The Things I would do for you - Jobe Bellingham

Chapter 43: Shattered expectations

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After leaving the café, Imani and Trent decided to take a short walk before heading back to her place. The night air was cool and refreshing, and the tension from earlier had eased. With Trent by her side, Imani felt more at peace, though she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something still left unresolved—Jobe.

They had talked about it earlier, and Trent had encouraged her to call Jobe and be honest about her decision. Knowing that she couldn't avoid it any longer, Imani had finally picked up the phone and called him, with Trent sitting beside her, providing silent support.

The phone rang a few times before Jobe answered. His voice was slightly slurred, and Imani immediately realized he had been drinking.

"Imani?" Jobe sounded surprised. "What's going on? It's kinda late, isn't it?"

"Hey, Jobe," Imani said softly, trying to keep her voice steady. "I'm sorry to call so late, but I wanted to talk to you about something important."

There was a pause on the other end, and Imani could hear the faint sound of a glass clinking. "Important, huh? Alright, go ahead."

Imani glanced at Trent, who gave her an encouraging nod. She took another deep breath. "I wanted to let you know that Trent and I have decided to be together," she said, her voice steady but gentle. "I wanted to tell you directly because I respect you, and I didn't want you to hear it from someone else."

There was a long silence on the other end, followed by a bitter laugh. "Trent," Jobe muttered, his tone laced with sarcasm. "Of course. Should've seen that coming."

"Jobe, I—" Imani began, but he cut her off before she could explain.

"You know what, Imani?" Jobe's voice grew sharper, the hurt evident beneath the anger. "I don't need this. I don't need you calling me up, telling me how happy you are with Trent. You're just trying to make yourself feel better, aren't you?"

Imani winced at the harshness of his words, but she forced herself to stay calm. "That's not it, Jobe. I just didn't want to keep you in the dark. You've been important to me, and I wanted to be honest with you."

"Important to you?" Jobe scoffed, his voice rising. "If I was so important, you wouldn't be with him! This is just... typical."

Imani felt her heart sink, but she knew she had to stand her ground. "Jobe, I'm really sorry if this hurts you, but I have to be true to myself. I need to do what's best for me."

Jobe was silent for a long moment, and when he finally spoke, his voice was quieter but still tinged with anger. "Do whatever you want, Imani. It's your life. Just don't expect me to be happy for you."

Imani felt tears prickling at the corners of her eyes, but she held them back. "I'm sorry, Jobe," she said softly.

"Yeah, me too," he muttered before hanging up abruptly.