JOYRIDING

/nineteen/

Bert gets to me before I to him. Which is okay, I guess. I'm in a little snack area of lobby, and he just sits his loathsome ass down right across from me.
I stiffen noticeably, and scoot my chair back; ready to stand if I feel the need.
He sighs and presses his lips into a thin line. "Look, I'm sorry."
"Is that all you've got? You put my boyfriend in a fucking coma!" I pause when I realise I called Frank my boyfriend. He is, I guess, but we never officially established it.
Bert raises an eyebrow. "First time you called him that, eh? That's okay, I know you meant boy toy."
I stand up too quickly, causing my chair to crash backwards onto the speckled linoleum. "No, I meant boyfriend. He is my boyfriend, after all."
Bert looks sort of surprised, then defeated. "You really do like him."
I nod, still defensive. "Of course. I wouldn't cheat on someone like you for just anybody, and especially not someone I don't love."
"Wait. You love him?"
I'm too caught up in the moment to truly realise the meaning of my words. I nod forcefully. "Of course."
Bert's expression crumbles, and for a moment he looks ready to cry. "And what about me?"
I shrug, because I don't really know how to explain it. "I don't know. I mean, you're amazing and you were pretty much my first everything. My first love, first sexual partner, first real boyfriend... I do love you. Just... not like that. God, I'm so head over heels for him," I mutter, burying my face in my hands. "Fuck. I can't even explain feeling the way that I do about him. Do you know what I mean?"
Bert nods slowly. "Yeah." He stares sadly at the table. "That's how I felt – how I feel – about you."
I groan and stand my chair back up so I can sit. "I know. I'm sorry."
"Yeah, I know you are. Me too."
I open my mouth to speak but my phone begins buzzing before I can say anything. "Uh, hold on." I mumble before answering the call. "Hello?"
It's the nurse from before. "He's doing good. Really good. He's not awake yet, but it shouldn't be long."
I don't even try to hold the inevitable grinning back. "Yay! That's great, thank you."
Bert raises an inquiring eyebrow as I end the call. "Is he awake?"
I shake my head, still grinning. "No, I'd be way happier if that was the case. In fact, I'd probably be more than halfway to the room by now."
"I'm glad you're happy."
I shrug. "It came at one heck of a cost."
Bert hums in agreement, and gives me a look that says "you should feel like you're on top of the world."
I don't. At all.

((Actually I think it'll just be 20 chapters))