Forbidden Fruit

Chapter 11

That Saturday at the beach had easily become my favourite day in America so far. 

Vic and I had spoken for ages and I got her number; the sea was lovely and cool on the gorgeous hot summer day; and the guys had even attempted to teach me how to surf. Well...they'd tried to. Jared looked like some sort of pro when the waves kicked up but as for me, I very much embodied the amateur I was. At the end of the day I just about managed to stand up and that was the best I could do. I still had a good time though.

However, despite the fun in the sun, I couldn't help but feel...guilty. 

I was doing all this, making new friends, chatting up girls, when I still had unfinished business back home. The people in England had very little idea on where life had taken me and that wasn't really fair. 

I still wasn't going to contact my family. Yes, they should've been the first people to talk to, but they would also be the first people to demand I came back. I didn't need to get into that pointless argument because I wasn't going to. I had made my mind up and I didn't need my family, particularly my dad, making me feel more guilty than I already was. 

Maybe it was unfair to assume their reaction would be that, but I just knew it would be. And I wasn't ready for it. Life had been good so far but it still felt fragile: I didn't want to endanger my happiness just yet. I needed to build up my foundations here slightly more first. 

But there was something I needed to do regardless of my emotions on the subject. I'd made this decision to move across the ocean with the conscious notion that I would be hurting people, and if there was anything I could do to lessen the pain, then I should do it. Even if it meant letting that person go.  

The phone call I was about to make was a long time coming. I should've done it as soon as I got here, but I had put it off with excuse after excuse. Now with Vic hopefully beginning to move into the picture, I couldn't avoid it any longer with a clear conscience. 

I clicked on Anna's contact and dialled her number. 

Internally I felt panicky. How upset would she actually be? Would I have to deal with tears? Shouting? I really wasn't sure. I had no idea how my girlfriend would react when I had left and was now about to officially end it with her. 

The call went to voicemail. I sighed and called again. That one went to voicemail too. I decided to dial one last time and then just give up and call later. She clearly was busy. 

I expected this one to go to voicemail too, but it didn't. Someone picked up after two beeps. 

But it wasn't her. 

"Hello." It was a man's voice. I frowned. Maybe I had the wrong number? But for some reason the voice sounded vaguely familiar. 

Out of shock I didn't say anything and the man spoke again. "Hello? Who is this?" 

And then it clicked. The guy's voice was familiar! It belonged to someone called Jeff, who was in our friendship group back home. We never really spoke and I had very little to do with him, so as to why I had his number on my phone saved as my girlfriend I did not know. 

I was about to speak when a female voice, which I could distinctly tell was the girl I'd been trying to reach, spoke out presumably from across the room. "Jeff why are you on my phone again? Just come back to bed." 

My heart seemed to give a heavy thud in my chest. 

"I know baby but it seemed like-" 

"Hey Jeff," I interrupted him coldly, my voice similar to shards of stony ice. "It's Jack. I was calling to speak to my girlfriend." 

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line and I just knew. I knew what had happened. I knew what they had done. 

"Jack," he said slowly, as if my name was painful to him. Good. He deserved it. "Look it's not what you think..." 

"Save it!" I snapped. "How long has this been going on for?" 

"Jack..." 

"How long?" I thundered, losing my cool as my voice raised into a shout. Several people by the bench I was sitting on stop and stared for a moment, but the look on my face quickly scared them off. 

"I'm sorry mate," he breathed out, still not saying anything but his silence was as good an answer as any. "Maybe I should pass you onto Anna..." 

"Nah don't bother. You guys have just made this easier for me. I hope you're happy together."  

I hung up. The deep feeling of betrayal began to set its toxic seed in my gut and I started to feel a miserable queasiness I had never ever felt before. Was this relationship I'd invested in for nearly two years just a lie? Just a sham? Had she felt anything real for me or was it all a cover up? 

My phone rang again. 

"Jack." It was Anna. She sounded breathy and weak, sounding as vulnerable as I was beginning to feel inside. 

"Anna," I bit out, clenching my jaw. "Your boy toy didn't tell me how long this has been going on for." 

She paused for a moment. "Jack...you were the one that left." 

"Yeah looks like I made the right decision!" 

She fell silent again. 

"Well?" I demanded. "How long? Is he a rebound or have you been cheating on me?" It was a question I felt I knew the answer to before I asked it, but I still needed to hear the answer come from her own lips. 

"Six months," she breathed out, shame flushing over her trembling tone. "I'm sorry." 

I nodded. "You should be. I hope you're proud of yourself. I can't believe I actually wasted any energy feeling guilty for what I had done when you had done so much worse." 

"Jack...I'm sorry. I feel awful." 

"I'm glad I left," I told her, and before hanging up for the last time I asked her one more question. "Who else knew about this? How many of our friends?" 

"I...a few." 

I visibly flinched. "Did Johnny know?" 

Her voice trembled even more. "I...I'm not sure." 

I hung up. I couldn't take it anymore. I scrolled onto her contact and added her number to the blocked list, as inside I felt devastation and betrayal overcome my thoughts and feelings. I couldn't believe all of this, but it was so evidently true. 

I'd been cheated on and it was possible my best friend had known all about it.