Issues

Chapter 33: Tour Bus Days Part I

Hm. Really now?

"Really? Not 'that big of a deal'? Someone starts a damn-near company wide betting pool on whether or not I'm sleeping with my married client and you think I'm 'overreacting'?"

I turn away from her, take a large gulp of my beer, and pace back and forth briefly as I try to figure out what I want to say next, or at least figure out a more delicate way to say it, but the slight buzz I'm feeling encourages me to just go for it.

"You're supposed to be my best friend and have my back, but every time I ask you about it you find a way to deter me from the subject and I always let you. I'd like to think I know you well enough to believe that you wouldn't keep a secret like this from me, especially since you see how it's been affecting me; I'd like to think I know you well enough that I'd believe you when you say there's nothing for me to worry about...but then there's this small part of me, and I do mean small, but it's still there. You see, that small part of me thinks you know more than you want me to know, that there's a reason why you don't want me to know the truth and, if I didn't know you well enough, that small part of me would tell me that she thinks you have a bigger part in the pool than you want to let on." I explain and turn back around to look at her.
"If I didn't know you well enough, I'd say you started it, or you at least put it in someone else's head to. Either way, all I really want is for you to come clean and tell me the truth, otherwise I want nothing else to do with you." I growl out and stare her dead in the eyes as she stares blankly back at me.
"So you can drop me just like that?" She asks with a look of hurt in her eyes and my heart breaks a little.
"Just like that."
"That easy?"
"I never said it was easy for me to. I just want the truth." I urge.
"Either way, you'll want nothing to do with me, so who really wins here?" She asks and I chug the rest of my beer.
"Me." I respond once I finish and drop the empty bottle to the concrete ground in front of her with a loud smash and she jumps back as the glass shatters between us.

Without another word, I walk away to make my way back to the hotel and shoot Nia a text as I walk.

Me: I'm going back to my room
Nia: Why? U ok?
Me: The more ties I cut, the better I'll get, but I just need to be alone right now
N: U want me 2 stop by l8r?
Me: No, it's ok, I promise. I'll text you tho
N: Ok boo, call if u need anything, Bliss and I gotchu 🥰
Me: Thanks boo ❤️

I swallow the sadness in my throat and smile to myself at the fact that I still have people who love and support me, showing me that cutting people out that are bad for me isn't the end of my world...at least not this time. I wipe away a stray tear and hold my head up as I continue walking, losing myself in my thoughts as I go.

There's no more room in my life for toxicity, periodt.

*~*~*~*
Thursday November 11, 2021 - Omaha, Nebraska

Roman POV

5:15 PM

Getting in the elevator with my bags, I press the button for the lobby and get lost in my thoughts. Things with Tanq and I have been good and I'm pretty happy about it and she does, too...though she's been a little withdrawn all week and she won't say why. I could start pressing her about it, but that's what she doesn't want from me and I don't want to push us backwards after the good progress we've been making. The elevator dings and opens to the lobby and I'm brought back to the present moment. I step out and roll my belongings out to the bus to start packing them into the cargo hold. As I'm packing, I hear Tanq's voice and I instantly turn around to look for her and see her and Joseann arguing by the other bus across the parking lot. Tanq doesn't like to make a lot of private business public, so I'm sure JoJo wanted to talk outside and Tanq's not having it. She's not screaming, but her voice is definitely raised and she sounds pretty upset. I manage to finishing getting my bags into the cargo hold quick enough to start making my way towards them, but I stop in my tracks when Seth walks up to them and tries to Tanq, but she turns around, shoves him away, and storms off while Joseann storms off in the other direction with Seth behind. So, I take off in the direction Tanq went and quickly catch up to her behind the hotel.
"T! Tanq! Hol' up!" I call after her, but she doesn't stop.
"Go away!" She responds.
"Tanq, stop!"
"No! Just fuck off!"
"Adina!" I call louder and she turns around abruptly.
"I said fuck off!" She yells and goes to push me, but I grab both her wrists and look her square in the eyes.
"Now, Adina, you know me better than that. So you've got two options: you're either gonna calm down now so you can talk to me, or you can stay mad but I'm not gonna let go until you calm down so you can talk to me."