Shotgun Love

I'm Done Playing Nice

The café was buzzing with the usual midday chatter, clinking cups, and the faint hiss of the espresso machine. Keira sat stiffly in her chair, staring at the glass of iced coffee in her hands. Her knuckles whitened around it, fingers trembling as though she might crush it into shards.

Her jaw was locked tight, and though she blinked hard, her eyes shone with unshed tears. It wasn’t the kind of cry that came from weakness but with rage. The kind that burned through her chest, threatening to spill out if she lost control.

Jacob leaned back in his seat, quietly observing. He didn’t prod her with questions or force her to speak. Instead, he tilted his head, studying her like she was a storm he didn’t want to run from.

“Careful,” he said lightly, nodding at her drink. “If you break that glass, you’ll just end up drinking your coffee with tiny ice shards. Not very classy.”

Keira let out a sharp breath, half a scoff, half a laugh. “I swear, Jacob… I could kill her.”

“Yeah, I figured.” He smirked, raising his own cup and taking a slow sip. “But, uh, murder’s kind of messy. And trust me, orange jumpsuits wouldn’t look good on you.”

She shot him a glare, but it cracked under the weight of his ridiculous tone. Her lips twitched, then curved just a little.

Jacob leaned closer, lowering his voice. “Tell you what. Instead of breaking glasses or people’s faces, how about you just yell at me? I’m good at taking hits. Might even deserve some.”

Keira shook her head, finally exhaling the heaviness in her chest. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Ridiculously good-looking?” Jacob teased, flashing her a grin.

Keira rolled her eyes, but this time, she didn’t fight the smile pulling at her lips.

And just like that, the madness softened, still there, simmering beneath her skin, but manageable with Jacob sitting across from her.

The café door chimed, and in came Debbie and Crystal, both already grinning like they’d walked into a juicy scene. Debbie slid into the seat beside Keira and gave Jacob a playful nudge with her elbow.

“So…” Debbie sang out, squinting at him. “Where did you bring her last night, huh?”

Jacob nearly choked on his coffee. “Relax,” he said, smirking. “I don’t have that kind of budget.”

Crystal burst out laughing. “Wow, honesty award goes to you!”

Keira covered her face with one hand, mortified. “You guys are so embarrassing.”

Debbie leaned forward, eyeing Keira’s face. “But wait—look at you. Your cheeks are glowing. Did someone fall in love, or did you just discover blush?”

“Shut up!” Keira snapped, though the redness only deepened. “This is stress, not love.”

That pulled both her friends back into curious silence. Keira sighed, tossing her phone onto the table. “I’ve been getting these texts… from some unknown number. But I already know who it is. Chelsea. She’s threatening me, telling me to delete all the old pictures with Kevin.”

Crystal’s lips curled into a mischievous grin. “Delete? Oh, honey, don’t delete a single thing.”

Debbie blinked. “Then what? Just ignore it?”

“Nope.” Crystal leaned in, lowering her voice like she was plotting a crime. “Re-post everything. Every. Single. Picture. Flood your timeline with Kevin’s face. That’ll make her choke on her contour powder.”

Keira and Debbie both stared at her for a beat, then burst out laughing. The tension in Keira’s chest loosened as Crystal added, “Trust me, the angrier she gets, the uglier her makeup’s gonna look. That’s what we call karma in high-definition.”

Crystal leaned back with her iced latte like she’d just dropped the best idea of the century. “Repost them all. That’s the ultimate slap.”

Debbie gasped, half-shocked, half-entertained. “Girl, are you crazy? That’s just adding fuel to the fire! You want Chelsea to storm this café with her fake lashes flapping like butterfly wings?”

Jacob chuckled into his cup. “I vote Crystal. It sounds entertaining.”

Keira groaned, burying her face in her hands. “I don’t need entertainment; I need peace!”

“But think about it,” Crystal pressed on, her eyes glittering. “The more she sees you didn’t care, the more she’ll lose her mind. That’s how you win without even lifting a finger.”

Debbie wagged a finger at her. “Or you could win by being the classy one. Ignore her and let her choke on her insecurity. No need to stoop down to her level.”

Keira looked between them, exasperated. “So basically, my options are: be classy and boring, or be petty and fabulous?”

Jacob leaned closer, smirking. “Or, hear me out. You could just give me your phone, and I’ll reply for you. I have a talent for making enemies confused instead of angry.”

That made everyone laugh again. Debbie crossed her arms. “Don’t listen to him. His solution’s probably just a one-word reply like ‘K’.”

Crystal raised her glass in mock toast. “Petty and fabulous, Keira. That’s the way to go.”

Keira shook her head, torn between laughter and frustration. “Why are all my friends so chaotic?”

Keira stared at her phone for a long moment, her thumb hovering above the screen. She wasn’t the type to make scenes. Never had been. She was the kind of girl who would rather stay quiet than argue, the kind who swallowed insults and kept walking. Her silence was always her shield.

But not this time.

She straightened in her seat, her jaw tightening. Enough is enough. Chelsea had threatened her, insulted her, mocked her like she was nothing. She wasn’t about to let that slide anymore.

She reposted every single picture she had with Kevin—smiling, laughing, holding hands —those memories now transformed into weapons.

Jacob whistled low, clearly impressed. “Well damn… remind me never to get on your bad side.”

Crystal clapped her hands in victory. “That’s my girl!”

Debbie sighed, shaking her head with a nervous laugh. “Oh no… here comes World War III.”

Keira leaned back, a dangerous little smile tugging at her lips. “Let her come. I’m done being her victim.”

Her phone buzzed nonstop, a flood of furious texts lighting up the screen. Chelsea was losing it.

And then, there's the call.

Kevin’s name flashed across her phone.

Her chest tightened, but she swiped to answer anyway.

“Keira, stop it,” his voice came through, low and sharp, almost commanding. “Take those pictures down. Don’t make this worse.”

For a split second, the old Keira, the one who used to listen to him, who used to care too much, almost surfaced. But then the months of lies, the betrayal, the humiliation, all came crashing back like a tidal wave.

She tightened her grip on the phone, her voice cutting like a blade.

“Worse? You already made it worse, Kevin. You cheated. You lied. You made me look like a fool.”

There was silence on the other end. She didn’t let him speak.

“You and Chelsea deserve each other,” she spat, her words dripping with venom. “So enjoy seeing the pictures like a cataract in your eyes, it's either you stop bothering me, or your eyes both rot watching your fake sweet memories with me!”

She ended the call without hesitation, slamming her phone onto the table.

For a beat, no one spoke. Jacob, Crystal, and Debbie just stared at her. Shocked, impressed, maybe even a little scared.

Keira took a deep breath, her hands trembling, but her voice steady. “I’m done playing nice.” But a little teardrop escaped from her eyes out of rage.