Genuine smile
Lynn
Three days later, I was still not talking to Alec. He had called me so many times but I rejected his calls and ignored his messages. The worst part was that he was still denying it and it made me very angry. Had he been ask in for forgiveness, I might have softened up although I was not sure I’d forgive him. Once a cheater, always a cheater.
I had always heard people speak of heartbreak like it was terrible thing, and always laughed it off. I thought it couldn’t be that bad, after all there were so many other dating options. It was during that time that I realized that heartbreak was not a joke. It was something very far. The pain was extreme and it hurt so bad. I spent the first two days cooped up in Katherine’s guest room crying, eating and sleeping.
This was the first time I was out in the sun. Katherine had managed to drag me out. It was then I realized that I had always underestimated the power of the sun. I had only been out in the sun for a few minutes when I started feeling so much better.
Later that day, my phone rang. When I saw the name on the screen, my heart sank. I had not seen the name lighting up my phone for a long time. I wondered if Jen was calling to mock me. Because of that, I decided not to answer the call. A few minutes later, a notification popped up.
“Let’s meet at Hay’s pub at 7.”
I frowned. I spent the next half hour wondering whether I should go or not. Eventually, I decided to go. I decided to be optimistic, hoping that this meeting would put us on the path of reconciliation. I missed my friends, now more than ever. I had realized that it was actually hard to find good friends out there. They say, the devil you know is better than the angel you don’t know. I was beginning to agree with that statement.
As I walked into the coffee shop, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness when I saw Jen and Kari, sitting together at a table and laughing. I hadn’t had a conversation with them in a long time, and I missed their friendship dearly. We used to have such good times together and I wanted us to go back to that.
I approached the table, trying to force a smile as I greeted them. I was happy to see them, but there was a heavy sadness in my heart because of everything that had gone down. “Hey guys, how have you been?” I asked, trying to mask the sadness and embarrassment in my voice.
Jen and Kari paused their laughter and turned to me, both of them looking a little shifty. “We’ve been good,” Jen said, awkwardly. “How about you?”
I pulled out a chair and sat on it, trying my best to act nonchalant. “I’ve been okay. Just been really busy with school and stuff.”
Jen nodded sympathetically. “Yeah, we’ve been there too. Exams are approaching and everyone’s stress is getting elevated.”
I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy as I listened to them. I used to be the part that kept the group together, but now it seemed like Jen and Kari had moved on without me. I tried to push the feeling down and change the subject. I hoped they would tell me what they wanted already. The suspense was killing me.
“So, what have you guys been up to lately?” I asked, studying them. It didn’t look like they were out to mock me.
Jen and Kari exchanged a knowing look before turning back to me. “Well, there’s no need to prolong this anymore. We heard about what happened between you and Alec. We didn’t call you here to make you feel bad about anything. We just wanted to offer you our support.”
“Yes,” Kari said. “We are very sorry for putting you in a position to choose between Alec and us. We did badly. What Alec did was also very bad. If you feel like getting rid of Alec so you can return to your apartment, we can help you. If you don’t want that, we understand.”
I didn’t know what to think. Had they been waiting for this moment all along? The moment Alec would prove to be no different from Ron and we would all gang up against them. Did I really want to get rid of Alec without knowing the whole story?
“No pressure,” Kari said. “I was once like you. When I saw Ron kissing another girl for the first time, I didn’t do anything about it. I believed him when he said she was the one who kissed him. I didn’t want to believe that the man I loved, who I thought loved me, would do something like that. I didn’t think he would be so heartless when he always showed how much he cared about me.Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.
I didn’t do anything about me, and when I caught him again, I realized that he was not who I thought him to be. He was a player, and would always be like that. I believed that I was the special girl who had changed him. Unfortunately, that was just a front. That’s why I understand your hesitation. Take as much time as you need, and think this through. If you decided to stay with him, that’s also okay. We shall understand. We love you, Lynn and we never stopped just because we had misunderstanding. We will support you in whatever decision you make. We just called to let you know that you can count on us for support in whatever decision you make.”
“I appreciate this so much,” I said. “I’m still very confused and finding it hard to accept that Alec cheated on me. I want to talk to him. I want to know why he would do such a thing despite knowing that I trusted him.”
Jen placed her hand on mine. “That’s okay. We shall be with you every step of the way.”
“Thank you so much, guys.” I said, smiling genuinely for the first time that evening. I was happy to have my friends back.