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Imani sat in the passenger seat of Jobe's car, her head leaning against the cold glass of the window. The quiet hum of the engine was the only sound between them, but even that couldn't drown out the roaring in her mind. Her heart pounded in her chest, an overwhelming mix of shame and regret swirling inside her. She was still drunk, but not enough to forget the wreckage she had just caused. Not enough to escape the reality that she had crossed a line with Jude—a line that should've never been touched.
Jobe hadn't said much since they left Jude's apartment, his hands gripping the steering wheel a little tighter than usual. The tension in the car was palpable, and Imani didn't know how to break it—or if she even should. She had done enough damage tonight.
After what felt like an eternity, Jobe finally spoke.
"You shouldn't have gone there, Imani," he said, his voice low and controlled, but there was no mistaking the frustration beneath his words.
Imani closed her eyes, the sting of his words hitting her harder than she expected. "I know. I wasn't thinking straight."
Jobe let out a long sigh, his eyes focused on the road. "No, you weren't. You were drunk and upset, and you put both yourself and Jude in an impossible situation."
"I didn't mean for it to happen," Imani whispered, her voice trembling. "I just... I didn't know where else to go."
Jobe shook his head, his jaw clenched. "I get that you're hurting, but you need to stop running away from your problems. I'm taking you to Trent. He needs to know what's going on with you."
At the mention of Trent's name, Imani felt her chest tighten. Her breath hitched as panic washed over her. "Jobe, no, you can't—"
"I'm not leaving you like this," Jobe interrupted, his tone firm. "You need to talk to him, work this out. You can't just avoid him forever."
Imani's heart pounded harder, and the words slipped out before she could stop them. "We broke up, Jobe!"
The car fell into a stunned silence, the weight of her confession hanging in the air. Jobe's hands froze on the steering wheel, his eyes wide with surprise.
"What?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Imani's breath was shaky as she repeated it, quieter this time. "We broke up. Trent and I... we're done."
Jobe stared at the road, processing her words. "When did this happen?" he asked, his tone softer now, the frustration slowly ebbing away.
"Last night," she admitted, her voice thick with emotion. "We had a huge fight, and it was... it was bad. I left, and I didn't go back. I couldn't go back. He's staying at the apartment until the international break is over."
Jobe let out a long breath, the tension in his shoulders visibly easing. He ran a hand over his face, clearly trying to make sense of everything. "I didn't know... Imani, I'm sorry."
Imani shook her head, biting her lip to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over. "It's not your fault. I just didn't know how to tell you."
Jobe was quiet for a long moment, and then he spoke, his voice softer now. "Okay. You don't need to see Trent tonight. I didn't know things were... like that."
Imani nodded weakly, her heart still pounding from the release of the secret she had been holding in. The relief of finally saying it aloud was overshadowed by the lingering shame of how everything had spiraled out of control.
Jobe pulled the car to a stop in front of a small, nondescript building—a quiet motel on the outskirts of the city. The neon sign buzzed overhead, casting an eerie glow over the parking lot. Imani blinked in confusion.
"Why are we here?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"You can't go home," Jobe said matter-of-factly. "And you're not going back to Jude's. So, you're staying here tonight."
Imani felt the shame creep up her neck again. He was right—she couldn't go back to the apartment, not with Trent still there. And after what happened tonight, she had no right to show up at Jude's again. This was the only option.
She nodded, biting her lip to keep the tears from spilling over. "Okay. I'll stay here."
Jobe cut the engine and got out of the car, walking around to open her door. He didn't say much as they approached the front desk, but she could feel the weight of his disappointment in every step. After checking her in, he handed her the key and walked her to her room.
"I'll pick you up in the morning," he said, his voice more gentle now. "Get some rest, Imani. You need it."
Imani nodded, her throat tight. "Thank you, Jobe. For everything."
Jobe gave her a small nod, his face still tight with concern, and then he turned to leave. As he walked away, Imani felt a crushing sense of loneliness settle in her chest. She had driven everyone away—Trent, Jude, and now Jobe was only here out of obligation.
Once inside the small motel room, Imani collapsed onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling as the events of the night replayed in her mind. The dim, sterile light of the room cast long shadows on the walls, and the silence was deafening. The alcohol was wearing off now, but the headache that came with it was only a fraction of the pain that gnawed at her insides.
How had things gotten so bad? Just a few days ago, she thought her biggest problem was the argument with Trent. Now, everything was falling apart. Trent was still in the apartment, not talking to her, likely deciding whether they even had a future together. She had nearly destroyed her friendship with Jude in a moment of drunken desperation, and now Jobe, who had always been her voice of reason, was disappointed in her.
Imani curled up on the bed, clutching the pillow as the tears she had been holding back finally escaped. She was a mess—a complete, broken mess. And for the first time, she didn't know if she could fix this.
She didn't know how long she lay there, crying into the pillow until she had nothing left. At some point, exhaustion took over, and her tears dried up, leaving only a dull, aching emptiness behind. She closed her eyes, trying to push away the thoughts of everything she had ruined, but sleep didn't come easy.
All she could think about was the morning ahead. She'd have to face it—face everything. Trent. Jude. Herself.
And the worst part was, she wasn't sure if she was strong enough to handle what came next.
