Broken #4 (The Broken Series - Book #4) (2 page)

“No, I don't. There has never
been a thing between Katie and me. Maybe she always had some hope, but the girl
had already asked me out, and I told her I was interested in Natalie. So if she
continues to pursue me, how is it my fault if she gets hurt? I was just dancing
with her last night, that's it. I had no intention of taking her home, whether
Natalie showed up or not.”

Craig had walked back into the
apartment in the middle of the conversation, but decided to stay quiet. He
began to set up his kit while I pulled off my shirt. I got the mug of coffee I
had made for him and passed it to him. He just smiled as he waited for our
conversation to continue.

“It's Katie!” Kyle protested.

“So you date her.”

“Oh, I would if I could, but
she's hot and bothered for you.”

“So you're really more annoyed
that you can't have her.”

“No. Look, if you and Natalie
would have started things
off, that
would have been
one thing. But she's been dragging you around on a dog leash, and then fucks
you and runs off like a guy.”

“She happens to be my girlfriend
now.”

“Really?
Since when?”

“Since today.”

Craig interjected himself into
the conversation. “What's wrong with Natalie? I met her; she seemed really
cool.”

Kyle threw his hands up in the
air. “I think Jet can do
better,
and better has been
stalking him, but he's just ignoring her.”

I just shook my head.

“After the stunt you pulled on
Natalie at dinner that night, I'm surprised she is still talking to you. So she
must really like you. Who cares about this other girl?”

“I don't, which has been my whole
point here.”

“Just forget I said anything,”
Kyle said.

“Look, I want you to back off of
Natalie. She's my girlfriend now and I want you to start treating her with some
respect. She's never done a thing to you ever, and you’re lobbying against her
and trying to get me together with Katie.”

“I just think that Natalie is a
bit flaky, that’s was all I was saying, Jet. She hasn't exactly been warm and
fuzzy when it comes to you.”

“She's just been through a lot.
Things are different now. I want you to know that.”

I lay down on the couch, and
Craig went to work on me. I felt the little pricks as he inserted needles into
my body. It felt weird at first, but that went away soon enough. I felt my
muscles begin to relax as the acupuncture did its work. I planned on taking a
hot bath right afterward, so I hoped this would do the trick.

“Well I hope you're right, Jet,
and the girl is gonna stick around.”

“Oh, she's staying put, don't
make any mistake about that. Why don't you go after Katie since you seem so
interested in her?”

Kyle snorted. “Whatever, man.”

“So you and Natalie are official
now?” Craig asked.

“Yes. Thank God. It took me
forever to get her to trust me.”

“Well just don't blow it, because
the girl seems like a keeper to me.”

I sat up with the needles still
in my body. I felt good, really good at that moment.

“So what brought you here, Craig,
or dare I ask?”

“Easy, Jet.
I really just came to hang. I
miss you, and we haven't talked since the dinner. I don't blame you for walking
out. Dad was a jerk that night. I just wish that you guys could find some
common ground, ya know?”

“Don't even bother to ask me to
go to another dinner. It's pointless, and I'm not into being badgered when I'm
trying to enjoy myself.”

“Don't worry; I'm not going to do
that. Not anytime soon, anyway. Dad screwed up, and I know there is no talking
you into going there.”

“Good. If you ever want to have
dinner with Natalie and me, you can bring your girl and that would be a much
better night, I think.”

Craig laughed. “You're probably
right.
So the nationals?
That's pretty awesome. I will
be cage side for that one, for sure.”

“Yeah, I just need to make sure I
can heal properly. I am really sore after that bout, and I don't want to have
any injuries. The nationals are insanely important, and I don't want anything
screwing them up.”

“You're going to do fine man; no
worries.”

He started taking the needles
out. I stretched, and felt so much better than I had before. Kyle had finished
making the sandwiches, and we all sat down and dug in. The sandwiches were man
sandwiches, filled high with meat, cheeses and tomatoes.
Just
what I needed.

I was looking forward to relaxing
in the tub, but better than that, I was looking forward to my MMA future, and
Natalie.

Chapter Three

Natalie

Photography class had been
awesome. We spent the entire class in the darkroom, which was something most
schools didn’t even teach anymore. With the way digital technology had
advanced, there was no need to develop film or use a darkroom. Everything was
done digitally these days, downloaded onto a computer, and edited through
Photoshop.

There were still plenty of
old-school photographers out there who had never turned in their SLR for a
DSLR. They believed film still provided the best quality photographs out there.
Those were the people still using darkrooms and the original methods of
editing. My professor was one of those people. Although the class for the most
part surrounded the digital world, she believed that we should know where it
all originated from. How to turn a negative into a work of art, how to
Photoshop something inside a dark room with methods such as dodging and
burning; the possibilities were all still there. Great art had been created
without the use of digital cameras. I never once considered it important until
I went in there, and then I didn't want to leave.

The darkroom was an oasis of
darkness where you can lose hours if you weren't careful. I found the whole
process fascinating, and to see what you could create within those walls was
astounding. I loved the red light that protected the film from exposure, yet
allowed you to see in the dark. For others outside of the darkroom, there was a
light that alerted them that the darkroom was in use, so they would not enter,
bringing in the light with them. That light would destroy photographs, and
those could not be retrieved again, as were digital.

I liked the process of developing
the negatives. I liked the smell of the chemicals used. It was like being in a
science class. Students took for granted just how easy it was to download
images and manipulate them. It was truly an art to be able to manipulate
photographs in a darkroom.

The professor had shown us images
she had done herself, and then one by one she showed us how we could create
similar images with different techniques. It was no easy task, but it was fun
to learn these methods, and I knew if I took on photography as my life choice,
that I would design my own darkroom to use in my career as a photographer.

The class had been stimulating in
a variety of ways, and I couldn't wait to tell Jet all about it. It was funny
to even think that―to be able to go to him and talk about things I
enjoyed in my life. To even want to do that was even more extraordinary; I still
couldn't believe I was now Jet's girlfriend. That I had even agreed to it. It
was an exciting thing, and yes, even more so knowing that I could now go to him
and discuss my day, and what had made the day so wonderful.

When class ended, I collected my things
together and put them away in my bag. I packed away my camera and the equipment
I had to go along with it.

My phone chirped, and I checked
it finding a message from Julie on it. She wanted to meet for coffee before her
next class and wondered if I was available. I chuckled to myself; yes, I was
definitely available to talk to her. I messaged her back and told her I would
meet her at the cafe downtown, and that I was just leaving class. It would take
me about 15 minutes to get there.

I put my bags over my shoulder
and headed out of the classroom.

When I arrived at the coffee shop
I was still buzzing from the class I had just attended, I almost wanted to head
back and do it all over again.

Julie was already at a table, and
she had ordered us both
coffee
. The weather was
growing colder so coffee was always a welcome enjoyment.
 
I sat down across from her and smiled. She
smiled back as she stirred her coffee.

“What did you order me?”

“Some hazelnut coffee; it's
supposed to be fantastic.”

I nodded as I added cream to it.
I figured it might already be sweet due to the hazelnut, so I avoided sugar for
the time being.

I took a sip of the coffee, and
it seared my throat, but it was delicious. I decided to add a bit of sugar, as
the hazelnut did not change the bitterness of the coffee.

I looked up at Julie. “So what
the heck did you do last night?”

Julie looked to be taken aback,
but I knew she wasn't. “Whatever do you mean?”

I laughed. “Oh I don't know,
Julie. One minute I'm out trying to have a drink with my friend, and then next
thing I know she has disappeared, leaving me alone with a man who has stalked
me in more ways than one.”

“I think you were in pretty good
hands; otherwise I would not have left you there.”

I smiled softly. “Julie, why did
you do it? I know you meant well, but what happened to the girl code? Why would
you go to Jet and tell him about Tom? I did not want him to know anything about
him.”

Julie frowned, looking sad. “I
didn't think you would see it that way. I'm sorry if I did anything that made
you feel like you can't trust me. That wasn't my intention.”

“Well, what was your intention?”

“I was trying to get you out of
your funk. I didn't really believe you needed another drunken night, another
hangover. I knew Jet would protect you, and he did,
didn't
he?”

“You could have just told him
that I was sad. Why did you have to tell him about Tom? I found it
embarrassing.”

“I'm sorry.”

“And then you left me there with
Jet, whether I wanted to be there or not.”

“You didn't want to be with him?”

“That's not the point Julie; you
just left me there.”

“Are you mad at me or something?”

I sighed, taking a sip of my
coffee; it was liquid perfection.

“No, I'm not mad at you. I just
want to know what you were thinking, Julie. And in the future I want to know
that you have my back, and not Jet’s.”

“Oh, Natalie, of course I have
your back.”

“Well, I don't feel like you did
last night at all.”

“You should be with Jet. That's
all I meant to do that night. I wanted to have you focus on him instead of
freaking out about Tom. You shouldn't have even been worrying about Tom. He's
an asshole, and you deserve far better than him. Maybe Jet isn't perfect, and
maybe he doesn't have the best reputation, but I believe that he cares a great
deal about you. In fact, I have reason to believe he may adore you.”

“Oh, come on, Julie. I admit the
guy likes me, but let’s not get carried away here.”

Julie sighed shaking her head. “I
am your best friend, Natalie, and you are mine. Please don't ever think I will
put some guy above you. I was trying to protect you from Tom, and maybe I
didn't handle it very well, but my intention was not to harm you in any way.”

“I know. I just wish you hadn't
have left. Why couldn't we all have just hung out? What if Jet had gone back to
Katie? I would have been there alone.”

“You and I both know that Jet has
no interest in Katie. Yes, she was pawing on him last night, but as soon as he
saw me walking toward him, he dropped his hands from her immediately, and
looked around for you. And when I explained to him what happened, he went to
the bar immediately without even saying anything to Katie, not even goodbye. He
walked away without looking back at her. And that girl was pissed! She glared
at me before she went to talk to that roommate of his.”

I stared into my coffee, unsure
of where to go after that moment. I was confused about the events that happened
that night. Not only that, but I wasn't sure how I felt about Julie's
involvement. She was my friend. I knew that she would do anything for me. I just
didn't like being forced into situations that were beyond my control. Yes,
everything turned out for the best, but what if it hadn't? What if Jet had left
me alone last night? I'm not sure that I would ever have forgiven her if Jet
had left me in the bar alone.

“Natalie, what happened after I
left? Did something bad happen?”

“No, nothing bad happened.”

“Then why are you unhappy with
me?”