Just Pretend

Chapter Thirty-Six

Jason

It's when I hear an unfamiliar voice in the kitchen four months after the first night that I decided to stay quiet about my feelings for Gwen, that I open my eyes completely sober.

I have a faint headache when I sit up with Carrie lying beside me and I look down at the grown-up dog staring up at me accusatorily.

'What?' I ask her and she looks toward the kitchen. I stand up to find a handsome guy standing in the kitchen with Gwen, his hands on her hips as she looks up at him, unamused.

'Jason! You're up. Please get this guy out of here,' she says and the guy automatically starts leaving, hurriedly saying his goodbyes before disappearing out the front door.

'Who was that?' I ask Gwen and she shrugs, not meeting my eyes again, and turning her back on me. I frown at the cold treatment and she continues with making breakfast before plopping a plate down on the counter in front of me and taking hers out of the kitchen.

I can't understand the cold treatment until I see a girl curled up on the mattresses in the living room and I groan softly, tapping her awake with my foot and sending her on her way, apologizing profusely.

She smiles and says she knows the deal before tapping my cheek and leaving down the road after the guy that Gwen just chased out of there.

'Gwen! It's really not what -.'

'Save it. I don't care what you're doing, but don't bring them here, please,' she says coldly and I wince as the words slice through me like swords.

'I can't with this anymore,' I say, surprising both of us, and she looks at me with wide eyes.

'I'll move back to my place,' I say quietly and Gwen nods slowly, turning away from me.

I can't keep seeing her every day, knowing that we're not together but feeling like we are.

I leave her in the kitchen and walk up the stairs to the bedroom, grabbing my duffels and stuffing them with my clothes. I hear the front door close before the gentle hum of her car engine fills the bedroom and I lean my forehead against the door of my wardrobe before continuing and walking out of the bedroom ten minutes later.

I walk straight to my truck and drop everything in the bed before climbing into the cab and starting it with a roar. I back out and leave Gwen's house in my rearview mirror, looking back once.

I fight the urge to go back but I keep driving to my place, knowing the sub-letter gave notice a month ago and that he'd be out by now. I walk into the empty place and drop my bags on the floor at the door before heading into the living room and sitting on the couch with my head in my hands.

Why am I too proud to tell Gwen how I feel about her?

I lean back and drop my head back against the couch, staring up at the ceiling with a groan and rubbing my face with my hands.

I fall asleep like that, my head starting to pound slightly as my hangover returns and feeling like shit about moving out from Gwen's without saying goodbye.

I tell myself that it's her fault for leaving first but then my mind tells me that I don't know what went on in hers when she left.

I wake up a day later and the first thing I do is call Gwen.

I'm not surprised when she doesn't answer and she lets me go to voicemail. I call her throughout the day and she ignores me until she switches her phone off just after ten at night.

I fight the urge to drive to her place but I know that Gwen's probably mad at me for fucking another girl under her roof and for moving out.

I give her the week to cool off before showing up to her house and seeing an unfamiliar sleek sedan parked in her driveway.