1. Good luck with Los Angeles and being a f*ck-u editor
1452 Words
It was a tiring two-day drive on the road. It's a good thing my cousin, Carl, is with me. Then again, if it weren't for him, I would have taken the plane. But he's a cheapstake, which would make sense if we hadn't spent the entire plane budget and more on booking hotel rooms and three daily meals for two days.
"What are you doing?" Carl whispered, lowering my two giant boxes from the trunk, each with small suitcases on top, making it a total of four.
"Adding to your embarrassment," I chuckled, sitting on the bare parking lot surface as he tossed my backpack at me.
"Get up and get going. Call me when you surprise him. I'll find a place to park around here until then." Carl mischievously smirked, and I smirked back, pushing myself to stand.
"Ouch! Bro, I'm so tired. You are too. You should find a hotel and rest. Don't worry about me. It'll go smoothly; I'm moving in with my fiance," I groaned, swinging my backpack and a heavy tote bag.
"You're surprising a guy by moving across the country to his place and applying to a university in his city without telling him. I'll be waiting out here for you."
"Arghh... you and Mom. It won't kill you to say good luck!" I huffed. "You'll see. Jake and I will be happy. This will be the greatest surprise of his life. We'll be roommates and shame you and Mom."
"Go go go," he laughed.
I adjusted my hair, preparing to meet Jake. "How do I look?" I smiled at my cousin.
"Like the Queen of Goddesses. Anyone will be lucky to have you," he praised, and I excitedly swayed my hips, giving him a thumbs up.
"Okay, thanks for the ride. I love you, cuz." I waved, struggling with the loaded boxes even with their wheels.
"Love you even more," he called from the driver's side as I walked into the terminal.
The airport was bustling with people, likely returning after the summer break. Panting, I stopped dragging the boxes, found a bench to rest, and took about thirty seconds to search for my phone in my hard-to-reach tote bag.
As I sighed in relief, I swiped the screen; the phone was on Do Not Disturb. Three missed calls from Jake. If only he knew I was in Portland, starting school on Monday at a university where he wouldn't have to travel to see me. The university he went to.
Finally, I turned on my mobile data, after managing to stay off the internet to keep my location a surprise. My phone was flooded with days-long notifications, but I went for the tracker app Jake and I had on our phones for security. Now, it was a bonus to help me surprise him where he stays, considering it was Saturday, and he was likely on a day off.
But something snapped in my stomach. His location showed he was at a printing company in Los Angeles.
"Clearly the app turned out to be a scam," my subconscious says. And the home surprise was ruined. I had no option but to call him and have him send me the address or pick me up.
I dialed him back, and he picked up on the first ring. "Oh dear, Lord. I was so worried you're ignoring me," he sighed.
"Why would I? How could I?" Blushing, my heart warmed at the sound of his passionate voice.
"You never get mad at me," he bragged, and I chuckled. "I miss you," he added.
Squealing with excitement inside, I bit my lip, hesitant to break the news to him. "You don't have to anymore."
"What?" he asked dumbfoundedly.
"Babe, I'm going to tell you something. I'm at the airport," I gasped with joy, slapping a hand over my mouth, stifling my laughter as I waited for his reaction.
One second passed. Five seconds passed. The silence grew louder and longer. He didn't say anything; it was like the call was cut off, but it wasn't. It was still ongoing.
"Jake?" I called out nervously.
"Love, you should've told me earlier," he said in a weird tone.
Weird is good! He's just taking it in.
"I wanted to surprise you." My heart raced, but not in an exciting way. "Is it too much to want?"
"No! That's not it." He exhaled, and it sounded like there was a lot on his mind. "We could have planned ahead of time."
Now I'm getting upset. "What ahead of time? In case you don't know, this is how surprises are made. What are you saying?"
"I'm not in Portland, love."
What the heck?
"Okay?" I tried not to panic. It's just for the weekend, I'm sure. After all, he has to be at work on Monday. "You traveled. I can find a hotel and wait for you," I suggested.
"Love, I've received a job offer from one of the top publishing companies globally. It's a huge deal for me. For us."
Is he joking?
"Where is this job?" I nervously asked, feeling the burn of tears in my eyes.
He hesitated. I knew the answer, but I wanted to hear it from him. "It's in Los Angeles."
Scoffing in fear, I pulled on my hair, feeling a sinking terror at the realization that I'm f****d up.
"Wh–what happened to your perfect job here, Jake? You used to say getting employed here is your only dream. You said you loved it here. You said you wished we were together here." I couldn't comprehend how he would make such a sudden decision without telling me, especially when he made Portland sound like home.
"This new place is really good. Imagine the pay and the standard I could improve in my resume. And it's an editor's job. It's everything I could dream of. I want to be able to give you a better life by the time we marry. I was going to call you and discuss it," his words felt like razors to my soul.
I stood still, listening to them cut me. Does he know my future hangs in the balance of his hasty decision? I could be going to college near my mom and cousin, but I chose him over everyone, and now he's leaving me alone in a foreign place.
"But then your hand slipped, and you signed a deal that determines our future without contacting me first, right? Jake, I applied to college here, in Portland. Not anywhere. I got into the University of Portland for us," I yelled, not caring about the attention I attracted.
"What?"
"You heard me. Why give me a ring if we're not even good at communication?"
"What does that mean? You applied to the University of Portland without telling me, and you still say I have poor communication skills?"
Why not turn my good into bad?
"No, you don't get to make me feel like I did something wrong for wanting to be near my man. You decided to move to an entirely new state, Jake. It's two different things," I raged.
"Believe me, I'm doing this for us," he said.
"Are you really? If only you asked me what I really want."
"Amelia, I swear it's for you."
Well, then great.
"Then I don't want it. If it's for me, leave it. I want you to come back to Portland, and as we planned, we'll stay here because it's beautiful," I cried, wiping my eyes.
"Amelia—"
"You said it's me you want. You love me. You want me. I am what you need. Please come back; I'm scared. What will I do?" I can't do this on my own.
"You're asking me to refuse a professional job to go back to being a personal assistant that I might have already lost the spot for, love."
"I thought—I just wanted us to be together. I am ready to make sacrifices for us. Are you, Jake?" I bit on each word.
"Amelia, just think about what you're saying first," he calmly said.
He sounded so calm. Too calm. I swear he's breaking up with me.
"So it is the perfect job over me?"
"I didn't say so," he countered.
"Then leave."
"Babe, I can't—"
"Well, good luck with Los Angeles and being a f**k-u editor. Find your ring in the trash can at the airport. We are over!" I heard him begging me to stay on the phone, but I ended the call; I didn't want to hear anything from him.
I slipped my phone back into my bag and stood still, burying my face in my palms.
- Writer
