dumped me,” he continues, “I felt numb, mad, hurt.” His eyes widen, and his voice is filled with awe. “I even stopped doing my real estate for a minute. Couldn’t think, eat … could barely breathe.”
I just stare at him, astounded that he can admit hismoments of weakness to me, something that he didn’t always do in the past.
“But after a couple weeks of that mess, I said, hey, the sun still rises and sets. I guess Rachel Merrell isn’t big enough to keep the earth from moving forward. And if planet Earth hasn’t stopped because of Rachel … then maybe I shouldn’t stop, either.”
“Okay,” I say and swallow with nervous anticipation.
“And I got rid of all your photos, our photos, our silly little photos that we’d take … us making faces, having a good time together, chilling and living our lives.”
“Okay, okay, okay.”
“What? You don’t want to hear all that? Well, all that is what you’ve brought me to. All that brings us to today, here. Right now.”
And I feel a combination of regret and extreme anger. It’s like he’s blaming me. Accusing me of doing things that have caused him to do things. To be here. With her.
“Long story short, Rachel, I’m going on with my life.” He looks pointedly at me. I can hear the words inside his head. You need to move on with your life .
But how can I? How on earth can I act like what he’s doing is all right with me? Okay, maybe the fact that he’s accepted an invite to a family barbecue shouldn’t be such a big freaking deal. But it is, especially since he’s with my sister, someone who craves male attention.
It’s not like this hasn’t happened before, in an indirect way. I would meet a gorgeous, charming guy who had the gift of gab. I’d bring him to our apartment. He’d be all over me, would barely say hello to my sister. She’d dress provocatively, usually wearing something that would show her cleavage. And when my man still wouldn’t notice her, she’d storm out of the room, the tension thick and suffocating.
And the next time I’d see her, she’d bring home some strange man she’d met at a mall or something. He’d be tall, skinny, and gorgeous. He’d be all over her, too. He wouldn’t even notice me. And that’s when I remembered my sister likes to compete. Maybe that’s what she’s doing with Jeff. Showing me a thing or two. And, cross my fingers hope to die, when she’s done showing me whatever she’s showing me, she’ll get bored and go on to the next plaything.
“Jeff, how long do you think you’ll be dating her?”
“If I’m lucky, I will date Marlene for a long time, longer than the time you and I were together.”
“But Jeff,” I say, feeling hurt. “You once told me I was the only chip in the bag. And the fact that you could move on so soon …”
“A man has a right to move on, Rachel.”
“Yeah, but do you have to be so Brad Pitt–ish?”
“Hey, at least Pitt got to walk down the aisle the first time.”
“But he still cheated on his wife. Does that make it any better?”
Instead of answering, he whips his sunglasses off his head, puts them on, and folds his arms.
“I really look like Pitt now, huh? Really cool man.”
“Jeff, stop grinning,” I complain, frustrated. “I’m trying to be serious and I hate when you act silly.”
“Is that why you dumped me? I’m too immature?” he asks and presses his thumb up against his nose. I can see clear inside his nostrils. He looks like he has a snout.
“Ha, this is crazy. I’m trying to hold a mature conversation with you.”
He removes his sunglasses, and his silly expression turns sober.
“Rachel, to be honest, I have no idea what’s going tohappen. Last time I made plans about my future … every single thing blew up in my face.”
I wince.
“But for now, for today I am going with the flow. Having a good time. Your sister is kind of wild and unpredictable. I like that about her.”
“Okay I don’t want to hear
I just stare at him, astounded that he can admit hismoments of weakness to me, something that he didn’t always do in the past.
“But after a couple weeks of that mess, I said, hey, the sun still rises and sets. I guess Rachel Merrell isn’t big enough to keep the earth from moving forward. And if planet Earth hasn’t stopped because of Rachel … then maybe I shouldn’t stop, either.”
“Okay,” I say and swallow with nervous anticipation.
“And I got rid of all your photos, our photos, our silly little photos that we’d take … us making faces, having a good time together, chilling and living our lives.”
“Okay, okay, okay.”
“What? You don’t want to hear all that? Well, all that is what you’ve brought me to. All that brings us to today, here. Right now.”
And I feel a combination of regret and extreme anger. It’s like he’s blaming me. Accusing me of doing things that have caused him to do things. To be here. With her.
“Long story short, Rachel, I’m going on with my life.” He looks pointedly at me. I can hear the words inside his head. You need to move on with your life .
But how can I? How on earth can I act like what he’s doing is all right with me? Okay, maybe the fact that he’s accepted an invite to a family barbecue shouldn’t be such a big freaking deal. But it is, especially since he’s with my sister, someone who craves male attention.
It’s not like this hasn’t happened before, in an indirect way. I would meet a gorgeous, charming guy who had the gift of gab. I’d bring him to our apartment. He’d be all over me, would barely say hello to my sister. She’d dress provocatively, usually wearing something that would show her cleavage. And when my man still wouldn’t notice her, she’d storm out of the room, the tension thick and suffocating.
And the next time I’d see her, she’d bring home some strange man she’d met at a mall or something. He’d be tall, skinny, and gorgeous. He’d be all over her, too. He wouldn’t even notice me. And that’s when I remembered my sister likes to compete. Maybe that’s what she’s doing with Jeff. Showing me a thing or two. And, cross my fingers hope to die, when she’s done showing me whatever she’s showing me, she’ll get bored and go on to the next plaything.
“Jeff, how long do you think you’ll be dating her?”
“If I’m lucky, I will date Marlene for a long time, longer than the time you and I were together.”
“But Jeff,” I say, feeling hurt. “You once told me I was the only chip in the bag. And the fact that you could move on so soon …”
“A man has a right to move on, Rachel.”
“Yeah, but do you have to be so Brad Pitt–ish?”
“Hey, at least Pitt got to walk down the aisle the first time.”
“But he still cheated on his wife. Does that make it any better?”
Instead of answering, he whips his sunglasses off his head, puts them on, and folds his arms.
“I really look like Pitt now, huh? Really cool man.”
“Jeff, stop grinning,” I complain, frustrated. “I’m trying to be serious and I hate when you act silly.”
“Is that why you dumped me? I’m too immature?” he asks and presses his thumb up against his nose. I can see clear inside his nostrils. He looks like he has a snout.
“Ha, this is crazy. I’m trying to hold a mature conversation with you.”
He removes his sunglasses, and his silly expression turns sober.
“Rachel, to be honest, I have no idea what’s going tohappen. Last time I made plans about my future … every single thing blew up in my face.”
I wince.
“But for now, for today I am going with the flow. Having a good time. Your sister is kind of wild and unpredictable. I like that about her.”
“Okay I don’t want to hear
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