One Day

Part 29 - Bowling

After a long shower, I make my way to the living room avoiding Jace as much as possible. I fall into the couch and make myself comfortable fully intending to spend the next couple of hours napping and stewing in my anger. I pull my wet air from behind my back and lay it across the arm rest as close my eyes. I hear footsteps approaching and Jace's voice.

"Are you still going bowling with me tonight?" I don't open my eyes and silently weigh my options before responding. I could stay home and nap away the rest of the evening while he goes bowling without me. Or I could go with him and awkwardly act like nothing is wrong in front of his friends. He would actually probably prefer to go alone because I'm not sure how much company I would be at the moment.

"Are you asleep?" he asks gently and I realize it's been several minutes since he asked his question. My eyes flutter open to see his face bent down next to me on the couch. His face is conflicted as if he doesn't know if he should stay next to me or back away to give me my space.

I roll over to face him as he sits in the floor and leans against the couch. "I don't know," I finally answer.

A small smirk plays on his lips. "You don't know if you're asleep or you don't know about bowling?"

I refuse to smile. "I don't know about bowling. I'm still really upset with you and all I want to do right now is take a nap and avoid arguing with you."

He winces a little at my harsh words. "Okay. How about I wake you up in a couple of hours and then you can decide?"

"Yeah, fine." I roll my eyes at his stubbornness and turn over facing the back of the couch. I begin to drift to sleep as I feel a blanket being wrapped around me and a gentle kiss on my temple.

A couple hours later, just as he promised, I find myself awake and still in a sour mood. I decide that as much as I want to lay around and not do anything tonight, I don't want to be in this house alone. I force myself off the couch and get ready without speaking much to Jace.

We ride the motorcycle to eat before meeting his friends at the bowling alley. Dinner conversation is forced as the air between us remains tense. I have to give him credit – he is trying, I am the one with the problem and I'm refusing to let go of my anger at this point. I assume since he's still around, his decision is to stay with me but he hasn't mentioned the earlier fight.

We pull into the bowling alley and I swing my leg over the bike as he turns it off. I start to unhook my helmet when I feel his arms wrap around me and he leans his helmet against mine. I rest my arms on his shoulders as he looks deep into my eyes.

"I love you," he whispers, his voice made even quieter by his full face helmet.

I'm looking up at him as he playfully knocks his helmet against mine, "You're mine. It says so on your helmet." He grins and then helps me unhook my helmet.

I slide my helmet off with one hand and reach my other hand around his neck. If he's made his decision then I need to make the best of it. "I love you, too," I say as I gently kiss him.

He smiles and pulls me to him. The anger I've felt most of the afternoon starts to melt away as we kiss. Several minutes pass before we release each other and walk hand-in-hand into the bowling alley to find his friends.

The mixture of blaring pop music and the crash of bowling balls against the pins is overwhelming at first. His best friend, Kingston, sees us and waves. His girlfriend, Windi, comes running over to me and wraps me in a quick hug.

"Hey, girl! You're on my team!" she excitedly says as she bounces her way back to the lane. We've only been around each other a couple of times but in that short amount of time I can tell she does her best to get along with everyone she meets. She's incredibly ditsy but genuinely cares for those around her and has been nothing but nice to me.

She sits down next to me as I take off my jacket and find a place for my helmet. "Alex already got your shoes for you all," she says as she hands them to us. She's the only one that calls Kingston by his first name.

We bowl a couple of games before things start to wind down and I decide to sit a round out. Windi is still bounding around talking to everyone and I'm making small talk to some of the others when I catch Jace's voice behind me. I don't think they know I can hear them but I can tell they are trying to keep quiet.

"You have to quit calling her," I hear Kingston say quietly. "You are the one that broke things off and then you still call and text her. It's not fair to January and it's definitely not fair to Layla." I imagine he nodded in my direction.

"I know," Jace says. "I really just wanted to check on her. I've tried texting her several times and calling her and she never answers her phone. It's like she trying to avoid me. I just want to make sure she's doing okay."

Kingston sighs, "You've got to stop. She's doing her best to get over you and move on and every time she sees your phone number, it's taking her back. You have to let her go."

"I know," he says unconvinced.

I knew he had been texting and calling her but I didn't realize how much or how often. All of my emotions from earlier come crashing back as I swallow the lump in my throat.

"I'm serious. You have a good girl who would do anything for you standing right in front of you and you are pushing her away. How long do you think she is going to be patient with you while you get things straightened out in your head?" Kingston whispers. "Just delete her number, completely remove her from your life. That part of your life is over. So now act like it."

Windi sees me brush away a tear that escapes my eye. "I need to pee," she says loud enough for them to hear. "Come with me," she says as she grabs my hand smiling like nothing is wrong.

I make it to the bathroom before I breakdown.

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