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Jay stepped from the pool, the sun on his skin. Not that he could feel it- he only felt this horrid hollowness, the feeling intensifying with each passing minute that Daisy didn't call. He hung on the step railing, looking down his dock at that blinking green light. After drifting through the water, he felt like all his hope had sunk to the bottom of the pool.
The phone rang, and as if he was finally registering the sun's embrace, he was warm.
His grip on the railing tightened, "Daisy."
His butler answered the phone. After a moment's silence, he said, "I'm sure Gatsby will be pleased you called him."
Jay finally took his feet out of the pool and hurried to the phone. The butler handed him the receiver, which he took gratefully, though his voice became nervous when he spoke into the line, "Hello?"
"Afternoon, Jay," Nick's voice came, "You said you'd call me back about the bonds, but you… never did. I understand why, but…"
Jay's heart sank into his stomach, but he remained on the line as much as he wanted to hang up, "Sorry about that, old sport."
"No, no, it's alright. But still, you sound… upset." He sighed, and Jay could envision his rubbing at his temples, "I understand that you're awaiting a call from… from Daisy?"
Jay's pinched expression softened at the worry in Nick's voice, "It's alright, really. I'm doing well." He looked to his butler, gesturing for him to go away.
"One more thing, sir," the butler said, "A strange man tried to come in a few minutes ago. He had a gun, so we detained him. The police will arrive momentarily."
"A gun?" Jay echoed.
"A gun?!" Nick exclaimed, "Jay, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Jay reassured, "Though I think this business I'm in is beginning to catch up with me."
Nick sighed again, "Like I said, you have to get away. You know what, I'll come by after work tonight. How does that sound?"
Jay smiled, "Wonderful, actually. I could use the company."
"And Jay?" Nick added.
"Hm?"
"I… I really should've told you last night, but… I don't think Daisy is going to call."
Jay pursed his lips. He'd thought so, but now that his suspicions were confirmed, he felt oddly at ease.
"I'll see you later," Jay said.
"Okay, bye."
"Bye."
***
Jay sat on the staircase with a bottle of wine, wondering when Nick would arrive. He'd been waiting at the door for the last two hours that evening. He got the notion that Nick wasn't coming, just like how Daisy wasn't calling. He felt truly alone right then.
He took a swig from the bottle and grimaced before setting it down on the step. He stood and went down the stairs, realizing a hateful little flaw in himself.
His hope was a curse. Anyone who said otherwise was a fool.
He walked through his big, empty house. The lights had long since been turned off, making the wretched place feel emptier. He'd built this- all of this- from the ground up, all for Daisy. Now, she was with Tom for the long run, and Gatsby felt like a husk of who he once was. His hope was gone for the first time in many years. His motivation was gone. The love of his life was gone.
Gone, gone, gone.
What was a man to do in such a horrible place?
As he walked, he struck a vase from its table, which shattered on the ground in his wake.
What was a man to do?
He stuck his hands in his pocket and strode from the palace altogether. It fell away from him, as delicate as a house of cards, folding and crumbling behind him. He walked on. None of that mattered now.
He walked past the beautiful pool, the artfully trimmed hedges, and the blooming gardens. He walked and walked until he was at the end of the dock. He looked up from the ground, and there it was, as it was every night.
The green light blinked on. It was now a solemn reminder of what he no longer had. Not just Daisy, but for what he thought were his friends, his deluded American Dream, his hope. It faded away, and he slowly reached for the blinking green light. They were out of reach, now. Maybe they always had been.
Another step and his foot neared the edge of the dock.
It all seemed so far away now.
Another, and the tip of his shoe hung off the edge of the wooden panel.
The question remained: what was a man to do? A man with nothing and no one?
His hand fell to his side, and his head lolled drunkenly to the side.
He would die alone. It seemed an undeniable fact now. No matter how many sparkling parties he hosted, no matter how many lies he made up about himself, no matter how much money he made or how much alcohol he drank.
He stared at the green light and tears pouring down his face hit the water below the dock. One more step and he'd fall into the water. One more step, and he could see if breathing underwater was any easier than breathing up here.
"Jay…!"
He closed his eyes.
Damn it.
"Jay!" Nick called, quickly approaching him at the end of the dock, "I was looking all over the house for you!" He panted, bending over his knees to catch his breath, "I was a bit held up at work, so sorry I kept you waiting." Nick looked up, "I should've guessed you'd be here, though."
Damn it all to hell.
Jay hummed in response.
Nick was quiet for a moment. He was intuitive, observant, and quiet. He was like a vault of secrets; maybe that's why Jay trusted him with his true self. It was no surprise that Nick was immediately able to guess something was wrong, "Are… you alright?"
"I'm fine."
Nick watched his back for a moment before stating firmly, "You shouldn't look at that light anymore. It's not good for you, you know."
Jay was a bit taken aback, responding more aggressively than he should've, "Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do?"
Nick shrugged and looked wayward, "Perhaps I'm nobody at all."
Jay turned away from the light, "Don't say that."
Jay noted Nick's ruffled appearance. He'd obviously been in a rush looking for him, straight from work, nonetheless. His shirt was wrinkled, and he had bags under his eyes, but he smiled so warmly you'd think he'd been given a great gift just then.
"Well," He said, rubbing his chin, "I'm glad you think differently."
Jay just stared at him dumbly, and Nick's smile slowly faded.
"I'm sorry for making you wait for so long."
Jay held his breath, "You already apologized."
"Well, I'm doing it again-
He was cut off when Jay hugged him. He tensed up, obviously surprised at the embrace. After a few seconds, he slowly relaxed and rested his hands on Jay's back, patting gently.
They stood like that for a while before Jay pushed away, "Sorry, old sport."
Nick gave a crooked smile, "You don't have to call me that anymore. We're already close."
Jay smiled back, for what felt like the first time in forever, "Alright, Nick."
"Let's go inside, shall we? It's rather humid out here," Nick asked. Jay looked over his shoulder at the big, empty palace. Sometimes, it felt like his servants were more at home there than him.
Nick watched his expression before turning to the house. He considered his words, "Or… perhaps you'd like to go to mine?"
What he needed was to be away from his own house. What he once prided now filled him with dread, and he nodded a little too eagerly at Nick's suggestion.
Nick stood beside him and patted his shoulder, holding his hand there as they walked through the gardens. Soon, it was a dirt pathway surrounded by trees. They walked silently as they transitioned from Jay's property to Nick's. It was funny, really. The person he'd once yearned for was all the way across the lake when the person who was genuinely there for him was right next door. Maybe he'd been focusing in the wrong direction these last few months. Chasing a married woman when he should've been building a real support system.
They entered Nick's house and walked into the foyer. There, Gatsby nearly died of embarrassment.
"You sort of… left the flowers here after tea. I've been meaning to get them out but haven't had the time."
Jay eyed the wilting petals on the floor, "I'm so sorry for the mess."
Nick waved his hands, "They're quite pretty. I've become a bit attached to the look, honestly."
Jay picked up a petal from the coffee table, "No, I'll have these removed by tomorrow morning, really. I apologize for the mess."
Nick sighed, "I suppose you may. When they do wilt, it'll be hell to clean."
Jay sat on the couch, wiping a hand over his face.
"Are you in the mood for tea or alcohol?"
Jay thought of that bottle he'd left on the staircase. His head was finally clearing up, and he didn't want to get drunk again.
"Tea."
Nick nodded and disappeared into the kitchen, returning a few minutes later with two steaming cups, "I hope you don't mind that it's decaffeinated."
"No, no, that's preferred. I'm fidgety as it is." Jay took a sip. He forced tension from his shoulders with a great sigh.
Nick sat beside him, "So… I saw the broken vase."
A crease formed in his brow, "So you did."
"Yes," Nick nodded, "I realize you have a habit of knocking things over," he nodded at the broken clock on the mantle. Jay groaned, "I'll have it fixed."
"Just joking," Nick said, drinking his tea.
Jay observed him for a moment and looked back down at his cup.
"You have quite a nice home here."
Nick sputtered on his tea, laughing, "Says the one who lives in a castle."
"I'm saying it's a lot warmer in here. Cozier. Like a... a real home, not just a house."
Nick watched him for a few seconds, the mirth gone from his face, "Do you… not like your house anymore?"
"It's not that I don't like it- I just don't…" Jay was at a loss.
"You don't see the point in it anymore," Nick finished.
"That's precisely it, old spo-
Nick eyed him.
"Sorry."
They sat in comfortable silence as they drank.
"I just always expected to share my house with Daisy," Jay began, "It never even occurred to me that she wouldn't… want to live with me. And now that I know for certain that she wants to stay with Tom- well." He hung his head, "Well… I don't know."
Nick scooted a little closer, reached out, and rubbed his shoulder, "You know, I always thought Daisy was a ditz anyways. She and Tom, they're flighty." He grimaced, "I have a feeling they're going to leave soon. That's what people like them do- they think money can fix everything, so they have no problem breaking things."
“Things?”
“Delicate things like people.” Nick seemed deep in thought, so Gatsby took his hand off his shoulder and squeezed it, "It's hard to believe you're related to her."
Nick smiled weakly, "Yeah, well, I'll try to forget that from here on out. I doubt I'll ever see her again, anyway. Not that I want to, even if we were fond of each other at one point. I don't want to be close to a person like that."
Nick looked down at their hands, "Like I said, you're the best out of the bunch. I'd much rather be close with people like you."
"Even if I lied about who I was?"
"You couldn't resist telling me the truth in the end," Nick grinned.
Gatsby seemed to finally register Nick's hand in his and pulled away. Nick seemed surprised by this, but after a wide-eyed moment, he nodded at him, "You can sleep here tonight if you want."
Gatsby thought of the bed he and Daisy had slept in together just a few nights ago and found that he couldn't stand the idea of sleeping at his house tonight- not after all that's happened.
"I'd appreciate that."
"Great," Nick said, standing, "There's a guest room down the hall from mine. It's small, but the bed is made, and pajamas are in the dresser if you want them."
Jay nodded, "… Thank you."
"You're very welcome." Nick looked at his watch and rubbed his eye, "We ought to be getting ready for bed now. It's been a long day for the both of us."
Jay followed him through the foyer, and they paused in the hall, looking expectantly at each other.
Nick finally broke the silence by looking away, "Goodnight, Jay."
Jay felt a warmth rise to his chest at Nick calling him by his name. He backed up through the door, "Goodnight, Nick." He watched as the man disappeared behind his door, the soft click of the handle falling in place. Jay shut his door and pressed his back to the wood, that same warmth rising to his face.
Oh dear.
***
Nick's alarm went off the following day. He turned it off and rolled out of bed. He wandered into the bathroom and briefly showered before getting dressed and ready for the day.
He paused, noting the absence of flowers in the living room. He really did keep to his word.
Nick backtracked and peeked into the guest room. The bed was made, and Jay was nowhere in sight. He hummed and looked around the house for a moment. Jay was nowhere to be found. Nick sighed and went to the kitchen to make himself some coffee.
There was a knocking at the door.
Nick set the coffee aside on the dining table and opened the front door to fetch what he thought would be the morning paper but was surprised by a vase of flowers sitting on the topmost step of his porch. The water within the face swirled and rippled as if just set down. He ignored the newspaper and picked up the vase, studying the flowers. It was a rather large bouquet of chrysanthemums and pink carnations, artfully dotted with tiny white blossoms. It was much like the flower arrangements that had been in his living room, just more manageable. He looked around for any sign of Jay but found none. His face matched the carnations, but he laughed it off before he went inside with the flowers.