“I can go back out again if you want me to.” I rolled my eyes at him in irritation, “I didn’t expect to be accosted on my doorstep tonight otherwise I wouldn’t have come home on my own.” I folded my arms across my chest in a display of defiance.
“I’m glad you’re home early, and you have no idea how relieved I am to see that you’re alone. I was dreading coming face to face with your date.”
I narrowed my eyes at him accusingly, “How did you know about…oh…right, Max.” I shook my head, mixed emotions whirling around my head.
“You know Alistair is a good guy, a better date to come face to face with than your choice. How is the slut in the red dress by the way? Or is it the brunette from the hospital you’re seeing now? I can’t keep up these days.”
Joe winced when I mentioned the red dress whore but his face took on a whole other expression when I mentioned his new girlfriend from the hospital.
“What the hell are you on about Ella? What brunette at the hospital?”
“The girl with Max, your new girlfriend.” He was looking at me now like I was sprouting horns or something, his face shocked and slightly confused.
“There is no new girlfriend, there never has been anyone else Ella. Where the hell did you get an idea like that from?”
“I saw her in the waiting room, don’t lie. Max was holding her hand and comforting her and she was crying. Are you really going through them that quickly these days that you’re forgetting which one is which?”
“I honestly have no idea what’s going on here Ella, I’m ringing Max. This is insane.”
I stood tapping my toe trying to appear aloof and indifferent, but I was intrigued to hear what Max would say.
“Hey Max…yes she’s here now…No, listen I need to ask you about the morning of the accident. Were you with anyone at the hospital?...okay hold on…” Joe took the phone away from his ear, “he said he was on his own.”
“So who was the girl he was sitting next to holding hands with when I came to the door? The brunette crying her eyes out?” I was getting antsy standing here.
“Did you get that Max? ... Oh shit…” Joe’s eyes went as wide as saucers as he looked over at me and shook his head again in despair. “Fuck…yeah I’ll call you tomorrow. Thanks buddy.” He hung up and sat down on our step, his head in his hands.
“The girl you saw was on her own, she’d just lost her Father and was crying in the family waiting room. Max was comforting her because he saw she had no family there to help her…My God Ella, all this time you thought there was someone else. Was that why you never called?”
I suddenly felt a huge wave of relief wash over me followed by indignation at his last comment.
“Why should I have to call? I haven’t done anything wrong! I wasn’t the one sticking my tongue down some whore’s throat last time we were in the same room together. You were disgusting that night by the way. I’d never do something like that in front of you.” I felt the anger from that night resurface and I fought back the urge to slap him across the face for being so utterly heartless.
He ran his hands through his hair groaning.
“I know I was a complete ass hole that night and I’m sorry, I’ve hated myself for it every fucking day since. She was disgusting Ella, and so was I. Kissing her was like kissing a bloody octopus, and it felt wrong. I shouldn’t have done that to you. I know that saying this won’t make what I did any more bearable for you but I was jealous Ella. I was jealous of you and Max, the relationship you had. I’ve always known he loved you and the fact he could be with you whenever he wanted and I couldn’t pissed me off. I guess in some twisted way I wanted to hurt you like I was hurting.”
Was he for real?
“I don’t love Max, not like that. Why is it my fault that Max feels that way? I never encouraged him, I’ve always been exactly the same with him whether you and I been together or not.”
He glared up at me with hatred in his eyes.
“You still kissed him though didn’t you.”
“No! He kissed me! There’s a big difference. He lent forward to kiss me and I pulled away as soon as I saw what was about to happen. End of.”
“Doesn’t matter, it still pissed me off.”
I was getting pissed off myself now.
“Good! Now you know how I felt every time Anna was around you.”
He stood up now, towering over me in anger.
“I never had feelings for Anna ever, you know that. I’m not a cheat Ella.”
“No you just love em and leave em don’t you Joe. So how many more nights out have you had with your great pal Charlie huh? He sure knows how to pull in a classy crowd doesn’t he! What was it red dress slut said to me in the ladies? Ah yes, she was going to suck and fuck you so dirty and hard you’d never want to let her go. Well I hope you got your money’s worth.”