Too Much Clickbait - Sequel to Clickbait

73

     Four Weeks Later
     I fiddled with the ball of hanging string off the side of my grey pillow, lying starfished on my stomach in the center of my bed. I had been going back and forth on myself on what to do with Heath. Ever since the night he ditched me, he's done it three more times. There had been the pestering urge to speak to either Kam or Zane about what he has been saying behind closed doors, but I didn't trust them enough not to tell him that they spoke to me.
     "You need to get the fuck up and talk to him." I jumped, turning to see Gabbie standing at the top of the stairs with her arms crossed over her chest. I frowned, getting ready to mumble an excuse, before she snapped at me. She stormed up the last step, grabbing my ankles, and yanking me forward. Spinning me around, she grabbed the front of my black, t-shirt I had stolen from Heath, getting close to my face. "Do you love him?"
     "We haven't said it yet. So I-"
     "I didn't ask if you said it. I asked if you love him." Gabbie's eyes pierced my own as I took note of the avocado face mask and under eye, peel off mask she had put on for her spa night.
     I held onto Gabbie's wrists, pushing her back slightly. She resisted, pulling me onto my feet instead. "Yeah. Yes. Yes, I love him."
     "I don't know a single time when your pyscho ass hasn't fought for him. Why is now the time you're giving up?" Gabbie stepped back again, recrossing her arms.
     "He and I promised we wouldn't be up each other's ass like we used to." I shook my head, running a hand through my hair. "I don't want shit to be like last time."
     "You remember that time you shared locations through iMessage?" I raised an eyebrow, trying to remember. "You know... He didn't trust you so you threw it on out of spite?"
     "What about it?" I walked to my dresser, hopping on it to sit at eye level to speak to her.
     "He said he was going to Saddle Ranch, right? Well... His snaps?" Gabbie pulled her phone from her pink, white, and black plaid pajama pants. She pulled up to Heath's snap story, allowing it to play. He was clearly at a dive bar, specifically the one I had found him in a few times before off the side of the strip. I felt a punch to the gut with every laugh he shared and drank her chugged down. I pushed her hand down, not wanting to see anymore of it. "You need to find where he is and than talk to him. You don't deserve to be like this just because his head is up his ass."
     "I don't know. I just feel..." I looked at my phone going off on my nightstand, hopping off my seat and towards it. I grabbed it, giving a face towards Gabbie to let her know it was Heath. "Hello?"
     "Baby!" Heath slurred, giggling. "You know how much I like you?"
     "Heath, you're hammered." I rolled my eyes, earning loud mumbling, though I knew it was barely English. I rolled my eyes, putting him on speaker, and playing along. "How much?"
     "I love you so much I'm not going to drive tonight!" Heath giggled, the sound of the city behind him. "My keys are in the gutter and I'm going to stay here!"
     I began to quickly throw on a pair of shorts that were on the side of my bed, being loose pink ones from Forever 21's pajama line, adorned with fluffy, white poodles. I slid on my black flip flops, running down the stairs quickly. "Heath, just stay there. Please?" I went through my messages, finding Heath, and making sure I could see his location. "I'll be there in ten okay? Keep talking to me."
     "I'm not a baby! I'm not... You!" I grabbed my keys, gripping the front door when Heath's next sentence nearly blew me off my feet. "You fucking murderer! Don't come near me or I'll call the police."
     Heath clicked the phone call off before I was able to ask him what he meant. Turning on my heel, I saw Gabbie's jaw had dropped to the floor. I grabbed my keys, Gabbie walking up to me. She cupped my face in her hands and spoke sternly. "I didn't say anything. Neither did Zane. Believe me, if I knew he had any idea I would have given you a heads up." I shook my head, knowing she was right. "If you need me, I'll be here waiting for you."

     *****

     Heath refused to answer any of my calls, causing me to drive almost eighty-five in the forty mile an hour zone where the bar was located. Upon arrival, I flipped open my iMessage again, seeing he was still here. I parallel parked as quickly as I could, though I was still a solid foot from the curb and crooked by the end of my attempt. Barely having time to take a breath, I ripped off my seatbelt and got out of the car, slamming the door behind me.
     I earned strange looks from those outside of the bar, including the bouncer. Quickly going through my photos, I walked up to the larger, Latino man. He crossed his arms over his chest, reveling a tattoo of rosary beads wrapping around his bicep that was slightly larger than my head. I shoved the phone in his face, earning a disgusted look. "Was this scumbag in here tonight?" Ignoring me, he looked forward. I hugged, shoving my phone closer to his face. "Well? Was he?"
     "I'm not a babysitter, little girl." He huffed, brushing my hand away from his face. Mumbling in Spanish, he complained about me being a "nagging girlfriend of a cheater".
     "He what?" I roared, slightly concerning the guard. He dropped his hands, his expression becoming softer. "What do you mean? Where did he go?"
     "He went in some Nissan or Toyota, I don't know. It was a chick's car for sure. Some little girl was in the front." The guard confessed. Upon seeing my look, he explained further. "She looked like it could have been his little sister. It was mad weird, chiqui."
     I walked away, mumbling a thank you, feeling as though he had just punched me in the stomach. I walked back towards my car, the sounds of the cars and people around me becoming louder, as if I just turned the volume up on my headphones. Before I made it to my driver's side, I dropped on the side of the pavement, looking down. Clenching my eyes, I began to feel my eyelids go heavier and heavier...
     "Chiqui! Here!" The guard was behind me, reaching out to me, as I turned around. He handed me a cell phone, shaking his head. "The bartender said he recognized him. He left this at the bar and tried to get his attention, but he didn't even care."
  Heath, what happened?