Love's Broken Road

Dakota’s P.O.V. I watched as the flames flickered and danced on the logs. A smoldering ember floated with the updraft and slowly drifted to the ground in front of me. I continued to stare into the bonfire, trying to forget the events of the past couple of weeks. Two weeks ago, I was engaged to my high school sweetheart. Our relationship was never an easy one. We were each other’s first, and I believed we were in love. Then she started getting distant and very miserable most of the time. It felt as if she was trying to push me away. I decided it was best to give her space in hopes she only needed time. A hand landed on my shoulder, pulling me out of my depressive thoughts. I looked up as my brother Coby handed me a bottle of beer. “Drink up, Dakota, it will help,” he said I took the bottle, twisted off the cap, and swallowed a mouthful. Then I continue staring at the flames. “You need to forget her. She sure as hell forgot you,” Coby said. I nodded because Coby was right. No sooner did I give her space, I got a text from her. She ended our engagement with a text message. A f*****g text message, I guess I meant so much to her. Four years of my life gone with a short text saying that we were through. Then two days after my world collapsed, my brother tells me she has moved on and started dating someone else. The classic “we are friends, stop getting so jealous” routine. I knew what was happening, but I am so backward that I never said a word. I was never good at expressing my feelings or dealing with confrontations. My emotions stayed bottled up inside until it’s too late. So now here I sit by the bonfire while the party is continuing around me. “Please get drunk, laid, or both. You’re starting to make me miserable,” Coby laughed. I turned and flipped him off, “Yeah, I know.” I wasn’t in the mood to party. My house had become my fortress of solitude for the last two weeks as my depression hit its lowest point. I can control it well, but when this happened, I let it spiral out of control. Coby pushed me out the door to get me here tonight. I glanced around and saw everyone laughing, singing, and having a great time. I don’t think I should be here. I chugged the remainder of my bottle and went searching for the cooler. I spotted the cooler next to Melody, my best friend’s sister, and her friends. Melody was three years younger than me. She looked cute with her long brown hair pulled up in a ponytail. She was wearing a pair of Daisy Dukes shorts and a spaghetti strap tank top. I was a foot taller than her. Her small and petite size may fool most people, but let me tell you, Mel was a firecracker. When you grow up with three brothers, she had to learn to scrap with the best of them. We’ve flirted with each other for years, but we know our limits and never let it go farther than that. I think she does it to annoy her brother, which I play along with it because it’s fun. “Hey, trouble, what are you up to now?” I said as I fished out another bottle from the cooler. She giggled, “Nothing, and I’m not trouble.” I half-smile, “Wearing that you are going to cause trouble. Where’s your brother? The ass said he was going to be here an hour ago.” She blushed and looked away to hide it. It was fun to get a rise out of her. She always turns bright red. “He’s picking up his new girlfriend,” she said, rolling her eyes. I shook my head, “What is this one’s name?” “Sheila? Samantha? Sara? Hell, I don’t know. He changes girls as much as he changes underwear. I am tired of keeping track.” She laughed. We have given up keeping up with the revolving door of girls he was ‘seeing.’ He was a player, and we knew it. I’ve known him for years, and I could not count the number of girls he has screwed. Every time we go to the bar, he disappears. Then I always find him later necking with a random girl. I have known him to jump between two or three girls at the same time. I have never understood how or why he does it. That’s never been my style. I am a one-woman guy. “How are you doing?” she asked with concern in her eyes. “OK, I guess. It’s awful that I can’t give you a better answer,” I said. God, it was so depressing to talk to me. She hugged me, “It will get better. We have the spare time to hang out together. That should make you happy.” I gave her a big bear hug as she let out a squeal. I smiled and said, “True, at least I will have someone to pick on now.” She could always make me smile. “There’s the smile I want to see. No more frowning. You got it?” Melody said as she pointed her finger at me. “Yes, ma’am,” I said with a laugh. “Thanks for that. I’m going to head back to the fire. I’ll talk to you later.” “OK, don’t you disappear,” she said. I smiled and gave her a quick nod before walking away. Melody is a brilliant girl, but she always ends up dating assholes. I helped her brother make a few of them disappear. She deserves a good guy, not someone that treats her wrong. Back at the bonfire, I plopped my ass on a log and continue drinking. A few beers later, I hear a familiar voice behind me. “Quit your moping, asshole,” Jayden said. I smiled and turned around, “Where the f**k have you been?” I got up and gave him a quick hug. Then I noticed someone standing behind him. It was a gorgeous girl with long slender legs. Her tight blue jeans with a pair of cowgirl boots and a white tank top showed off her curves. The pink baseball cap she was wearing had her curly strawberry blonde hair pulled through the back. “I was picking up Shea. Shea, Dakota,” he said, turning around to look at her. “Hi…” I muttered as I offered her my hand. I’ve always had a hard time meeting new people, even harder when they are as gorgeous as her. I take a minute to warm up to them. “Nice to meet you.” She smiled, shaking my hand. She had such exquisite blue-green eyes. I caught myself staring into them. “He didn’t kidnap you, did he?” I muttered “Why do you say that?” she giggled. “Someone as hot as you shouldn’t get caught with him,” I said Jayden punched me in the arm, “Alright asshole, look who’s the one that’s here by himself.” I felt my chest tighten when he said that. Those words stung more than the punch. I could tell he regretted it when he saw the pained look on my face. “Ah s**t, man, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way,” he apologized. “It’s alright. It’s time I live my life again,” I chugged the rest of the beer I was holding. “I believe it’s time for another,” I said and excused myself to go get another beer. He meant nothing by it, but it still hurt. I wish I could go back to my dark house and hide. When I arrived back at the cooler, Melody was still there with her friends. The look on my face gave me away when she saw me. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “Nothing, just need another beer.” I lied. She c****d her eyebrow at me, “Bullshit, you are a horrible liar.” “And why do you say that?” I asked. “Because you are staring at the ground, and I’ve known you long enough to know when something is bothering you,” she asserted. She was right. I could never get a lie past her. “Sometimes Jay just needs to think before he speaks,” I grumbled. “He said something about her, didn’t he?” she asked, sounding annoyed. Her being my ex-fiancee that Melody didn’t care for her. Her exact words are Rich b***h. “In a roundabout way, I know I should forget her, but it’s not that easy,” I said. Melody got a mad look on her face, “I’m going to kick his ass.” She grabbed the front of my shirt, pulling me in to look her straight in the eye. I wasn’t sure if she was going to yell at me or kiss me. “She doesn’t deserve you. What she did to you was wrong. She used and abused your love for her. Besides, you are cute. Any girl can see that,” Melody stated. “Cute?” I smirk at her after hearing that last part. She let go of my shirt and blushed. Then she slapped my arm, “Shut up. You know what I meant.” “Ow, that hurt.” I feign pain, grabbing my arm. “I hope it did,” she said with a laugh.