Reject Me

by Jennifer Foor

  She walked right up to us, as if she hadn’t gotten a privacy vibe from the two of us being hidden away from the rest of the group. “We were all talking about going somewhere for lunch. Are you all hungry, or did you just want to stay here doing whatever it was that you were doing?” I hated her accent. She made me feel like she could have been one of those reality characters from that New Jersey beach show. Her words had attitude attached to them, and I hated the way she stared at Jamey as she spoke.

  “What do you want to do, Pey? It’s up to you.”

  I shrugged and looked down at my hands as I spoke. “I’m a little hungry.”

  Jamey stood up and held his hand out to help me stand. He kept holding me even as I got my footing. “Let’s go feed you.”

  Jamey climbed on the four-wheeler before speaking directly to Angie. “We’ll meet you back at the gate.”

  We pulled away leaving her standing there all alone. I couldn’t help but look back and watch her looking at us. That vibe was back again, and I knew I was going to have to go to the source if I wanted to clear my conscience. I needed to know for sure that Jamey was being honest to me.

  After loading up the ATV’s Jamey climbed in the vehicle beside me and started it up. “You havin’ fun so far?”

  “Well, yeah, but we haven’t done much ridin’ today. I mean, we were naked for most of it.” We both began to laugh as we followed behind his friends in the truck. “So, how long have you known Ang?”

  “For a while I guess. She comes to visit her family every summer. Why are you askin’ about her?”

  “She’s pretty.”

  “I haven’t noticed.” He was lying. Jamey always noticed. It made me wonder why he wasn’t telling me the truth about her.

  “Jamey, seriously, if you hooked up with the girl you need to tell me the truth. We said no secrets.”

  He pulled the vehicle over and looked out of his window for a second before looking at me. “I told you before. I never hooked up with that crazy bitch. Just drop it already.” He was irritated with me, and maybe I should have backed off, I just couldn’t.

  We made it to a food place a few minutes later, and since we’d been outside in the dirt, I decided to go wash my hands before even ordering something to eat. After using the restroom I stood at the sink primping my hair while looking in the mirror.

  It was hard imagining Jamey finding me attractive. My hair was a rat’s nest, not to mention that I hadn’t put on any makeup before we left the house. Unlike Ang, who was wearing a whole stick of eyeliner when I’d seen her, I was plain with nothing on. When the bathroom door opened up I knew right away who had come in. Her long black hair was up in a ponytail as she approached the vanity. I watched as she pulled out the hair-tie and put it around her wrist. “If I were you I wouldn’t leave your boyfriend unattended. You never know when someone else might catch his eye.”

  I wasn’t taking her shit any longer. She may have thought she was getting one over on me, but she was messing with the wrong girl. I shoved her and walked forward breaking the distance from where we both stood. “What is your problem?”

  She came right back at me. “You are, you country-fried-hoe.”

  I pushed her harder, causing her to fall down on the hard floor. She stood up and came at me, grabbing my hair first. I jabbed her in the side and felt her let go. While holding my fist back ready to attack she put up her hands. I knew I was then in control of the situation. “I’m not a hoe. You don’t know nothin’ about me.”

  “I know more than you think.”

  “Screw you. You’re just jealous because I’m with Jamey. I’ve seen how you look at him, and you’re just pissed he don’t want you.”

  “Honey, I’ve already been there and done that, plenty of times. It isn’t anything to write home about.” She flipped her hair before backing further away from me.

  I froze.

  He’d lied to me. The truth was written across her face. She was being honest about sleeping with my boyfriend, and there was only one thing left to do. “When?”

  “When what?” She crossed her arms and refused to look me in the eyes.

  “When was the last time you were together?”

  “Four days ago.” She waited to watch me respond before continuing. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. You thought you were special, didn’t you? Let me just tell you that he’s taken me to that same spot he took you today plenty of times. He’s told me I was his girl, and promised me things too. The only thing special about you is that you’ve been written into his little black book.”

  I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. She’d not only been with my boyfriend, but recently. I wanted to not only kill him, but throw up at the same time. This skanky chick had probably slept in the same bed that we were together in last night. The ill feeling only intensifies as she kept talking.

  “Aw, don’t cry. It’s not your fault that he likes to mess around, well maybe it is. I mean, if you were good enough he wouldn’t have to come to me to be satisfied.”

  I swung at her again, this time having someone grab my arm before my fist could make contact with the over-made face.

  Jamey was holding me and screaming at her the same time. “Get the fuck away from her, bitch.”

  “Fuck you, Jamey. She needed to know the truth.”

  Next her cousin came into the bathroom and yanked her outside before I could gather my thoughts enough to respond. My next move was to get free from Jamey. With one swift pull I was facing him. My tears were apparent, and I didn’t even worry about hiding my emotions. Jamey already knew he was screwed.

  “How could you?”

  “What?” He was acting as if he had no clue.

  “How could you sleep with her? You lied right to my face, you son-of-a-bitch.”

  “Pey, wait. It was a long time ago.”

  He came at me as he spoke, and all I could do was push him away. “Get off of me. You’re nothin’ but a liar. I’m a fool for trustin’ you, Jamey. You’ll never change.”

  “Pey, please. I know I didn’t tell you about her, but it was a long time ago, I’m tellin’ you the truth, dammit.”

  “Screw you. Go fuck yourself. I will never believe another word out of your mouth, do you hear me? We’re done, forever. I hate you! I wish I never knew you.”

  In my defense I had to lash out. He’d betrayed me again, and this time it was as if I was being stabbed directly in my heart.

  While bawling, I ran out of the restaurant and started walking down the road. Jamey chased after me, pleading and screaming at the same time. The closer he got the faster I moved. “Baby, wait up!”

  I turned around. “I’m not your baby. I’m not your anything. Get it through your head. Last night was a mistake. My brother was right about you. They were all right about you.”

  One glance into his eyes left me in more pain. He seemed so sincere, and a part of me wanted to fall into his arms and forget about the fight. Desperately I trekked on, reaching into my purse for my phone. I called the one person who I knew wouldn’t judge me; the one person who I could count on.

  Wayne answered on the second ring.

  “Hello.”

  “Wayne, it’s me. Can you please come pick me up?”

  I could hear Jamey in the background. “Oh that’s real nice. We have one fight and you call your other boyfriend. What the fuck, Pey?”

  “Screw you. Get out of my face. Go back to the restaurant and buy your New York slut lunch.”

  “She’s from New Jersey.”

  “I don’t give a shit. Go away, or I’ll call the police and tell them you assaulted me.” It was a threat that I was willing to make considering the circumstances.

  “Pey, please don’t do this. You’re makin’ a mistake.”

  “My only mistake was lovin’ you, Jamey.”

  “You don’t mean that.” He looked so hurt. I swallowed back more tears and looked away, turning my attention back to my phone. “Wayne, are you still there?”
<
br />   “Yeah. What’s going on, Peyton?”

  I looked at Jamey when I responded to Wayne. “I made a huge mistake, and now I just need to get away from it, before something bad happens.”

  “Where are you?”

  “I’ll text you the name of the restaurant and the address.”

  “I’ll be there shortly. Hang tight and don’t do anything stupid.”

  I sent the text message before looking over at Jamey. He’d sat down on the curb and had his hands covering his face. When he heard me not talking anymore he looked up at me. He wasn’t crying, not that I ever expected to see the day that that would happen, but he definitely looked saddened. “Please hear me out. It’s not what you think. I haven’t been with anyone else since we’ve been together. I get why you’re mad, but it was a long time ago. Pey, please don’t do this to us. We were startin’ over. Don’t walk away now.”

  “I can’t even look at you without wantin’ to kick the shit out of you. I know you were with her the other night. She told me herself. I can’t believe a single word out of your lyin’ mouth. We’re done. Do you hear me, Jamey? We’re through, forever. Get it through your thick skull and leave me be. I don’t want to see that you tried to contact me. I just want you out of my life, for good this time.”

  “I’ve changed. I’m bein’ honest.”

  “You don’t know how to be honest. I thought you loved me. I believed it this time. How could I have been so completely blind?”

  “I do, Pey. You mean everythin’ to me.”

  I swung my purse around and hit him with it. “Shut up or I’m callin’ my brother. I can’t do this with you anymore. I hurts too damn much. Please, if you ever gave a shit about me, you’ll walk away and leave me alone.” I started to really cry, so hard that I was shaking. His hands touched my arms and I jerked away, bawling harder, if that was even possible. My heart wasn’t just broken this time. I knew that we were through, and it was for good. My hopes of reconciling with Jamey were over, and I’d been left with nothing but emptiness inside. He’d betrayed me in the worst way. No matter how much I wished I could forgive him, I knew it was way too late for that.

  We were over.

  Even though he had nothing left worth saying, Jamey didn’t leave my side. He continued to beg and plead, trying desperately to convince me that Angie was the liar, not him.

  When I could see Wayne’s car approaching in the distance I stood up and brushed off my butt from sitting on the curb. Jamey stood up and noticed that my ride was pulling in. “Pey, don’t this to me. Please. I mean what I said to you. You’re different. You’ve always been special to me. I want you in my life.”

  As Wayne pulled the car up to where I stood I shoved Jamey away. The door opened and I turned to look at him one last time. “Goodbye, Jamey. I hope your dick falls off.”

  In the passenger mirror I could see him watching us pull away. My heart broke even more seeing the despair in his eyes.

  Wayne saw me and continued to drive as he badgered me for answers. “What were you doing with him, Peyton? You told me that you were through with him.”

  “I know. It was irrational, and pretty stupid. You don’t have to remind me. I just wanted to believe that he’d changed. He told me that he wanted another chance.” I cried harder, imagining never being in his arms again. Last night had been different, and somehow I knew it was going to be harder to let him go this time around. I had to do it though, because I couldn’t degrade myself anymore than I already had. “Can we go back to your house? I don’t feel like seeing my family today.”

  “Sure.”

  I wiped my eyes and looked in the visor mirror. “I’m pathetic.”

  Wayne reached over and put his hand over mine as he drove. “You’re human, Peyton. You love him. That doesn’t make you pathetic. It shows how forgiving you are. Look, I don’t know that guy back there, but he’s a fool for taking you for granted. If you were my girlfriend I’d appreciate you, and cherish our time together.”

  I looked toward Wayne and smiled. If he was hitting on me I wasn’t getting that vibe. This was him being a genuine friend, caring about my feelings more than he needed to. “Thanks for sayin’ that. I’m a mess right now. I think after I get a nice, hot shower I’ll feel better. I just want to put this day behind me and move on. If I never see that man again it will be too soon.”

  After we pulled up at his house I started to relax. Jamey wouldn’t be able to find me. In fact nobody would. I was safe and with someone who would make sure I didn’t pick up that phone and call the one person that I knew I shouldn’t want to talk to.

  The hot shower felt amazing, but it didn’t take away the heartbreak. I longed to understand why Jamey was fighting so hard for me to stay, when all the other times he’d just let me. Something was off about the whole ordeal. The more I thought about Jamey the harder I cried. It got so bad that I heard the bathroom door open. Without even thinking about the repercussions I opened the curtain and saw Wayne standing there with a towel spread out in his hands. I turned off the water and stepped out, falling against him as he wrapped me in it. “It’s going to be okay.”

  “I’m so sorry to put this on you. I didn’t know who else to call.”

  He kissed the top of my head and led me into his bedroom. After sitting me down he went into his dresser and pulled out some clothes for me to put on. “I’ll be in the living room when you’re dressed.”

  He’d seen me totally naked just then and never said a word about it. If I didn’t know that he was married before I’d wonder if he was gay. Surely he noticed everything I had to offer, yet his eyes never left my face. I couldn’t believe that there was a man out there that wouldn’t at least peek.

  After putting on clean clothes I curled up in bed and sobbed. I could hear Wayne tending to his daughter, Abigail, and knew that he was giving me space. I closed my eyes succumbing to my own exhaustion, relieved that my body was giving up, so I’d be spared time to not have to think or hurt.

  I’d got myself into this situation, and I was determined that I’d get myself out of it.

  Chapter 12

  Jamey

  It was just a little lie, nothing so horrible that it would have left me feeling the way I was. After seeing her pull away from the curb I went inside to deal with bitch that had just ruined my chance of being with Peyton. Ang sat at a table ordering food with a smile on her face. Her cousin saw me coming first, not saying anything as I approached and placed my hands firmly down on the table between them. “Give us a second, miss.”

  The waitress nodded and walked away, followed by my buddies, who obviously didn’t want to be any part of my conversation. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

  She giggled. “What are you talking about?” She reached over and touched my hand with hers. I pulled away disgusted.

  “Keep your fuckin’ hands away from me, bitch. Do you have any idea what you just did?”

  She laughed again and bit down on her lip. “Aw, are you really going to stand there and pretend that she meant something to you? Come on Jamey, we both know how you roll. That chick was a dime a dozen when it comes to you, and you know it. Stop trying to kid yourself. If it’s pussy you want, I can give you good time. Remember how fun it was when we got together?”

  “Look, cunt.” I’d had it with this chick. She deserved the name. “That girl that you just started somethin’ with was my girlfriend. She wasn’t some slut that I picked up to bang. She means somethin’ to me, and now she thinks I cheated on her. The fact that you can sit there thinkin’ I would want to fuck you again is beyond me, because I can’t fuckin’ stand to look at you.”

  I could see her confidence vanishing. She looked down at the table and played with her hands. “I thought you liked me. You know we always have a good time.”

  “That was a long time ago. Shit has changed, Ang. I’m with someone. Well I was before you fucked it to hell.”

  “I can make it up to you.” She looked at me with this spark, as
if I was going to fall to my knees and beg her to make my anger go away. Little did she know that it was taking everything I had not to strangle her.

  “How? Are you goin’ to call her and tell her that I never cheated? That’s what it’s goin’ to take to win Peyton back. She’s done with me now. In fact, I doubt she’d even listen to you. Somehow you’re goin’ to make this right for me.”

  Ang stood up, showing the person that I knew she was. Her attitude was apparent. “You think I’m just going to tell her the truth? You’ve got another thing coming. I won’t help you get her back, Jamey, because I don’t want her to have you.”

  I ran my hand through my hair and turned to let out an air-filled sigh. “You’ve got to be kiddin’ me. You think I’d want you? There’s not a chance for that ever happenin’.”

  “You’ll change your mind. You always do.” She seemed convinced.

  I bunched up my face. “Are you fuckin’ kiddin’ me right now? You’re makin’ this shit about you?”

  “You and I are the same. We were both put on this earth to have a good time. Come on, Jamey. You know I’m right. You and I aren’t capable of settling down. We can’t be with just one person, not in a monogamous way. Sex is like a drug to us. We need it.”

  “No. You’re wrong. I’m not that guy anymore.”

  Angie began to laugh, so loudly that it was obnoxious. “Give me a break. You can’t change. It’s in your blood.”

  “Stop wastin’ my fuckin’ time.” I pulled out my cell phone and started the record process. “Say you were lyin’. Tell Peyton that it was all a ploy. Tell the fuckin’ truth.”

  She leaned forward and drug her lips over my phone as she spoke. I don’t know whether she really believed in herself, or if she was just bat-shit insane. Either way she didn’t have a fucking clue what I wanted. “The truth is that you’ve never said no to me, Jamey. I’m not going to tell her anything, because you know as well as I do what really happened.”