Crossed Boundaries

Chapter 2: The Arrangement

Weeks passed, and as February's winter melted into late March's spring, Gia's pain began to dwindle. Being surrounded by her family would have made moving on from Cory much easier, but she was hours away from home, and she knew she had to stay to save her grades. She tucked herself away into a quiet little hotel and threw herself into school and work. Loneliness crept in the back of her mind, but she had no time for self-pity. It was a Saturday night, and she had just come in from a long shift at J.C. Penney. She threw her things onto the hotel bed and went to run her shower. She couldn't wait to get off of her swollen feet. Her phone rang and she went to answer it. Her quiet hopes that it would be Cory slowly faded over time. Something in her heart had finally accepted that it was over between them.

Her phone screen read "Mom"  and she happily answered to that sweet voice she loved so much. "Hello?" she chimed. "How was work today honey? I've been thinking of you all day." the voice questioned. "It was okay. A little long, but I'm in better spirits there, so it makes the job better." Gia answered. "Well that's great, is school still going better?" "Yea! I'm actually doing really well in all my classes." Since being forced out, the lack of chaos in her life gave Gia the opportunity to work out everything that was broken about it. Cory meant somewhere to stay, but what was the point if everything else had to suffer? Her and her mom chatted for a while, and it lifted Gia's spirits. Everything was well until her mom asked "Have you thought about moving back home?" Gia knew she couldn't stay in a hotel forever. Her best friends were already rooming together and were locked in their lease until the end of the semester, but her savings account was dwindling fast. She would have to think of something soon.

"I love you ma, but there is nothing for me back home. Our town is so little, and I have bigger dreams. My life is here now, but I just need a little time to figure out where to live." "Well, your name is on that lease too. He can't legally kick you out, and you did nothing wrong. Why do you let him treat you that way?" Gia sighed because she knew her mom was right, but something told her that it all happened for a reason. She rarely ever thought about Mack, but meeting him again gave her life a push that would have never happened on its own. "No ma. I needed to be put in this position. It was destined by God, and I know he wouldn't give me more than I can handle. I'll figure it out."

"Well okay baby. Be safe, and I love you. I'll always be here if you need me." "I love you too, ma."

The next day, Gia was preparing for an early morning shift when her phone buzzed. Texts from Dahlia came through.

Dahlia: Hey girl. Have you heard from Mack? He keeps asking about you, and I'm getting sick of it. What happened with you two?

Gia read the message, but didn't respond. She had no desire to see Mack after his friend reported back false information of them. She didn't give it a second thought, and headed to work. The first half of her shift was smooth-sailing, and the Sunday crowd seemed to make the hours fly by. At the end of her shift, she clocked out and headed towards the door to leave. As she was leaving, she saw a familiar face walking towards her. "Hey!" they called out.

She turned to see Mack jogging her way. She quickly scrambled for the door, but he soon overtook her. "Hey, what's up stranger. How have you been?" he cheerfully asked. Gia shot him a look. "How did you know where I worked and why are you here?" she said continuing to walk towards her car. He was confused by her hostility. "Umm, Dahlia told me. Is everything okay? Did I do something wrong?"

"Besides getting me kicked out of my house and making my boyfriend break up with me? No." Gia got in her car and went to close the door, but Mack kept it ajar. "And how in the hell did I do all of that, I haven't seen you since the kickback."

"Your friend Josh must have told Cory that night. He threw me out and I've been staying in a hotel since, so excuse me if I don't seem to excited to see you." Mack couldn't believe Josh would do such a thing, but that was the only explanation that made sense. "I'm so sorry, Gigi. I didn't know he did that. I feel really bad."