Kissing Is the Easy Part

Chapter 17 The heartless creature

"Sean's not a cruel person," Janet said, "I have no idea why he freaked out like that. Maybe...never mind."

"Maybe what?" I narrowed my eyes. I smelled bad news.

She chewed on her bottom lip like it was the best thing she'd ever tasted. "Maybe he's been having second thoughts. Sean's lazy about working on his relationships. He gives up easily."

"I can work for both of us," I said. "I can try harder. I can be a better girl—"

"Flora, can you be more pathetic?" Sandra cut in. "He probably blew his test and took it out on you. What a loser."

"Sean would never do that," I said. "Blow his test, I mean. He's a genius on the way to a Nobel Prize."

Sandra made a disgruntled sound at the back of her throat.

I turned my attention to Janet again. She was the mutual friend and it was her original sin. "Can you talk to him?"

She stared back at me, a frown on her face that clearly said 'leave me out of it'.

"Now?" I pressed.

With a loud sigh, she picked up her phone. I listened to her cut right to the chase and ask him about our break up. The phone conversation was extremely brief, but Janet was able to summarize the following: "He said it's none of my business, he doesn't feel like talking about it, and then he asked about you. Before I could say anything, he changed his mind and said he doesn't want to know." She gave me a sympathetic smile, the kind doctors on TV always wore right after they said 'we tried our best'.

I could feel a fresh supply of rage replacing my sorrow. "He's unbelievable! I'll call him myself!"

Sandra snatched my phone away from my hand.

"What are you doing, Sandy?"

"Flora, we all gave up on our dates tonight to support you. I mean, Janet gave up on being with Brian, and I had to cancel with Dan, while Carmen..." She snuck a playful glance at Carmen before returning to my phone. Her fingers were tapping furiously over the screen. "Well Carmen doesn't have to give up on anything."

"Hey!" Carmen shoved her.

"My point is, I want our sacrifices to serve a purpose and I'm glad I'm here to save the last remaining thing in your dead relationship. Your dignity." She tossed my phone back to me. "I deleted his number and all the boring texts he sent you. He really needs to take a text class or something."

I gasped. "Sandra! How dare you!" I fumbled for my phone frantically and saw that it was a lost cause. There were no more cute nerdy texts from Sean about biology trivia and how I was as unique to him as the Holstein's spot patterns on a cow. "You're too bossy for your own good. Those are...those are...I really like the texts he sent me!"

"Someday you'll learn to thank me and realize what a good friend I truly am."

"Yeah, Flora," Carmen agreed. "Calling him won't change anything."

Sandra stared at me. Her gaze was harsh, but I could also see a thin veil of worry, like she was afraid I'd get even more hurt than I was already. "You said I love you and he spat in your face. That would've done it for me," she said.

The dark memory cut me like a lightsaber. She was right. How much lower could I possibly get? I was already at ground level, staring up at him on his throne, worshiping him for three months, yet he didn't hesitate for one second when he threw my love back at me. He didn't want it any more than he wanted my gifts. Or my body, for that matter.

"I think my guardian angel must really be against premarital sex," I said. "The first time I had sex Max broke up with me. This time I didn't even get that far. I only planned on doing it and suddenly I'm single again."