Apartment || Hugh Jackman

003: reckless

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The wind continues to blow through my hair while im jogging, in all honesty I hate waking up early. I forever will be a night owl, you will never catch me awake before 10am if I have a choice.

And yet here I am bright and early jogging because I couldn't fall back asleep and I couldn't stand being in my apartment doing nothing . Rubbing my eyes and my podcast playing I replay what I heard that made me not be able to fall back asleep.

"I just hate when you flirt back Hugh." Penelope yells at him. "I'm not flirting though hun they're being nice and I don't want to get us kicked out again like we did from our last place." He says in more calming tone.

At first I ignored because I've heard worse from worser neighbors like the one who wouldn't stop practicing the drums until 4am.

But then again hard to ignore when she keeps yelling about him cheating and him denying every single time he has never and will never cheat on her. "You know you accuse me of cheating so much I feel like you might be cheating or something." He laughs very loudly, she stays silent before saying anything, "how can I cheat on you?" She replies. "How could you ever think I could cheat on you!" She yells back at him. "It was a joke baby." He replies.

"Yeah yeah this whole fucking marriage is a joke you know that?" She laughs loudly. "Yknow what I can't be here with you right now you're... disgusting me I'm leaving." She bluntly states.

It died down after that but I still couldn't go back to sleep. So now im here in Central Park, with a podcast playing about healthy relationships. I chuckle at the irony.

It had now been at least 2 weeks since they've moved in first me and Ryan just continued with our routine of work and going out when we had time and energy, they didn't bother us at all but then the honey moon phase was over. I don't think they could ever bother Ryan since they would argue bright and early and she always had on ear plugs so she wouldn't be awaken up before her alarm could go off. Me on the other hand they've been waking me up for the last 2 days.

How annoying though, if this is how it's gonna be every morning I rather die than have to worry about a couple at the brink of their dying relationship. I finish my 2nd lap around the park and was already exhausted. I haven't told Ryan about it cause I didnt think it would matter but now they've kept me up for 2 nights I was thinking about having a talk with her or even them about quieting down my last resort if anything was to call our landlord.

After working at the bar for almost a year I have become a changed girl, I use to not be able to confront people I would be the type to back off and never say anything, but now I had to always basically yell at men because nia was too nice.

I take a sip of my water and admire the view of the park, the sun was starting to raise and making the sky look all cotton candy like. A sigh comes out heavily from my mouth, I want a bagel.

I turn on my phone and look at the time it was now 8am my stomach growled right after looking at the time, I purse my lips I was going to probably eat later at work but again working so much time at the pizzeria you can tired of the same old food.

I grab my phone and text Ryan, I don't know why I even try though since I knew she wouldn't respond, "do you want a bagel?" I send to her before standing up and stretching a little bit. I wonder through my head thinking about which place would be cheaper.

After about an hour or so of getting the bagels and starting my walk home I get a text back from Ryan, it was no surprise since she was actually the early bird, "you're up early." She replies. I chuckle at her response, "the neighbors woke me up I'll tell you all about it when I get home." I text back. I put my phone back in my pocket and let my AirPods read out her message. "If I have to hear about them fucking I will literally jump off the roof." Siri reads out.

I chuckle as I turn to the corner of our apartment, I had got myself a simple everything cream cheese bagel since it was the only thing I was thinking about after that jog in the park, and of course got my very critique chef a salmon everything bagel with all those things salmon bagels have.

I'm stopped in my tracks at the sight of Hugh. I almost choke as im lost in my thoughts and am shocked to see him. "Morning." His accent sounded more heavy in the morning, "good morning." I try to wave with the brown bag of bagels in my hands.

He had an exhausted look in face while looking up at me, he sat on the stairs on the outside of the apartment with a white tank top at this point im beginning to think that was the only shirt he owned, with black and blue pj pants.

"You're an early bird?" He says pointing at my outfit, I look down at my work out outfit, it was a matching set. I had to admit my outfit was corny made me seem very modern 20 year old, with a peach yoga pants and matching peach tank top and of course my peach scrunchy tying my hair up in a pony. I cringe slightly at myself.

"Well don't you love newly married couples they keep you up all day." I joke, he tries to laugh it off before clearing his throat, "you heard all that?"

I nod a response, "kinda hard not too since I do live a few feet away."

"Sorry." He clears his throat one more time, "we're just going through a rough patch what can I say 15 years of marriage gets you here." He expands his arm to the city.

15? 15 years? Was actually crazy to me he didn't seem that old or did he? I glare at his face a bit more trying to think how old he was, the wrinkles showed when he talked but than again not that much he had an old vibe towards him not in a bad way but more like 80's or 90's type love which was hard to find nowadays with every man being sassier than women.

"Sorry.." he says, "we'll try to keep it down."

"Why not just get divorce?" I bluntly say before covering my mount with my free hand, "omg." Im even shocked by what I said, I was thinking it I didn't think it was just going to come right out. "I'm so sorry it's not any of my business." I squint my eyes and once again cringe at myself.

He chuckles, loudly causing me to open my eyes and look at him, "I think you're the first person to tell it to me just like that." His laugh trails off, "you kids are quite blunt nowadays."

He has a way of making me seem like a 14 year old girl or something he always talked like I was a child when I was very clearly 20 at least.

"Hey no kid im 22." I scold him, "but sorry again it really isn't any of my business."

"Kinda is now that we woke you up." He replies. I shrug my shoulders, "at long as you keep it down you won't hear a peep from me." I pinch my index and thumb and zip it over my mouth.

He sighs, I see the look of stress and exhaustion in his face once again. I felt bad it seemed like this fighting had been going on long before they got here but once again it wasn't any of my business. Without a second thought I open my bag and hand him half of my bagel, "halfsies?" I say while handing it.

He looks up at it like it was saving his life, "thank you." He grasps it. "Can I ask you something?" I say, he nods while taking a bite. "Did you cheat on her? Cause the way she yelled it made seem like you did something fucked up."

I could tell he was thinking about what to say while chewing, he swallows before responding, "never in my life would I cheat on my wife."

I think back to the podcast I was listening to earlier, "when accused of cheating sometimes all you can do is remain calm and let the person yell it out, you never know if they're just insecure in their position of the relationship or if they're projecting and they themselves are cheating and want you to do the same so they feel less bad."

"Do you think she is?" I mumble out. He looks up to me, it was like he was looking at every detail in my face. "I-I don't know." He mumbles back. It was like I hit something hard.

"Hurry up im hungry." My Siri reads out the text from Ryan.

My eyes trail off to look at the window of my apartment, I don't know how to end his long look, he almost had an aura that made you wanna stay longer. I clear my throat, "im sorry again im gonna go." I say before climbing up the stairs.

"Hey." He says.

I turn my head, he holds up the bagel in his hand and slightly waves it, "thanks, kid"

"Anytime, old man." I smile.

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