Back On The Saddle

Chapter Fifteen

Fay Harlow

JOEY greeted me with open arms as soon as he seen me in the airport, we hugged and caught up on our life drama's. He was happy for me to be back even if it was just for a short time. He had already helped me so much by using the spare key i had left at his to move something already into his apartment; i appreciate him so much for supporting my decision. I had spoken to Bianca my friend whom i hadn't spoken to since i had left for Australia and she was happy to take the bakery off of my hands apparently her mother was a huge baker. I still owned it, her and her mum will just be running it; i trusted them to do so while i stayed in Australia. It was sad knowing i would be leaving it behind but i couldn't let a bakery stop me from going back home. We spent all of Friday packing my clothes and managed to do a trip from Noah's to his place before the sun went down. We only had a few loads left but it was a matter of packing all of my things, i had planned to keep my stuff at his until we could get it shipped over to Australia. It was now Saturday, Joey woke me up because i had slept in past my alarm - jet lag - and we ate breakfast that he had ordered through menu log.

"So do you think your dad would like me?" He says with a mouth full of food, "Dad's tend to hate me."

I laugh leaning forward and wiping cream cheese from the corner of his mouth, "i think he'll love you," i pause when i realise what i had just done and i quickly pull my hand away when i see his mouth open shocked at what i just done, "Sorry i don't know why i just did something a mum would do."

He shrugs, "It's okay."

"It didn't look like it was okay," I smile, "Judging by the look you had on your face."

"It just shocked me," he chuckles, "Listen i know that i have been pretty open with my feeling towards you and before you interrupt me," i close my mouth, "I know it will never happen but i just want you to know that i do love you," he pauses, "as a friend."

"I appreciate that," i say punching his arm playfully, "I love you to as a friend."

WE QUICKLY finish our food and head over to Noah's apartment to finish packing up my things, today would be the last day that my stuff would ever be in his place; it felt like freedom was at my fingertips with every box that we shove into Joey's Tesla. Noah had left the apartment in a disarray of dirty dishes - we found maggots crawling around in one of my Tupperware containers - and the whole place smelt so bad upon us first opening the door i almost threw up in my mouth. Joey ended up helping me clean up as much as we could even though Noah didn't deserve to come back to a cleaned place but i just couldn't leave it in such a way. This was my home at one stage in my fucked life; it was heart breaking having to leave it behind as much of a horrible place this was in the last year or so i had some amazing memories from when we first moved in.

"Hey," Joey says behind me, i was currently in the bedroom sorting through a pile of Polaroids i had taken over the years to see which ones are worth keeping for myself.

"I'm going to go grab some food." I look at him confused and look at the alarm clock that sat on my side of the bed and see it was already one in the afternoon my stomach groaned on queue and Joey laughed at me, "I'll take that as a yes."

He left the apartment leaving me to sort through some things; it was therapeutic to know that after today i would be free from Noah's grasp and going through each one of these photos i tore apart the ones that were just the two of us. It allowed me to take a lot of anger out without violence; something Noah was never capable off. I hear the front door open and i get up holding a cute photo i found of Joey and Bianca chilling on the couch in Olivia's place and i walk down the hallway.

"See told you she would be here," the voice makes my head snap up, my eyes widen upon seeing Olivia and Noah standing in the kitchen with bags in their hands, "You really thought you could run away?"