Page 42 of Abel

“I could care less if he does or doesn’t.” I say, smoothing out my baggie sweatshirt and tying my sweatpants. Cam, fluffs my afro out some and stands back to admire his minimal handy work.

“You’re practically glowing.”

“Thank you.” I blush. “Ready?”

“Absolutely.”

Hand in hand, we walk in the living room, when Jake stands up and rushes over to me. “Oh, Ivy, I’m so happy to see you.” He gushes, wrapping his arms around me so tight, he’s cutting off my air supply.

“Uh, you can let go now, Jake.” I whisper, unable to catch my breath.

“Oh, sorry.” He says, releasing me. Holding me at arms length, he looks into my face. “Wow, look at you. Y-you look beautiful.”

“Thanks, but I know you didn’t come all the way over here to tell me how beautiful I am.” Rolling my eyes is an understatement. I don’t know what possessed him to come over here just to tell me something he should have been telling me the whole time we were together.

“No, that’s not why I came.” He takes a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. I recognize this nervous gesture of his. What does he have to be nervous about? “I’m sorry for breaking up with you. I realized how much more you meant to me than Jane. When I finally figured it out, I broke up with her.”

I’m getting dazed, the lights start to blink, and I’m feeling lightheaded. Thinking quickly, I flop down in the chair closest to me, because if I don’t, I think I might slug him. “You did what?”

“I said-” I held up a hand, stopping him.

“No, I heard what you said. It just doesn’t make any sense to me as to why you did it.”

“What doesn't make sense? The fact that I made a mistake or that I want you back?”

I laugh. “Want me back? Want me back?” Rising from my seat, dizziness be damned, I begin pacing the floor when I stop in front of him, wagging my finger in his face. “You have the audacity to come up in here, telling me you made a mistake, and thatyouwantmeback?”

Nervously looking around, he says, “Well, yes.” Like I’ve just been sitting around waiting for him to come back and scoop my pitiful self up because I’d still be waiting for him.

“Jake, are you delusional?”

“Delusional? What do you mean, Evie?”

“Stop calling me Evie!” I growled. “That’s not my fucking name, Jake, and you would think after all this time together… You’d know that.”

“I thought you liked it.” He says, shifting from one foot to the other.

“Yeah, well, I don’t.” I huff. “Is that all you came over here to say?”

“Yeah, Me and Jane are history, and I want you back. That’s, that’s what I came to say.”

He tries to wrap his arms around me again, but I side step him. “You do not have permission to touch me like that. We’re done. You chose someone else over me, and that’s the worst pain I’ve ever felt in my life. Do you honestly think I’d subject myself to that kind of pain again, when you figure out that she’s the one for you and not me?”

He just stares, blinking at me with his mouth hanging open.

“You’re something else, Jake.” I walk to the front door, with his eyes boring a hole into my back, and open it. “Please leave and don’t youeverfucking come back.” I bark.

Saying those things to him felt great.

I can’t believe he really thought I’d take him back just because he said he made a mistake and that they were no longer together. Who’s to say that when she decides to come back into his life that he won’t toss me aside again?

Fuck that.

I’m not stupid like I once was.

Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.

Watching him sulk to the door, I look at him. I mean, really look at him.

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