Unconditionally

Chapter Forty-five

"If we really want to love we must learn how to forgive." -Mother Theresa

Ashton: I can't talk right now.

I stare at his text message, trying to figure out if I did anything to make our relationship come to this point. I don't think I did anything.

Biting my lip, I screenshot the text message and quickly go to my messages with Haze. Maybe she'll know something. While waiting for the picture message to fully send, I stand in front of the bathroom mirror and pull my hair up into a messy bun. My phone vibrates.

Haze: CALL ME

I pick up my phone and dial her number. Haze answers after two rings.

"Tell me everything, MC." She says.

Sitting down on my bed, I adjust my cell phone and lean against my pillows before talking to her.

"I'm not sure what to tell you, really. We planned a video chat a few days ago and it never happened." I tell her, knowing it's not exactly everything.

"Oh, that's bull. Stop lying to me."

I roll my eyes. Busted. "I waited for him to Skype me till one o'clock in the morning. He was supposed to call, and I text him. He looked at my message but completely ignored me." Haze gasps dramatically. "We haven't really talked since." I mumble.

"And he just now responded to your message that you said was sent a few days ago?" She asks.

"Yeah."

Haze mumbles something under her breath. I ask her what she just said.

"I've been talking to Carter, and I think I know why he has been ignoring you." I don't say anything, waiting to see what Haze has to tell me. "It's pretty much a party week there at UCLA right now. Sororities are all hosting huge parties every night. I'm assuming Carter has been dragging Ashton with him as a wing man."

I'm being ignored because of parties? Furrowing my eyebrows in confusion, I imagine what those parties are like. Images of Ashton cheating on me begin to appear. I squeeze my eyes tight.

"Do you think it'll just get worse?" I ask her.

"I don't know, MC."

I'm not sure what I should do now. Should I act like everything is perfectly dandy? Should I actually say something? It's only the beginning, and we're already having problems.

Haze and I talk for a few more minutes until she has to go to her Monday classes. We hang up. I flop down on my bed to stare at the white ceiling. Thoughts and questions run through my head as each minute passes. Tears fill my eyes. God, this is all ridiculous.

Before I get ready for work, I fix myself a quick lunch that consists of a sandwich and chips. Amy isn't with me because she's hanging out with Tyson somewhere. That's all she talks about. Tyson, Tyson, Tyson. I chuckle to myself at how she always falls over her words when he calls. It's cute.

My work shirt is freshly clean so I put on. It's a tad snug, but it's fine. September is coming to a close and that only means that winter is coming soon. Winter isn't my favorite season. I prefer wearing shorts and not shivering every time I step outside. I still slide on one my jean shorts but grab a light coat to put on when I'm outside.

I take my hair out of the messy bun and quickly braid the long curls down my back. Some of Amy's bobby pins are scattered across the sink so I grab a few to pin back my fly aways. Like always, I don't put on makeup.

I walk out of the apartment with tennis shoes on my feet, my purse on my shoulder, and my jacket tied around my waist. The drive to Roadside doesn't take long. It's about a total of fifteen minutes if there isn't a car accident.