The Choices We Make

Chapter 3

DJ

His manager had been ringing him a couple of times now, but DJ ignored all of it. He wasn’t sure he could even think straight after coming face-to-face with the love of his life and her ghosting on him the second time. He had been trying to connect with Kyle the entire time too, while he paced around the unit like a restless lion in a cage.

It took two hours before Kyle finally returned the call.

“You wouldn’t believe who I just met outside your unit, Kyle,” he began. “My hands are fuckin’ trembling right now like you wouldn’t believe. Jesus Christ.” 

Eight months. Eight gruelling months of worrying about her, waiting for a call that never came, or a message he never received. And then suddenly, this. It felt like destiny played a hand and it frazzled his mind and nerves.

“Wait. What exactly happened?”

He waved his hand in the air, dismissing the unnecessary details of their meeting. “A delivery for Yanna arrived that she had to pick up at your doorstep.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize the package would come so soon. I’ll have to give a good rating to that store.”

“And you didn’t pay for it, asshole,” he grumbled at how he missed the chance to prolong their meeting. 

“Like I said, I wasn’t expecting it to arrive today.”

DJ nodded, his mind scrambled from that brief moment with Yanna. “What is she doing here? Does she live nearby?”

“Yes. She moved into the building a couple of months back.”

“You actually know this and didn’t tell me? Are you even my friend?” He bristled at the fact that Kyle could have at least eased his longing and worrying by sharing a bit of information about her. It wasn't like he was going to ambush her. DJ knew when to push and not to when it came to her.

Kyle chuckling in the background annoyed him even more. “I’m dating her best friend. And they both specifically told me to keep my mouth shut. My loyalty is with my girl.”

“No. Your loyalty is with whoever makes your dick throb,” DJ hissed, making his friend laugh even more. 

“Point taken. But hey, you get to see her, right? Wasn’t that what you wanted? I made your dreams come true, bro. You get to spend your vacation free of charge, play video games and have a shot to be with her again.”

The thought of it alone made his chest swell with hope. Earlier, the urge to rush to her side and enclose her in a tight embrace was so overwhelming, he remembered closing his hands into fists to stomp it down. He was glad to see her again, looking radiant as ever. And oh how he missed her. So much it hurt. And Yanna disappearing on him the second time was as painful as the first.

Maybe there was no second chance for him anymore. That he was only waiting in vain for her to come around.

DJ scrubbed his face with his free hand. “Is she… is she married?”

“Nope,” was the quick answer. 

“In a relationship? Seeing someone, anyone?” 

“You better ask her that yourself.”

His heart sank at the possibility that she was already with someone else. It would be a walk in the park for her to replace him with someone new. Someone better than a country boy like him. And the thought was a bitter pill to swallow. 

But DJ needed closure. And he would dedicate the rest of his vacation leave doing just that so he could finally move on. “What’s her unit number?”