Impractical Jokers, Practically

Chapter Fifteen

"I cannot believe what they did." 

Sal and I were in his car, on the way back home from Atlantic City. He was driving pretty fast--I can't blame him seeing how we both couldn't wait to get out of here--and now that we were putting serious distance between us and the casino, he slowed his speed a tiny bit. 

"How could they think about doing this?" Sal continues. "What, they just woke up this morning thinking kidnapping you after you were just actually kidnapped like five seconds ago was a good idea? 'Hey, let's all pretend kidnap Alexa and give Sal a heart attack and it'll be awesome and bring great ratings to the show, yeah that's a good idea.'" I wouldn't be surprised if smoke came out of his ears, that's how angry he looked. "Not to mention, they willingly sat by watching whatever his name is, Cameron, choking you. He could have killed you! And you have those bruises..." Sal takes his eyes off the road for the eleventh time since we've been driving, looking at me with sad eyes. "Unexceptionable. Disgusting. I should have known not to trust my friends once Murr kissed you that time, several days ago. He kissed you and now they did this! I want to punch them all in the face and they're supposed to be my best friends!" He screams that last part out in rage and that's when I knew I had to interrupt his ranting. 

"Come on, why don't we pull over? We're far away from them by now and it'll be easier to talk without you concentrating on the road." I'm just as upset as he is, but it seems like he could really use the break to calm down. And it'd be safer. 

Sal responds, "Okay. But only for a minute." He pulls the car to a stop alongside the road and puts it in park, giving enough space for traffic to go around us. 

Before I can even say anything, Sal has his face in his hands. He stays like that for several seconds, then, giving a frustrating sigh, looks up. He's looking at me with an expression I can't recognize.  

I don't know what to do, I'm feeling so many emotions right now, that all I do is stare back at him and then slowly grab his hand. I don't intertwine our fingers, I just place my hand on top of his, a way to console him. His hand is cold, ice cold, while mine is warm.

He speaks up, "Look at this. You were the one who was abused and frightened out of your mind, and you're trying to comfort me. Are you okay? Like, really okay? I hate what he did to you, what the guys put you through."

I take a moment to collect my thoughts, then answer, "Yeah. I was in pain because of my feet, and neck, and cheek, but I think I'm feeling more emotional pain, rather than physical. They had no right to trick us like that, I don't care about if it looks good on TV. I knew what I was in for when I agreed to be on this show, but they took it too far. There's other ways to make a punishment funny and acceptable. But by making me think I had to save your sister, by making me think I was getting kidnapped? Not only kidnapped, but taken by a family member of a guy who actually kidnapped me?! This was not ones of those ways. And they had the audacity to laugh about it. To not even care--" I pause because I'm feeling overwhelmed. 

"I know. I know. That was the stupidest...I don't even know what they were thinking. And it's bad enough that the guys made you think Jenna was in danger, but they also placed you in danger by having Cameron put his fucking hands on you. He could have really hurt you. It looked real enough." He pauses to take his hand out from under mine and reaches over to caress my face. His cold fingers touch my cheek, the cheek that doesn't have the mark from being slapped. With his hand on my face, he continues, "And--and I couldn't even try to save you. To protect you. They made you tell me to fuck off, and I'm telling you Alexa, that was the worst moment of my life. When you told me that you didn't love me." He pulls away from me and stares face forward in his seat.