~15~ the Power of a Woman

(Angel’s POV)

“Come in,” I muttered when someone knocked at my door. Seconds later, Joey walked in.

“Hey,” he whispered.

“Hi,” I replied, lamely. He walked over and sat down at my side. He even threw his arm around my waist. Right now, I didn’t even care. I needed comfort right now and considering that Lulu went back home to go pack for Rhode Island, Joey was all I had.

“All packed?” he asked. I nodded in response. I can’t let some boy—Brian especially—to get me down like this. He left. So what? We wouldn’t have found Zac anyways.

“I’m gonna be glad this is over,” I confessed. I was sick of being somewhere I didn’t know without a true reason on being there. “So I can go home and continue to unpack and—”

“So that’s it?” Joey asked. “You’re just gonna stop looking for Zac and let Devin die?”

“He’s not going to die—”

“He is!” Joey interrupted. “You’ve seen him and you know he is sooner or later. Trust me, I don’t want anything to do with Zac, but if it means saving Devin then I’ll do it. We have to find him.”

I had an idea that if we stopped looking, he’d come to us.

“Well we can’t do that now,” I mumbled. Especially with Brian gone. Now there was definitely no one because someone would have to be there to watch Meghan. “You have baggage, remember?”

“And if I didn’t?” he whispered, close to my face.

“Then…I don’t know,” I whispered, biting my lip. He searched my face.

“We can find him,” he assured. “Just you and me.”

Hesitantly, he leaned down and pressed his cool lips onto mine. Despite the fact that he acted over protective a year ago that break us up or even that he had a girlfriend now, I kissed back. It sent the same wave of relief and adoration that he always had been able to do. Was it like Zac’s kiss? Not at all, but I wouldn’t be able to describe that either. I mean, at least here, Joey kissed back. Joey and I were linked in a way that Zac and I were, but it wasn’t about that. Obviously fate wanted me to be with Joey and it didn’t care about a certain girlfriend of Joey’s standing at the door ready to burst into tears at any moment.

(Meghan’s POV)

I saw it coming. I had hopes that it wouldn’t, but I knew that it would.

“Megs,” Joey addressed. My back was towards him in our hotel room as I zipped up my navy suitcase. I wasn’t in the mood to talk to him. “Meghan—”

I just walked past him, going outside to wait for the taxi I had called seconds before he arrived.

“Megs, hear me out—”

“Why bother? I know what happened. You don’t need to explain,” I stated when I was on the sidewalk, sitting on my tall suitcase.

The only reason I came on this trip was because I saw the way he looked at her. I don’t care if he did say they were friends because his best friend was her brother, but I saw his look. He had given me that look when we first started to go out, but now…it was long gone and replaced its sites. I thought just maybe he’d have enough respect for me that he wouldn’t do anything knowing that I was here. But then again he was my boyfriend; he should have respect for me even if I wasn’t here.

“I know that you must feel—”

“Pretty d4mn psychic,” I humored with a slight chuckle in my voice that could only be detected by a sarcastic person. “I saw it coming, Joey.”

He stayed quiet and I didn’t know what movement he made cuz I just sat, watching the street with my sunglasses on, feeling the hot rays coming down from the sun.

“I’m sorry,” he choked.

“Of course you are…” I muttered. “I do have a question though.”

“Alright. Ask away,” he allowed. I looked back to see him looking down at me with beautiful blue eyes and his hands were in his shorts’ pockets.

“You knew it was going to happen, didn’t you?” I asked him. He stayed silent and looked away from me. “So then why the h3ll would you bring me here, knowing that—”

“I didn’t bring you here,” he interrupted. “You wanted to come because you knew something would happen.”

“I don’t know what’s worse. The fact that there was no way for it not to happen, or the fact that I tried to convince myself that nothing would,” I expressed. I wasn’t stupid. I knew about relationships. I know I’d forgive him, but come on?

He moved himself in front of me, right as I saw the taxi start to drive down the street, approaching the driveway for the lodge. He placed his hands at my waist as if he still deserved the right. He stayed like that even when the cab pulled up.

Since he didn’t do or say anything, I started to stand up and grab my bag’s handle.

“When I get back down to Florida, think of this: I wouldn’t have done anything if you didn’t come,” he spoke. That was like a slap in the face. Only Joseph Edwards would try to play off cheating on the other person like that.

But I admit; his words left me in a contemplation.

I wouldn’t have done anything if you

didn’t come.

Meaning, him cheating was some sort of consequence for me coming all the way to New York unwanted. That, or Angel was jealous. But with Brian—who I originally thought was her boyfriend—being so loving towards her, why would she be the slightest bit of jealous over me?

“Wait for me,” Joey said in the window frame of the cab once I was settled in the back seat.

“Why should I?” I sighed. “So you can have someone here for summer and then expect one when you come home?”

“Angel’s…different,” he said, struggling with his words. “Different” meaning what? “She’s my ex, but we’re…different, I guess. There’s always something there…”

His ex. That explains it. They were probably firsts together. Meaning I could never match what they had between each other.

“Was she your first?” I asked. He shook his head.

“No,” he answered. “It’s just…we’re complicated.”

“Well maybe you can explain that one day when you get your sh!t together,” I commented and then rolled the window up. He stepped back from the car and the taxi started to peel away from him.

(Angel’s POV)

“You are such an a$$,” I commented when Joey stepped into my room. His face contained a now confused posture.

“I’m pretty sure you didn’t think that a couple minutes ago when you were making out with me,” he commented. I rolled my eyes.

“You used me,” I accused.

“Angel—” he started to warn.

“You used me to break up with her because you couldn’t be a real man,” I continued.

“Whatever,” he hissed. “You kissed me back, so why are you complaining? You hated her anyways.”

“But you don’t!” I yelled. “I didn’t want you to screw up with her, just for her to go home—”

“Well now she’s going home, alright?” he hissed and then sat down on the other bed. Something was wrong.

“Joey, I—I’m sorry…” I apologized in a whisper. He stood up with his back towards me.

“It’s whatever,” he said. “Pack and let’s get out of here. We’ll look for the day and leave tonight or tomorrow for Rhode Island.”

“Why would you come back to Rhode Island?” I asked. “There’s no reason for you to be there. If we don’t find Zac, then that’s it. There’s no other reason for you to stick around.”

I was saying this only because I felt guilty about him and Meghan—because secretly, I think I kind of still liked him. The only problem was that you shouldn’t like someone when you’re hung up and in love with someone else. Wanna know how I know? Because I’ve seen Joey and I’ve felt for Zac.