Torn

X Marks the Spot

Courtney grabs her credit card, puts it in her purse, and runs after Duncan.

"Duncan, wait!"

He turns to her as they both stand in front of the restaurant's entrance.

"Wait for what, Courtney?"

"I just want to know...do you still love me?"

He sighs. "Yeah. Yeah I do, princess."

"Then why can't we be together?"

"I just...need some time alone. I don't know if I can really trust you after everything."

Courtney holds back her tears. "But what about when you cheated on me with Gwen? I forgave you for that, didn't I?"

"Kissing someone and fucking someone are two completely different things," he snaps. "Look, just leave me alone for now, alright princess?"

She nods and lets him walk away.

Courtney sighs as she enters her apartment. How could she prove that she's not going to mess up again? She decides to leave Duncan alone for a few more days. Giving him some space is the least she could do.

"I need a drink," she says, changing into a black-and-white striped romper before heading to the nearest bar. Courtney orders a glass of wine and swirls it for a bit.

"Hey Courtney."

She turns around to see Scott, who is drinking Scotch. She smells the air and it hits her: Scott is drunk as hell.

What is it with me and having to deal with drunk men?

"Hi Scott." She looks up at him as she takes a sip from her glass.

"So, are you with Duncan again?"

Courtney sets down her glass and tucks her hair behind her ears.

"That's none of your business." She pauses. "But no, I'm not."

Scott smiles and reaches out to grab her hand. "Courtney-"

"But I want to be!" She adds, flinching away from him.
Scott frowns. "Oh." He takes a sip from his glass. "Well, why aren't you?"

"Well, for starters, he thinks I'm not trustworthy."

"Gee, I wonder why he feels that way." He laughs dryly.

"Do you...have any advice for me?"

"Advice for what?"

"Getting Duncan to trust me again."

"I don't know. Maybe meet up with Gwen?"

Courtney furrows her eyebrows in confusion. "With Gwen? Why? What does she have that I don't?"

"Duncan's trust, for starters."

Courtney takes a deep breath. "Yeah, I guess..." She hesitates. "Scott?"

He glances at her.

"Thanks."

He smiles slightly and goes back to drinking his sorrows away.

Courtney pulls out her PDA and gets ready to text Gwen.
It's been so long since I've been with her, she thinks.

Hey Gwen. Would you like to talk?

Not really.

Please? I need your help with something.

Ugh, fine. Where can we meet?

"Hey Courtney," Gwen says as she enters Courtney's apartment.

"Hi Gwen, it's good to see you."

"Right. Well, what did you need help with?"

"It's...Duncan."

Gwen groans. "Again? What'd he do this time?"

"Actually, I'm the one who did something."

Gwen coughs awkwardly. "Oh."

"Yeah."

"Well...what'd you do?"

Courtney hesitates.

Does Gwen know what I did? Should I tell her about Scott? I mean, he was dating her when that happened.

"I think I have an idea of what you're talking about." Gwen interrupts Courtney's train of thought. "Scott got drunk and came to me confessing about how he hooked up with you. I was honestly so surprised but hey, I guess guys just go for it when they see you."

"Look, Gwen, I'm sorry-"

"It's fine. Just tell me what you need so I can help."

"Right. Well...after that incident, Duncan doesn't trust me. I don't know what to do to show him I really do care about him."

"Hm." Gwen seems to be deep in thought. "Oh, I know!" She leans over and begins whispering into Courtney's ear.

"I'm not sure I want to do that," Courtney interjects.

"It'd be a great way to show your dedication to him." She nods encouragingly. "Besides, aren't you sure?"

"Sure of what?"

"Sure that you want to spend the rest of your life with Duncan?"

Courtney's mouth opens to say something, but nothing comes out. She shifts in her seat awkwardly.

"It's cool if you don't know, but that's all I got."

"Thanks, Gwen." Courtney pauses. "So...you and Scott, huh? Never thought I'd see that."

"Me neither. He's just so sweet. But we're not dating anymore, because of what happened between you and him."

"Are you sure you can't give him another chance? I mean, he did tell me to see you, so I know that he still thinks about you. I think he's thinking about you right now at the bar downtown."

"Yeah, probably..." Gwen says, clearly uncomfortable now that the subject has shifted to her.

"It's not my place to say whether you should date him again, but he really is a great guy. Everything that happened was my fault."

She shakes her head. "No way. It takes two people to fuck things up."

"I guess..." Courtney concedes.

Once Gwen leaves, Courtney begins contemplating what to do. Gwen's suggestion was a serious commitment, and she wasn't sure if she was ready to take that step yet. It's something that would stay with her forever. Did she really want to be with Duncan that long?

Courtney enters an address into her GPS. She puts her hands on the wheel, a look of determination in her eyes. "Let's do this." She storms off to her desired destination.

Courtney reaches Skull Signature in record time. She might have been speeding a bit so that she couldn't regret what she was about to do.

Courtney enters the shop and sits in the waiting room. It takes some time for Duncan's friend Hayden to appear from the next room and go up to the counter.

He approaches her before speaking.

"Hi, what can I do for you?" He asks.

"Is Duncan here?" Courtney asks nervously.

"Sorry, but no. Today is his day off."

"Perfect," Courtney responds while grinning.

"Uh, what exactly do you need?"

Courtney looks him dead in the eyes as she says:
"I want to get a tattoo."