Memories Work Like Magic

chapter twenty-eight.

Alex understood how much the breakup wrecked Jack, without a doubt. He often debated with himself over who was more hurt. The conclusion was always himself, and he wasn't sure if it was selfish of him to think that, but Jack was aggressive when he left, so he was sure that the emotional toll on himself was much more. But, after their reunion over coffee (he told himself it was a reunion because he wasn't really sure he could call it a date), he saw how broken Jack really was, and left his inner dispute inconclusive.

He knew that there was more feeling behind whatever Jack had said. He remembered that there was a point in their conversation where Jack cut himself off, refusing to tell Alex something until they were official again.

He also wondered who could have possibly been more important than him in that exact moment of time that he was about to tell Jack about the music he'd secretly been writing. And Jack didn't even call or text him back, or apologize at all. He considered whether trying again was worth his time for what felt like the hundredth time that day. Call it overthinking, but what else was he really to do with himself? And the answer to his question, was to take the chances of being with Jack once more.

~

"You're a fucking idiot Jack," Rett spat through the phone. "You really wanna call this off? You already paid for it. You got the cops after ya, you might as well just leave before your life goes to shit. And don't give me any of this I'm doing this for love shit. Do you really love your ex still? 'Cause you're a sissy who can't get over his first love. He clearly wasn't good enough for you if you were the one who le--"

"Shut the fuck up, bastard," the other man retorted. "Why the fuck do you care what's going on in my life? I don't want the place anymore, that's all."

"Jack, I have a family I have to feed--"

"Bullshit!"

"I need to make a fucking living!"

"Then go get a real fucking job!" Jack replied, completely mocking the man on the other line. "You don't even fucking know what I'm going through."

"Oh but I do," Rett replied with a smirk on his face.

"Yeah, sure bud. How would you even get any of that information?" at that moment Jack remembered that this is the same man who somehow got his number, was looking at the same houses he was, and randomly showed up at his house without being asked. All of this chaos ensued simply because Rett happened to be his taxi driver on a night out. This reminder had Jack thinking that this guy could probably get all of the details on every citizen of the United States in minutes.

"And besides," Rett was continuing a sentence that Jack paid no attention to. "Do you really think I'm going to tell you how I do things?" He laughed. "Fine, I'll get you your money back, it's not like it'll be that hard for me to sell this shitty old place anyway."

"Oh, so now you're calling the apartment that was amazing and super comfortable and everything I need shitty just 'cause I'm not buying it?"

"It was sorta run down anyway, buddy," Rett said cooly, putting his feet up on his desk. Their banter went back and forth for a few minutes, Jack now fuming with anger. Rett only kept on talking because he had nothing better to do with his time. Eventually, all of the money Jack had paid out of his pocket was returned to him, and he'd have to worry about the bank loans later.

As much as he hated to admit it, all he wanted after the long dispute was to talk to Alex. So naturally, he called him.

When his phone rang, Alex was suddenly filled with elation and relief. He only hoped that this would be a positive conversation.