Chapter 169 Idiot
Chapter 169 Idiot
3rd Person POV-
The four of them left the diner and went to the motel to grab the few belongings Emerald left behind. They wanted to make sure they kept their cover story intact.
Spinel and Emerald walked into the Deluxe Inn and headed to the front desk, Emerald was hoping the desk would be manned by someone she knew.
“Emey!” Amy, the desk clerk, squealed as she lunged forward over the desk to give Emerald a hug.
Emerald smiled and hugged Amy back. “Good to see you, Amy. How are things?”
Amy sighed, “Not as organized as when you worked here.”
Spinel laughed and whispered, “Supply closet.”
Emerald rolled her eyes at Spinel, her smile getting bigger as she remembered what Spinel told her about the supply closet at Peridot Industries.
Amy let go of Emerald, and stepped back from her side of the desk, “Are you here for your things?”
“Yes. I wish I could stay longer. I’ve missed Nebraska City.”
Amy turned and walked to a locking cabinet, “Well, we've missed you too.” Amy said as she unlocked the cabinet and pulled a medium sized moving box and a laundry hamper out of it. Amy handed the items to Emerald. Emerald looked through the laundry hamper mentally inventorying the contents. 2 blankets, 3 colorful pillows, 2 large bath towels, a pair of brand-new slippers, and a small picture in a frame.
Spinel reached over and grabbed the picture after Emerald put it back in the laundry hamper. Spinel studied the picture, then looked at Emerald, an unreadable expression on his face. A few seconds later, Spinel placed the picture back in the hamper, and looked at Emerald, he studied her and stepped back.
After Spinel stepped back away from Emerald, she asked, “What was that for?”
“I didn’t see that picture when I was in your room the last time, I was here.” Spinel said pointing to the picture in the laundry hamper.
“Oh...that…yea, it was in the nightstand drawer. I would hold it, close to my chest on nights I couldn’t sleep. It helped a little. If I was tired enough, I could convince my brain that it was you and Jet I was holding, not just a framed picture, and it would help ease the ache in my chest just enough so I could fall asleep.”
“Where did you get the picture?”
Emerald laughed quietly, “I took it with my phone. You and Jet were having a moment in the kitchen at Peridot, after one of your fights and I snuck the picture of you two. I loved what it captured, a moment of tenderness and love between you two. The way the two of you were facing each other, Jet holding your waist, you with your hand behind his head, your foreheads touching, the look in both of your eyes, it’s beautiful.”
“You captured that image over a year ago.”
Emerald nodded. “I did. Almost two years ago to be exact, it was just a few months after I started working on your floor. I was drawn to the kitchen that day, I needed to see both of you, to check on both of you. When I turned the corner to go into the kitchen, that was the view I got. I remember standing there, off to the side, in the doorway, thinking this is stupid, they don’t need me to make sure they’re ok. I snapped the picture with my phone and went back to my desk. Every time I felt the need to go to one of you, to check up on one of you, I would look at that picture and tell myself those same words…they don’t need me to make sure they’re ok. When I got here and got settled, the first thing I did was go to Walgreens, print and frame that picture. I told myself repeatedly, looking at that picture those same words…they don’t need me to make sure they’re ok. Turns out I needed the picture, I needed it to ease my guilt, my heartache, and to help me sleep.”
“If you've got everything, let's go.” Spinel said, taking the box, putting it inside the hamper, and grabbing the hamper off the front desk.
Emerald and Spinel walked to the SUV, Spinel placed the items in the back of the SUV, they got in and the driver drove to the weekend rental. The drive to the weekend rental was a quiet one, everyone was in their own heads about a slew of different things.
The driver pulled up to the address Jet had given him, “We’re here, sir.”
“Thank you.” Jet replied. “Please be back at 9:00am tomorrow to take us to the airport.”
“Yes, sir. If you need a driver for anything else during your stay you have the contact details and someone will be here to you within 30 minutes.”
“Thank you.” Jet opened up his door, and the four of us all pied out the open door. Jet opened the app on his phone, found the check-in instructions and proceeded to get the front door open. Andrew grabbed our overnight bags and my items from the motel, out of the back of the SUV, Spinel almost forgot the boxes of pastries…almost.
The rental was small, cozy, but small.
“The meeting with Paige went better than I thought it was going too.” Emerald said, as she moved and sat down on the couch, stretching out her legs.
Jet was being nosy and rummaging through the items Spinel and Emerald brought from the motel, “Yea , it did. She didn’t seem to have too many questions; I would’ve had about a thousand…what is this?” Jet asked, holding up the picture.
“Originally, it was her motivation to leave us, then it became her motivation to stay gone.” Spinel answered.
“Huh?” Jet asked Spinel, looking very confused.
“I spill my guts to you and that’s what you take from what I said? Sometimes I forget what an absolute asshole you are, then you talk, and I remember.” Emerald stood up and walked past Spinel. “I don’t how or why I love you. Go to hell, Spinel.”
A door down the hallway slammed closed.
Spinel fell onto the couch, sighing and rolling his eyes.
“What is this picture Spinel?” Jet asked, for a second time. “What did she tell you?”
“Some bullshit about how almost two years ago, she took the picture of us because something called her to check up on us, after one of our fights. She saw us in that embrace, and she didn’t want to bother us, because she realized we didn’t need her for anything, and that you and me always had each other. Anytime she thought about comforting one of us, or both of us, she’d look at that picture and change her mind. Then when she ran away, she had the picture framed so she would remember we didn’t need her…blah, blah,blah, she would sometimes sleep holding the picture so the pain and guilt would go away. Fucking rubbish.”
“You’re not just an asshole, you’re an idiot. Straight him out, Jet.” Andrew said, as he hurriedly went down the hall to Emerald.