Last thought

Juss's POV

The weather had never felt so cold in my life. I staggered into my room and sat on the bed, willing myself not to cry but the tears were already blurring my vision.

How could Marco have done this to me? After all these years we had spent together. I thought he loved me but clearly, that wasn't the case. 

After I caught him cheating on me, he didn't even have the decency to chase me down and apologize to me.

Why did this keep happening to me? He was not the first man to break my heart this way. I thought with the others that it was because we hadn't been as intimate mentally as we had been physically but that was not the case with Marco.

 We’d been together for so long that I was convinced he was the one. Now, I don't know anymore.

I stood up and went to the mirror, scrutinizing my tear-streaked reflection. Something was wrong with me. It had to be me! I wanted to run away from myself. I needed time to think.

Going into the bathroom, I wiped off the mascara from my face, then washed it.

I came out, took my keys and went out. I had no idea where I was going to but I needed to leave that house where memories of Marco were overwhelming.

I took a few turns and found myself in my favorite park. The familiar stone benches brought a soothing sensation to my battered heart. As I moved to go in, I stumbled on a partially-removed tree stump and a memory flashed in front of my eyes.

Marco and me, holding hands and laughing as we came out of the park. Then me stumbling in the same tree stump and Marco complaining on how the management had refused to remove it completely.

I shook my head to rid myself of the memory but as I looked inside, more memories sprang up; both of us sitting on the bench beside the Magnolia tree and discussing how many children we wanted to have. 

Him pinning me to the signpost and kissing me  to the shouts and whistles of the crowd....it was endless.

Memories of him were everywhere. I turned around and ran but everywhere I passed, it was the same thing; his favorite bar, his friend's bookshop, the salon where he liked getting his hair trimmed, everything reminded me of him.

I was at my door again when it dawned on me. I had to leave. Not just this house but the entire city.

"Maybe I could leave Cancun for San Miguel de Allende or Guadalajara, or even maybe Oaxaca and start up a new life." I said to myself but the idea of being even in the same country as Marco drove me nuts.

Wherever the waves took me to, I'd gladly go.

Anywhere was better than here. I unlocked my door with determination and strode to my room.

Taking out my biggest suitcase, I began packing. About an hour later, I was done. I looked around one last time, before leaving.

I told myself I was leaving behind all the heartbreak and loss and moving on as  a new person.

I took a cab to the airport, feeling very a little depressed. It was barely 9pm but so much had already happened in these past few hours than in most months.

I still couldn't believe I caught Marco cheating on me or that I was leaving Mexico.

Devastation threatened to overwhelm me but I pushed it away.

I should be happy that I found out about his rottenness sooner rather than later. I should be grateful that I had the means to leave the country at a moment's notice. 

I am a beautiful, strong and intelligent lady, and I can do this!

With those words, I got down confidently at the airport and went to book a flight. I was so sure I had my everything sorted out and under control till a simple question rocked my boat.

"Where would you like to go?" the lady asked me kindly after I told her that I would like to reserve a ticket. Indeed, where would I like to go?

I could only think of one place; London and Marlani.

Marlani had been my friend since before time began and I knew she would take me in and let me stay with her for a few days till I sorted myself out.

"London, please." I replied with a new sense of direction and comfort.

I wasn't totally alone in the world.

After the next series of questions, I was informed that the next flight to London was by 1:10pm tomorrow.

What? That was like hours away? What was I supposed to do while waiting? With a bulging suitcase!!!

I dragged the suitcase with me to a restaurant in the airport and ordered a bottle of wine.

I needed something to calm my nerves and I didn't think they'd sell beer. Opening the bottle of wine with a smile, I proceeded to drink myself to stupor.

I lodged at a nearby hotel for the night, since I couldn’t imagine myself sleeping in the same house I was betrayed.

I woke up with a banging headache, at about a few minutes past 10am, but I still went ahead to prepare for my flight which was still a few hours away, after which I took myself to the restaurant I went to last night and continued drinking.

It was already 12:47pm when I reached for my phone. "How time flies!" I mumbled.

After trying to stand up and failing, I realized I was more than a little tipsy. I asked for a bottle of water which I drank to help with the tipsiness.

After ten minutes, I felt a little better and succeeded in standing on my own. I called a bell boy to help with my suitcase and ran to get it weighed, before boarding.

The flight to London took 11 hours. By the time we landed around midnight, I was completely sober. And to my surprise, I didn't have a hangover. The soup the flight attendant recommended must have done the magic. 

God bless her wherever she was, but I was about to destroy her handwork. I boarded a cab and asked him to take me to the best bar in town.

I noticed that it was quite a nice bar when I got there. It had an antique looking sign displaying the name 'Lex's Bar' in bright white lights.

The interior of the bar was nice too. The lights were not very dim as you'd expect at a regular bar and the upholstery was classy. I knew at once that their drinks were going to be quite pricey but I didn't care.

I once again dragged my suitcase with me to a secluded corner and ordered for a Bloody Mary. It was nothing compared to the Mexican tequila I was used to, but it would have to do.

The waitress noticed my frown as I tasted the drink and asked. "Is it not to your taste? I could get you something else like Sex On The Beach or a Dark 'n' Stormy."

"No! I screeched before I caught myself. "No, thank you."

The waitress looked at me oddly before leaving but I didn't care. I didn't need any drink that would remind me of sex. Not right now. I downed my drink in one go and asked for another.

"Keep them coming." I told the waitress after the third round. She looked at me, then at my suitcase, then back at me, said nothing and left.

The drinks kept on coming. I must have been into my 10th drink when I noticed him.

He was seated in a booth across the room  and had been ogling the life out of me for the past hour. I couldn't really see his features for some reason. It could have been the poor lighting, could have been my poor eyesight too but it was definitely not the drink. 

These cocktails that kept coming without stopping were the truest friends I had known in a while. Except for Marlani, of course.

I could see that he was dressed casually  though, with regular jeans and a t-shirt that was stretched to its capacity over his burly chest. And although his hair was neatly trimmed and he didn't keep any beards, I still felt a creepy sensation emanating from him.

He also had torchlights in his eyes, somehow. Maybe I was drunk and overthinking things.

I tried to shrug it off but the feeling wouldn't go away. This time, it had to be the drink. I signaled the waitress and asked for a mojito.

The guy slinked over to my booth and sat across from me. "Seems like you've got a thing for cocktails, pretty one."

I ignored him and kept drinking but he refused to let that bother him.

"You must love them a lot. Them cocktails."

I had been trying to place his accent through my foggy brain and it finally clicked. 

He was American. His accent and choice of words told me as much.

"You know what would taste better than the cocktails? A real cock."

How disgusting! I felt the vomit swell in my stomach, slowly rising.

My eyes quickly darted around the room, searching for the bathroom sign. Luckily, it wasn't far away.

I moved to slide out but the guy was at my side at once, giggling.

"Hey angel. No need to run. My cock is not as big as you think."

My stomach lurched again. "Please move. I need to use the restroom."

The idiot smiled and licked his lips. "You don't need a bathroom when I can take you home.

Suddenly, a very young gent grabbed the guy by the collar and pulled him out of the booth. He looked familiar but I just couldn't place the face.

Some other gents took the guy out while the familiar-looking one took my hand and led me to the bathroom. My brain absently registered that he was remarkably strong for his age but my mind was occupied with emptying the contents of my stomach.

The boy patted my back as I threw up. "It's okay. You'll be fine, Juss."

How did he know my name? That was my last thought before I passed out.