorts of people at the establishment, they recognized politicians, business owners and of course the rich and those who are consider the haves in town. There wasn't a child in sight, it simply wasn't that type of place. In the lobby they couldn't help but notice lobsters in a tank, fish in a tank built into the walls like an aquarium. The bar was beautiful. It's not all Sean has up his sleeve, take Emma out to dinner because he also plans to tell Emma about how he feels about Shane and hopefully she'll be sympathetic. He doesn't expect anything negative but sometimes he feels like has to save himself from defeat or rejection even if it's Emma and it's someone who hasn't let him down nearly as much as the other people who did, he whispered at her, "It's really cool in here."
Emma leaned her head closer to his ear, "I know," She admired those beautiful fixtures that add so much character to the interior, "I feel like I'm in a movie or something."
"It does have that sort of charm." He said as the host sat them at a table that they could fully take advantage. At the table the napkins were folded in an interesting way that they would feel almost guilty for unwinding. In the center of the table booth for two was a candle. It was dim inside, but the chandeliers were best presented in dim lighting. Sean impulsively reached for Emma's hand, and massaged it between his fingers, "So did I do good?"
"You did better than good." The two were seated in these old-fashioned seats that sort of reminded you of a carousel, the upholstery was probably from many years ago but was in perfect condition.
"I feel like we didn't have much time alone and I wanted tonight to be special."
"And it is special, because as corny as it sounds I'm with you. It's never boring and clearly I didn't know you to be so good at keeping surprises."
"Where perhaps there are things you've yet to find out about me." Sean replied, letting go of her hand for a second and lifting up his menu to take a look at the food, "I'm actually really excited about this."
"I like surprises, keeps me on my toes."
He looked up at her, and she at him, "I don't think I ever told you about my experiences. I've heard all about you, but I wanted to tell you things. I didn't want to tell you early on because I have my reasons and I wouldn't want to get into them. I mean I'm still me, I always worry about what you're going to think or say or do when I tell you things about me. It's just we were always so different as in the types of people we are, you're always more talkative and out there and I was always . . you know."
"Introverted?"
"Yeah, it's not that I don't want to be talkative or as seen as this unapproachable -"
"You're not unapproachable."
"I was."
"It didn't stop me from talking to you."
"You talked to everybody, but not me. I didn't talk to much of anyone, and then when I did I met people some people I didn't expect to be the kind of people they turned out to be. Alex is when it comes down to it actually really awesome and down to earth but she's got her mean streak and Jay he lost that mean streak but he became more careful and kind instead. We grew up and I learned to not be so inside of myself. Sometimes you can't get things back, obviously you can't go back in time. You can't do anything about things that happened then that was then. So when I went into the service, I met a guy in basic and he quickly became my best friend. And he had this whole life, this life I wanted everything I wanted and I knew who I wanted that with."
"What kind of life?"
"He was living the dream, had a girl, kids, a house and I knew I wanted those things with you. I just needed to have that type of experience for me to realize what I wanted. He brought me out of my shell, took me to bars helped me learn to laugh things off, let them roll and I adopted that. I try not to worry about things because that takes time out of my day. You see what I mean?"
Emma nodded, she offered him a smile, "I absolutely know what you mean. You needed that, I was being selfish when you first wanted to go. I didn't think about how it made you feel when you couldn't finish at Degrassi. You needed a back up plan. I just didn't want to lose you."
"Yeah, I know." Sean looked down, "It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. Was to turn my back and let you go. I wasn't even sure what I was getting myself into."
"Well you made out alive, some people don't have it so lucky. Count your blessings."
"And I do, everyday." Sean explained thoughtfully, "I lost that friend in combat. I actually watched from the trenches as he was shot and killed and it set off an electric fence, explosion and that's why I'm not surprised that I will have nightmares about it. I wish I were kidding but I'm working on it."
"Sean, don't take this the wrong way but, when I was sick in high school with," She whispered quietly, "The eating disorder, I had a therapist and I don't think it's a bad idea for me to take you to see him. I mean I don't know anything about psychology. Maybe the dreams are memories you repressed. I tried to repress the shooting and, it made me think I needed to because I was still having issues with that. It stemmed from a need to control something in my life. I know it's not the same thing. Knitting helps but it's tricky to get the hang of it."
"Ah, I don't know, Emma. Would it help? I think it might have to do with sleep. I only get the nightmares, and they're reoccurring. I mean they're always the same, like reliving it again. It always starts and ends up with the same thing. Occasionally it'll show me reacting to him busted to bits and I can't move I can speak I only can can my screaming. And then I wake up, but when I woke up I was in a bed. I was bathed, dressed in a hospital nightie in a medic tent. I blacked out and I never blacked out before. The last thing I remember is screaming and falling down being just absolutely spent."
As Sean and Emma talk, they were finally interrupted by their waiter. He was about their age, but they didn't know him but they're almost sure he also attended Degrassi. He was a tall, athletic looking guy and he had a pad of paper and a black and white penguin suit on with a pink lapel with stripes matching the decor and color scheme of the restaurant. "May I start you with anything to drink? I'm Anthony and I'll be your waiter."
"That would be awesome." Sean smiled warmly, he thought for a moment and decided, "Do you have Sprite here?"
"Absolutely, and for you miss?"
"I'll just start with a water, I still haven't looked over the wine list."
"Oh take your time, have you looked at the menu yet?" Emma looked over at Sean, who in turn looked at her, "Well then, I'll leave you to that while I go get you your drinks. Our specials tonight are Wild Blackened Alaskan Salmon, lobster bisque soup with garlic cheddar and bacon mashed potatoes, Parmesan Roasted Chicken with a side of homemade seasonal hot steamed veggies in a butter garlic sauce and baked apples and your choice of a potato and Chicken Cordon Bleu with loaded mashed potatoes or twice baked, rice pilaf and peas. We also have appetizers on the front flap of the menu and our soup of the day is Italian Wedding."
Emma winced a bit, "I guess we have some things to look over then."
"Like I said, take your time, I will be back with your drinks shortly. If you need me or have any questions I'm Anthony."
He walked away, and left Sean and Emma alone. She looked at the menu but couldn't find anything that she could eat that wasn't meat. It was all comfort foods, foods her family oddly enough weren't staples within the home. She saw some of the pasta dishes and she found tofurky filled tortelini that was brimming with steamed veggies and a creamy seasoned sauce. There was another one that was more of the thanksgiving traditional variety with cranberry sauce and all the fixings It came with a side. Sean went ahead and decided on that Parmesan crusted chicken. The description in the menu made his mouth water. And for their appetizers they went with truffle fries, they had this white creamy sauce that was probably the cheese they use for their white cheddar mashed potato casserole. It's unique takes on traditional things with colossal serving sizes. You have leftovers for days when you eat there. The plates are giant. The soup bowls are massive and so are the alcoholic drinks the wineglasses are practically the size of your head. Everything is bigger there. After they decided they put aside their menus and waited for Anthony to return. Emma happened to look back at the front doors of the dining room, big wooden doors, old and sturdy like nothing she had ever seen, just books that harken back to a time in a bygone era. The place felt new but still was stylistically antiquated especially seeing everyone dressed up in suits and jackets and fine dresses. Emma isn't big on dress up but she did dress for the occasion, never going wrong with a little black dress which hugged her body and accentuated all the right places. She had bought it with Manny at Express and decided to wear that. Sean surprised her with this dinner and although it was expensive it was going to be a special night for the two of them.
Nothing could've prepared her though by what she would next witness, her ex-husband Spinner walked into the dining room arm and arm with Darcy. All the while Emma thought he was missing or moved somewhere far, far away and here he was with Darcy! She didn't want Sean to see what she saw so she whipped her head around to Sean and didn't say anything she was surprised, "So I hope these fries are worth it."
"And if they aren't we at least tried them. I heard one of my clients at Tony's go on about them so why not?"
Anthony returned, with three drinks, Sean's Sprite, Emma's water and of course the last drink, "We didn't order that." The young and obviously nervous waiter explained nervously, pointing over to the other table.
"I know ma'am. Gentleman at that table, he bought it for you."
Emma strained her eyes to see Spinner at a far side table, he was visible wave to her nodding. It indeed was Emma's poison, at least what she'd drink while with him. They always had the liquor cabinet filled with various types of whiskey, bourbon and rum and this was a Captain and Coke. He remembered. Was this an olive branch? I guess this means they're going to have words later. Although she didn't know what would happen. She was fortunate that Sean couldn't see over the other table. Emma had a clear path in her vision but Sean had an obstructed view. He shrugged his shoulders nervously, "Who?"
Emma took a sip of her drink and swallowed hard, "Spinner Mason has entered the building."
"Are you kidding?"
Anthony nervously balanced one foot to the other, "Are you ready to order?"
"Yes." Emma replied, opening the menu, "I'll have that tofurky tortelini but the thanksgiving homestyle."
"White or wheat roll?"
"White is fine."
Sean ordered his meal and Emma turned around. Did Darcy know he bought her a drink? She couldn't help but notice while she saw Spinner and Darcy walk in she had a pretty pronounced stomach. Something that couldn't be ignored. When a girl with that tiny of a frame gets pregnant, her stomach just juts out even as early as the third month. Darcy was around that part of her pregnancy.
First time seeing him for almost a year and he buys her drink while out to dinner with her new boyfriend. Sean Cameron no less, and he knows how Emma feels about him. Sean doesn't know much about the marriage except for that it crumbled, but deeply they still couldn't ignore the other but Emma tirelessly tried. She knew that something was bound to happen if she were to run into Spinner again, but she wasn't ready for how this could strain, complicate or even harm her newly forged and mended after the flames stopped burning with him.
Anthony took the menus and dashed over to the next table to take the orders and put in their orders to the table. Emma sighed, "I had no idea he was even still in town."
"Just don't worry about it." Sean reached for Emma's hand, she accepted although she was notably pouting.
"I just I'm worried about how you feel about it."
"What do you think I'm worried about? You two are divorce the chance of you starting anything up would be absolutely ridiculous. Am I right?"
"It's not really what I'm worried about. I think he might still be mad or is trying to buy my forgiveness to kill his guilt over how things played out."
"I doubt that." Sean thoughtfully remarked, "I mean, maybe that's his way of saying he's cool with you, cool with us and maybe he wants to be . . . friends?"
"I couldn't see myself as friends, not after how things blew up."
"I think it's worth it, if I didn't have the gall to talk to you I would've tried to find out where you hang out and . . bought you a drink. An apology drink."
"Why an apology?"
"Because lord knows, I did some horrible things with you, and that I was sorry. I had a lot to apologize for."
"Ancient history."
"If you and Spinner are than you should at least go over to his table and thank him for it. Otherwise he'll think you haven't got past it. You are past it, right?"
Emma nodded, "I'm past it without a doubt, it's just I was worried he wasn't. I'm sort of blindsided from the thing. And Darcy is also pregnant."
"Darcy?" Sean asked.
"She was at our school. Maybe because she wasn't around that time."
"Oh." He replied, "I don't know. Just go over there, make your peace. I'll be waiting. I do wish he got me a drink too because that looks like it tastes good."
"Have a sip, I don't have cooties." Emma stood up and decided to bite the bullet and at least be cordial with Spinner. The gesture was kind and seemed well-mannered enough for to believe that all was alright. She wasn't entirely sure if Darcy knew he was trying to make amends for his dark period after Jane that overlapped into his unfortunate ill-fated marriage with Emma.
Manny and Jay woke up and had breakfast. Jay had made waffles for them both and Manny told all of her wait staff they could have the day off. She wanted to have nothing but the two of them for the day and evening. She wanted no interruptions and just them avoiding the media firestorm they've yet to realize is happening right past her gates. Photographers and paparazzi want a money shot, but no shot would occur not when they're bolted up inside. Looking for that money shot, waiting and watching the door, the windows for light for anything to show signs of life into the windows of her home. She didn't know but this was common. Ever since landing the coveted role she's been practically stalked, for the short time she went home she was free from the media. She could've done must worse for herself at home considering photogs weren't around to photograph her every move. She was herself, calm, and best of all to her unknown. She could freely take a walk and not be stopped for questions unless it was townsfolk she'd known for years. That was different. She knew her stardom had no bearing for their natural concern and friendliness for the girl. She was a hometown girl, just like them and would likely be buried there to stay long after her death but that's a lifetime away. She's still young and this is just until she becomes yesterdays news. May as well soak up the rays of being young and beautiful in Hollywood before her life is blown to pieces, her cover, her past strewn for the world to see. And she had no idea what was going on. Since her return she's become reclusive aside from work, filming. No press junkets yet or interviews from magazines, none of that had been since Late-November before her departure. Jay hated how this made her feel constantly have to be someone other than herself. He tells her often, you cannot please everybody. Wasn't that the truth. She beamed at him, "Look, that's work, you are a very big part of my real life. Which isn't nearly as glamorous as people may think. I mean I'm truly blessed to be granted this second chance with you. I mean, I've kissed so many duds. So many toads until I found you. Arguably, my prince charming. So many guys have given up me. Perhaps I had given up on them along the way and yet eventually they were weakened and eventually stopped seeing me or they did things that weren't good and even though time passes the wounds feel all the same if not more painful than before. It hurts, Jay. Sometimes I want to just leave it all behind and be free. The other part of me loves acting so why stop? Why does acting make me this type of pedaled girl. I entertain the world but - I . . I don't have a leg to stand on. I'm fodder and soon I'll be forgotten like the other teen sensations. I refuse it but I find myself trickling down a well and drowning in only a few short years. What if I did run away? Come home. With you? Wouldn't you, why wouldn't like that?"
"I would but I feel like I'd be taking you away from you life."
"My life as you can see by the ridiculous fanfare outside is exhausting and I need something a bit more calm I suppose."
"I don't follow."
"I want to be normal!" Manny exclaimed, "I want normal people problems. Like, bird shits on my car and I got to deal first thing in the morning and it's on my windshield. I want my car to fail in the middle of the road and someone fixes my car, a good Samaritan . . if you catch my drift, you."
"Yeah but, this is your dream and I just can't believe you plan to give it all up just as easily as you came by success. It was so hard for you, and you didn't give up even when yo-you're dad saying he doesn't believe in you, but you proved him wrong at your début and that's why you're here. You Manny, never gave up. I refuse to let you do it now."
"Jay, I - I don't know what to say. You're . . . you're right. I'm Manny Santos." Manny surmised unsure of how she didn't see what was important, or basically lost sight of it.
Jay nodded happily, repeating back to her, "I'm Manny Santos. What does Manny Santos do?"
The brunette whispered flatly, "Manny Santos doesn't give up."
"That's right, now go get 'em tiger." He jumped up.
"What?"
"Tell them to fuck off." Jay explained, "I mean, I know it's been bothering you and quite frankly I'd like to see the outside, the sun, trees, without flashbubs preferably."
"I don't . . I don't know why they're stalking me now. I guess making up for the like month we spent in Canada . . well I spent with Craig and . . "
"I don't want to talk about Craig."
"He wasn't . . " Manny sadly spoke, profoundly seriously, whispering the last bit with a deep breath before and after, "Anything."
"I know." Jay answered her, which made her smile through her welling eyes. If she were to blink a tear would surrender it's time to the cheek. She was at her wit's end, with cabin fever and the feeling of utmost uncertainly. She didn't feel safe outside. Outside she could be preyed on and taken advantage of like how Britney and Lindsay before her. She somehow ran away from her past and it came back ten fold. The only true regret was leaving Jay for Craig and then realize that was a huge mistake.
The boy with the backward hat and a mouthful of comebacks, loved this girl and it killed him to see her in this state. While he was overjoyed they're back together, and at least taking things day-to-day but for all intents and purposes they are back together again. Jay couldn't be happier given the circumstances. He sure feels like a dunce for taking back Manny knowing that she technically had an emotional affair with Craig before she decided it was time to put an end to their relationship or so she thought. She simply wasn't thinking clearly away from friends, and then it dawned on him Manny is homesick and she misses her friends, her boyfriend and the simple life she left for the Hollywood Hills four years ago and she didn't ever think she'd ever regret that decision but she finds that, perhaps that was overlooked and underwhelming. Perhaps it was time to hang up acting and take some much needed Manny time. With the exception of the holidays Manny never once took out a hiatus between films movies and shows there were lots of overlap where she'd be filming two things in one period. Jay didn't know how she did it. With energy drinks, a personal trainer and a personal chef making sure she was awake and sane. She was sane, but she worried that she would quickly become trained and have to be hospitalized for exhaustion even though everyone believes that's code for
She didn't want to damage her so-called pristine reputation, at least in Hollywood she was immortalized as pure. The girl next door with a killer set of pipes and sex kitten eyes, that was her persona. Anything that would come out to counter that and she'd be looking at scrutiny and eventually a bad reputation. Manny is not the same girl from high school, she's more mature than that and she mostly copes with defense mechanisms stemming from the past but she's head and shoulders better than she was before. She was so carefree then, now she's taking notice to things she didn't think of before. And then it crossed her mind that perhaps her dad was right. It was always good to have a backup with science, it's simply her heart wasn't in it. I think if there was one thing she ever did that was the thing that disappointed him the most. Even when she wanted to get her boobs done, he was more angry about the science and her taking on theater full-time, dating her instructor and wasting away on diet of ramen and yoga sessions to calm her nerves. She still does yoga but in the privacy of her own serene zen garden she designed herself with the help of a landscaper, except indoors.
Manny and Jay are good, at least for now. Manny finally gets so sick though of staying in the house, so she decides to walk outside. She throws on a pair of sunglasses, puts Jay's work hoodie on that has the Tony's logo emblazoned on them and got her mail. Fortunately for her they asked her a few simple questions, "What do you have to say about the mystery man in your house."
"No comment." Manny muttered clearly affected by their jeering at her cost. She hated feeling helpless when others would scrutinize her choices. And then there it was, front page. Steven, she thought to herself. She jogged into the house slamming the door and leaning on it and burst into tears. She dropped the envelopes in the foyer without care, they were just coupons and magazines and now that was the least of her worries. She leafs through the magazine falling onto her fainting couch. Jay ran downstairs, reacting a little late for her door slam, followed by the sobs of Manny. He walked toward her and pulled her into a hug. She repositioned herself as she clung to him resting her body between his legs and her head swallowed up in his chest. As he held her tighter he heard the crinkling of the magazine that separated them.
She closed her eyes as she pulled back as he took the magazine from her wordlessly. He gave her a look, before he read and saw the photographs of Manny and the man who picked him up from LAX and took him to Manny's. He told him a lot of stupid mindnumbling boring times about the 1970's and his disco hayday of a club owner and a cabbie on the side. And he's claiming to have had sex with his basically for all intents and purposes his girlfriend between her arriving and him arriving at Manny's. It sounds bad, but he can't really say he had a claim on her. They were on a break, and now he feels more and more like Ross Gellar in this group of friends.
"When I got drunk," He scoffed, "At Zanz, you know with Alex working there and we rescued her."
Manny rolled her eyes, "I don't want to remember that night."
"I know, but something happened that night." Jay shouted over her.
She was taken back, she inched toward the back of the chair, furrowing her brow, "And?"
"We basically broke up at the bar."
"No we didn't, we broke up at your place after you told me shit about things and you basically did everything except for keep me there with you."
"What do you mean? I wanted to give you a ring and propose to you that night and then you basically dumped me for Craig! How do you think that made me feel?"
"So your true colors come out right?" Manny stood up, her hands on her hips, "So you don't really love me at all."
"Don't you dare," Jay pointed at her, walking toward her as she walked backwards away from him, "You will not have me not defend myself, I'm not the bad guy."
"You came here and I thought that meant we're having this truce. Sorry if I thought we were going to move on from this and past this. If we keep bringing it up it's not going to get any better. Jay, if you can't forgive me, we can't really be together. You understand me?"
Jay paused, collecting his thoughts. He closed his eyes and took an breath, "I love you Manny. I'm just not ready, I guess to forgive you completely."
"Great."
"It's not like I'm not trying." Jay retorted facing her now, he clasped his hands to hers and firmly and tightly squeezed them, but not enough to harm her, just enough to hopefully get through to her, "I love you, Manny and I'm a man of my word. Time is on our side and we can work on us. I can move out here."
"What about the garage? Your apartment? Alex for that matter?" Manny asked crossing her arms assertive giving him a dose of reality at least for now, "I can't ask you to run away from your obvious life obligations."
"I want to do that, for you. At least then I'll have you, near by so we can work together at our relationship. I want this. I know you want this or you wouldn't be upset with me. I'm not even upset or worried about what this cab driver said. I don't even care at least point if that's true and you had sex with him. We weren't together, we were broken up. We were also broken up when you slept with Craig for a month and a half and I'm not even mad at the paps, but the reason I'm mad is because of them bothering you. Your hate for them, fuels my hate for them. And I feel the need to be loyal and protective to you. You're everything to me, you're my everything. There is something I need to tell you though and I need you to trust me."
"What is it?" Manny asked, mentally exhausted by this conversation. She ran her fingers through her bangs.
"I tried to kiss Emma after I yelled at her and blamed her for Alex, and the worst part she forgave me. She knew that Alex was important to me." Jay confessed, "I just get drunk sometimes and I don't know my limits and my emotions get the best of me. I've always blacked out in the ravine and slept with people unintentionally and not remembered their name or face in the morning. It sounds crazy, but it's Emma. Emma is the person though that, I remembered. I taught her to give me a - -"
"Shut up!" Manny screamed at him, which made him jump at least a foot in the air, she shook her head, "I don't know what I was thinking but just shut up. You're talking too much, shut up."
"I'll take the guest room, wouldn't want to disturb your peace and quiet." Jay glided past her to the bedroom door. She turned around letting out a sigh.
She called to him, "Wait!" She heard the door down the hall slam, she collapsed back onto her fainting couch in her bedroom which she had shared with Jay until they had another fight. At least it's progress, they're actually listening to one another even though they don't necessarily want to hear any of it.