High infidelity

WARNING: I just hope you don't hate me for what you're about to read. With that said, enjoy ❤️‍🩹

Joe threw his phone away against his king size, lonely bed. He was tired, exhausted even from staring at his phone screen while waiting. He had had enough of the expectation.

Every time his cell phone buzzed he ran to grab it, hoping it would be the reply text he was looking for. It wasn't only his heart that hung on the balance, it was also his ego. He had taken such a massive risk on his "I'm doing fine" facade that a rejection from his ex would tear it apart. He was afraid Victoria would be able to see right through him.

That's when he decided to call Brooke. He knew that Dr. Paulson would talk him out of doing what he was about to do, how she would try to rationalize his actions, she would explain that making people jealous in order to get them to be with you wasn't the most mature approach one could take, and that the right, proper thing to do would be to just go directly to Victoria.

"But where is the fun in that?" He thought.

Joe's decision was coldly calculated, a strategic move that would certainly make an impression on Victoria. He chose Brooke, not because she was a particularly close friend of his, or because he had any interest whatsoever in being involved with her, his reasoning was simple: Brooke looked a lot like Victoria. In his mind, Victoria was definitely prettier, something about her gaze was magnetic, and she had an aura of sophistication that elevated her looks. But they shared similar features and facial structure, enough to stoke the flames of jealousy in her.

He didn't shy away from the flashes of curious cameras on the hands of the people who happened to be eating at the same restaurant as they were, he knew that the more exposure they got, the higher the probability that Victoria would encounter a picture of them, and maybe then, she'd do something about their situation.

Their meal was bland, as was their conversation. Brooke was usually fun to be around, but nothing deeper than that. How he missed Victoria's sense of humor, her self awareness, the way she could turn the most banal conversation into something meaningful. He felt like an idiot for asking a pretty girl out, while he thought of his ex the whole time.

"Look. Do you always draw this much attention?" Brooke inquired, as she pulled out her phone, to show Joe a picture someone had taken from them when they entered the restaurant, their hands intertwined were the main focus, and the photo was already circulating on twitter.

"Only when I hang out with cute girls. Mind sharing the picture with me?" Joe asked. He knew he might be taking his plan too far, but feeling emboldened by the crowd staring at them, he gave up any kind of reason.

So he shared the pic in his profile, feeling confident, on the tons of likes and reactions it received, even though there was only one person who really interested him.

There it was her name, in the long list of users who viewed the story. @marlowe_tori

Bingo. His elaborate scheme had definitely been successful. Or so he thought.

Because contrary to what he initially believed, Victoria never reached out. Not through Instagram, or text messages, and she never called. She had ignored him, his text and his "new girl". And that stung him beyond words.

Joe showed up to practice the next Monday, visibly distraught and angry. He had a rough day, failing to connecting passes with his receivers, slightly twisting his ankle during a game play, and cutting his finger.

A defeated Joe headed towards the locker room, with his headphones blasting any type of music that would take his mind off of his sore body, almost as scratched as his ego, but not quite.

Ja'Marr was sitting on a wooden bench, contemplating his latest life choices, when he saw his best friend enter the room, looking like someone just had died. So logically, he decided to tease him.

"So, Burrow, how was your hot date?" Ja'Marr asked him with a grin on his face.

"What?" Joe paused, confused, as he took his headphones off. Then he remembered the picture he shared on the internet for everyone to see. "Oh yeah, uhm it was fine" He replied, not wanting to talk about it.

Ja'Marr scoffed at him.

"Please tell me you didn't just ask that beautiful woman out to make your ex girlfriend jealous"

Joe didn't say anything. He didn't have to, he had guilt splattered all over his face.

"What on Earth are you doing? Like I know you miss her but come on, hanging around with Victoria's copy paste? That's desperate, even for you" Ja'Marr sentenced.

"I know. I just don't know what else to do" Joe mustered, frustrated.

"Where did you even find that chick? Did you type "my ex's doppelgänger" on eBay? For a minute there I swore you and Victoria had gotten back together"

"Brooke is a friend from college, back when I went to Ohio State. She's never been more than just a friend, I asked her to come over and have dinner with me as I wanted to catch up, but the truth is I wanted to make Victoria jealous. And I know how it sounds, childish and..."

"Stupid" Ja'Marr interrupted him.

"I needed to get her attention. I texted her like three days ago. And what did I get back? Nothing. Radio silence"

"What did you text her? Some goddamn apology I hope"

Joe showed his friend the text message he had sent Victoria, hoping Ja'Marr would understand his predicament and how much he risked exposure of his true feelings.

The only thing Ja'Marr could make out of Joe's two sentences attempt of a conversation, was that his friend was never going to get anything done on his own.

"Where's the rest of the message?" Ja'Marr inquired.

"That's it" Joe replied, confused about what Ja'Marr meant about the rest of the conversation.

"Seriously?" Ja'Marr couldn't help but chuckle a little.

"Deadass"

Ja'Marr made his best effort not to laugh at how ridiculous Joe's approach was.

"Oh poor little you, you sent your ex a weird mixed signaling type of text, then paraded her clone around, and are whining that she isn't chasing you" Ja'Marr scolded him, tired of seeing his friend haunt the halls of their training facility with his self-pity face.

"Ouch" Joe replied, offended.

"Man I'm telling you this because I'm your friend. If you want her back, go get her back, stop fooling around with texts that aren't going to get her attention, man up and show up at her door with flowers or some corny shit, but do it now because this is getting hard to watch"

Joe nodded, he knew Ja'Marr was right, he knew his plan was a fraud, that would inevitably blow up in his face, he just didn't know how much. Ja'Marr's words were ingrained in Joe's mind. He  had had enough of silently watching her from a far, sending cryptic texts and trying to awaken Victoria's jealousy. If he was to get her back, he needed to be more proactive, and he needed to do it now.As much as talking to her scared him, he couldn't spend another second without Victoria.

On the other side of the Atlantic, a deeply hurt Victoria turned her anger, jealousy and spite into fuel for her performance in the presentation she had worked so hard to prepare, this was a preliminary test for her doctoral defense, the culmination of 5 years of intense work in paper, but in reality this was the result of her entire life's struggle to make a name for herself in her field. And it showed, every ounce of love, and passion put into her 20 minute speech that was executed perfectly, gained her a standing ovation.

In fact, she nailed her presentation so much that she caught the eye of an accomplished German researcher, for a prospective postdoctoral fellowship at Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, the offer was too good to sleep on it. Albeit moving to Europe wasn't on her bingo card for the year, she was more than willing to think about it, specially since Dr. Klein seemed to be excited to discuss any fears she might have regarding moving continents.

There was also the fact that this offer would provide her with the geographical escape she was yearning for. She hoped that getting away from her old life in Cincinnati, and in the US for that matter would be a definitive step forward.She knew that putting an ocean between them might be the only thing that helped her close Joe's chapter of her life.

The trio landed in Cincinnati late at night on December 13th, which meant that Victoria would only have 2 days to prepare for her real thesis defense, and even if presenting it in front of a board of renowned scientists was great practice, the thought of her actual exam still unnerved her.

Luckily for her, Logan was right by her side every step of the way, as he had been for the last few months.

"You know, I don't remember a thing about my exam" He said as he grabbed the last piece of chicken tenders from the plate they were sharing in the lab table. Victoria wondered if that was the last time she'd have dinner in a place she grew accustomed to calling home.

"You sucked so bad your brain chose to delete it?" Victoria teased him.

"Haha. Funny as usual, Marlowe. But no, I didn't suck, I do remember every member of my jury congratulated me on my fine work. It's just all the adrenaline, the whole memory becomes a blur"

"I wish I could black out my way out of this stupid exam. I mean I finished my dissertation, I published three articules. This has to be mere paperwork"

"Stop it. You'll crush this exam, you have nothing to worry about. I believe in you" Logan immediately tried to rephrase his sentence. "I mean we, Sal and I believe in you"

"I know YOU do. And I couldn't have gotten here without you. Not necessarily Sal though" Victoria caught herself offering him one of her discreet, flirty smiles. She initially felt a pinch of guilt, that she then totally dismissed. If Joe could have a new girl, and he paraded her around, then what was stopping her from smiling to her very hot, and smart mentor?

Logan stood up, intending to leave for home early that day, he knew Victoria needed to rest, and so did he. The jet lag from their latest trip was no joke, and it was definitely taking a toll on them.

"Tomorrow is your big day, make sure to taste the moment, Victoria you have earned it" Logan hugged her, beyond proud of his student, as a scientist and as a person, astonished by her resilience, how despite her slip up in Paris, she was able to get her shit together, and push through her own emotions.

Victoria pulled away from their hug, but refused to completely separate her body from his, and simply looked up to meet his piercing gaze.

"What?" He whispered to her, nervously, he could feel her hot breath, her face was inches away from his. His eyes were locked on her lips.

"You really can't take a hint, can you?"

Victoria kissed him without hesitation, the contact between their lips was electric, she felt a familiar tingling sensation form in her stomach. For the first time in months, she wasn't thinking of Joe. It was all about the curly haired boy who softly lifted her chin up so that her lips were within reach, he kept his right hand on her neck, while the other hand rested on her waist, Victoria cupped his face in between her hands, growing hungry for deeper contact.

"Marlowe, we can't..."

"Logan I'm sorry, I thought you wanted to... shit I'm sorry I misinterpreted your praising for something else. Oh I'm so stupid" Victoria placed her right hand in her forehead.

Logan softly grabbed her hand, helping her to calm down. He gave her one of his charming, sweet little smiles, and she actually had to physically battle the urge of going in for another kiss.

"You didn't misinterpret anything, I do want to do this, but I know you still miss him. And I can't be your second best, I want you, but I can't settle for being your consolation prize"

Victoria shook her head. "You're right, you don't deserve it. You've been nothing but kind and generous, and one of the biggest sources of support in my life. I could never hurt you"

"I know you wouldn't, I know the kind of woman that you are, Victoria. A true marvel." Logan kissed her forehead. "Go show them who's the boss, Marlowe"

They said goodbye, still feeling shaken by their shared physical contact. Victoria went home reminiscing about his lips, as she made her way to get car, and drove around the city that had Joe's name written all over it. Suddenly the pain wasn't so overbearing anymore. She tried to get herself on the right mindset, as she still had to prepare for the most crucial moment of her career to this day.

The defining moment of her degree arrived on the evening of December 15th. It was a beautiful, cold, starry night.

Victoria's heart pounded as she entered the room, the air thick with anticipation. The panel of professors sat before her, and she took a deep breath, ready to defend her thesis. As she delved into her research, confidence resonated in her voice, each word was a testament to her hard work.

The questions came, probing and insightful, but Victoria met each one with clarity and depth. Her responses resonated with the knowledge she had meticulously gathered throughout her academic journey. The panel nodded in approval, recognizing the strength of her arguments.

As the defense reached its conclusion, a wave of relief swept over Victoria. The professors exchanged glances, and a smile crept onto their faces. It was clear – she had not only met but exceeded their expectations.

"Well done, doctor" Sal muttered, as he stood up and clapped for her.

Exiting the room, Victoria was greeted by applause from her peers and colleagues. Her friends ran her way, reaching for a tight hug, Victoria started to tear up, unable to shake the feeling that as joyful as this moment was, it was also a form of goodbye. Her degree came to an end. She had nothing holding her back in Cincinnati anymore. Congratulations echoed in the hallways as they acknowledged her success. Proud smiles and genuine admiration surrounded her, marking this moment as a triumph not only for Victoria but for everyone who had been a part of her academic journey.

Logan congratulated her, offering her a wide smile and a couple of encouraging sentences, but avoiding any unnecessary contact between them, in his mind, there was no denying the depth of the feelings he had developed for her, and he didn't need to risk his heart getting broken, since he was aware of how much Victoria was still in love with Joe, and he knew that even if she wasn't, she would probably leave Cincinnati one way or another.

Victoria was invited to dinner by her research group, an offer she kindly declined, as she was too exhausted to think about anything other than laying on her bed and sleeping for 15 hours straight.

She made her way back to her car, walking with her head held up high, feeling free, ecstatic, like the world was her own. She didn't pay attention to the man that started to walk behind her.

What she heard next made her stomach turn, her blood pressure dropped, she felt like she was about to faint, legs growing weak. And yet, it was the most hopeful, blissful moment of the last few months of her life. It was Joe's voice. For the first time since that fateful moment they said goodbye. "Congratulations, Doctor Marlowe"

Well hello there!Our little Victoria is a doctor now, freaking finally. Logan's kind of in love with her, and Victoria is sort of flirting back so there's that. But finally Joe had the balls to reach out in person, so let's see where that takes us Lots of love ❤️‍🩹❣️