“C’mon sleepy!” I yell outside Jade’s room. “It’s past noon and you gotta get up already!” I march into the room and stop when I realise it’s empty. “Jade?” I say confused. She had been here last night and I hadn’t heard her leave this morning. I walk over to the closet and see that it’s empty. “Shit,” I mutter and practically fly down the stairs to where Jay is in the kitchen. I find him sat at the table with a letter in front of him. “You know where Jade is?”
“She’s gone,” he says. “She left me a note. She left you one over there.”
“What’d she say?” I grab my note and sit by him.
“Read it,” he pushes it towards me.
Jay,
I’m sorry that I let you down. I am so ashamed of myself and I know that everything you said was right. I should’ve had more respect for my morals and for my marriage. I don’t know what to do to put things right so I’m leaving. Maybe it is the coward’s way out but maybe not. This way you all can forget me and move on with your lives. I’ll call you when I get settled. Look after Ali for me.
Love you,
Jade
“Oh god,” I mutter and open mine.
Ali,
I know I said I wouldn’t leave but I have to. I’m sorry girl. I can’t see any other way out of this. I’ll miss you so much. You’re my best girl, better than Bitchney of course, always. Please look after everybody for me. They’re the innocents in all this and I’m the big bad. Hold on in there with Nick. You guys are meant to be.
Jade
“Oh Jade,” I murmur. “I wish she had talked to me before deciding this!”
“Me too,” Jay shakes his head. “Running away doesn’t solve anything.”
“It might do. Eventually,” I shrug. “I don’t know how she could’ve solved this if she had stayed.”
“I guess not,” he admits. “Do you think Brian and AJ know?”
“Probably,” I sigh. “I should call AJ, check he’s not drinking again.”
“Ok,” Jay mutters. “I think I might start drinking myself now.”
“Yeah,” I say and pick up the phone. I dial AJ’s number and lean against the counter as it rings. Just as I decide to hang up and drive round, he answers without a word. “Hey Aje.”
“Hey Ali.”
“Uh, you seen Jade today?” I ask cautiously.
“She’s gone,” he says simply.
“Oh, you got a letter too?”
“Uh huh. She’s not there?”
“No, she left me and Jay letters.”
“I don’t think she’s comin’ back,” he mutters.
“She’ll come back after a month maybe,” I say positively.
“Maybe. I dunno. Things went pretty wrong between us all…” his voice trails off and he sighs. “Ah well, she’s gone and there’s nothin’ I can do about it. I had my chance last night and I told her stuff and we… Well, she still left. So I just gotta move on Ali.”
“Yeah. So, you’re ok?”
“No but I’m gettin’ there. I can’t believe how dumb I was to actually think she would ever leave Brian for me. I mean, those two, they…”
“I know. They’re like one complete whole together.”
“Uh huh,” he agrees. “I gotta get them back together.”