Daniel doesn’t realize I’m onto his game. Today we graduated from college. It should be a joyous occasion, and it is, but it’s hard to be all sunshine and roses when you’re in the restroom and overhear some skank announce that Daniel is just amazing and he promised that tonight would be the night. He just had to break it off with me first. The loving, longtime girlfriend, who continues to give him his space every damn time he asks for it. Me, the loving girlfriend, who believed his lies and took him back every time.
Epic fail on my part.
I should have listened to my best friend. Stacy tried time and time again to tell me the rumors she’d heard about Daniel when we were apart. I always chalked it up to the rumor mill running rampant.
Tonight, well, let’s just say, lesson learned.
“Logan, are you even listening to me?” he asks.
“Actually, no, I’m not. I’m tired of listening to your bullshit. I’m done. Don’t come back to me when you’re finished with whatever her name is. I won’t be waiting around for you.”
His mouth hangs open in shock. Like my refusal to understand is coming out of left field. I guess it is, considering I’ve let him walk all over me for years.
Not this time.
“Logan, come on, don’t be like that. There’s no one else. I just need some time, you know? You know I get spooked and need to regroup,” he tries to convince me.
“Spooked? Seriously, Daniel? You’ve pulled the wool over my eyes long enough. I heard her. I heard your little fling telling her friends how you promised her tonight was the night. As far as I’m concerned, she can have you.” I head toward the door of his apartment.
“Come on, don’t be like that. She means nothing to me,” he confesses.
Laughter bubbles out of me. I can’t believe I let this happen all this time. “Apparently, neither do I. I want more, Daniel. I deserve more. That’s obviously not going to happen with you, so I wish you and whatever her name is the best of luck.” Funny thing is, I mean every word.
I cared about him, loved him even in the beginning. Over time, with his span of many ‘need a break’ episodes that love faded. It took hearing it with my own ears to realize it. I’m no longer in love with Daniel, but remain in love with the thought of him. I wanted the white picket fence and two-point-five kids. I wanted the fairy tale; too bad I now realize they no longer exist.
It’s time to put me first. Today starts a new chapter of my life. I’m going to focus on my career. I busted my ass to get through college to make a good life for myself, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
Starting now.
“Logan, you know what we have is special,” he coos. Yeah, he’s really laying it on thick this time.
“No, you’re wrong. I was never special to you. From the first time you needed a break, the first time you stuck your fucking dick into someone else, anything special that could have been was ruined.” It’s with those words that I realize I need to get tested. I always insisted on him using a condom, even though I’m on birth control, but nothing is 100 percent effective. Happy freaking graduation to me. I get to climb on the table and spread them while confessing to my gynecologist that, yes, I know my checkup was only three months ago, but my cheating scum of a boyfriend can’t keep it in his pants. Just the conversation every woman longs to have.
Fuck my life.
“Come on, we can figure this out,” he pleads.
“I’m done! It’s over. Have a nice life.” I don’t want to be around him another second. The hot burn of tears, are threatening to fall. I blink rapidly to prevent it. He’s not worth it.
Just as I turn the handle to his apartment door, he appears beside me. “Logan, three years. You’re just going to throw it all away?”
Un-fucking-believable.
“Me? YOU. DID. THIS!” I roar. “You, Daniel. Not me. I’m done playing your games. It’s over, now let me go.”
This time, he doesn’t stop me as I pull open the door and rush down the hallway. I look over my shoulder as I wait for the elevator and see him standing in the middle of the hall, just watching me. The only emotion I see is shock. He really thought I would never figure it out. We talked about marriage in a year or so; what would he have done then?
Gah! I’m such an idiot.
The elevator door slides open. I quickly move inside, hitting the button for the parking lot level and the close door button. The sooner I can no longer see him, the better.
I climb in my little Nissan Sentra, which has by far seen better days, and head toward home. Digging my cell out of my purse, I hit Stacy’s name on my favorites list, and put the phone to my ear.
“Hey, girlie, you guys on your way here?” she asks. I was supposed to be picking Daniel up and then we were meeting Stacy back at our apartment. Our parents, Stacy’s and mine, had put together a joint graduation party for us.
“I’m on my way. I just left Daniel’s,” I tell her.
“And Daniel?” she prompts.
“He will not be joining us. Ever,” I add as an afterthought.
“Uh, okay. Would you care to explain what that means?”
I laugh humorlessly. “That means he’s a cheating piece of shit, and I should have listened to you.” I go on to tell her about the conversation I overheard and the outcome of my little visit with my now ex-boyfriend.
“Oh, God, Logan, I’m sorry. He’s a worthless piece of shit, and you can do better,” she tells me.
“Agreed.”
“Wow, you don’t seem all that upset.”
“Well, I’m not really. I’m just over it, over the drama of it all. I don’t know why I refused to see it before now, but there was never going to be a future for us.”
“You didn’t see it because you were in love with the fairy tale,” she says softly.
It’s scary how well she knows me. “I’m pulling in,” I say. I don’t bother letting her know she’s right. She already knows.
“Great. I’m on my way out.”
A few minutes later, we’re heading to her parents’ house to celebrate another milestone.
College graduation.
As soon as we arrive, Stacy and I split in opposite directions to say hello to our parents. My mom, dad, and brother drove down from Cincinnati. Mom smiles widely as she spots me walking toward her. “There she is,” she grins, “my college graduate.”
I can’t help but smile. “Hey, Mom. Where are Dad and Jase?”
“Right here, big sister.” My little brother by four years picks me up and swings me around. He may be younger, but he’s built like a damn linebacker. I don’t bother to protest. I’ve learned that just fuels him to keep me in the air longer.
“Jase, you need to share.” My dad laughs.
Jase’s deep rumble leaves his chest as he sits me back on my feet; they barely touch the ground before my dad is lifting me into a bear hug. “Proud of you, baby girl,” he says softly, just for me.
“Where’s Daniel?” Mom asks as Dad sets me back on my feet.
“He’s not coming. We’re over, actually,” I inform my family as if we were discussing the weather.
“Pft, like we haven’t heard that before,” Jase scoffs.