Broken Promises
1102 Words
“Wait,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “What?” She asked him, shock overriding her sense of reasoning. What in the world was he saying?
Zara had dressed up… okay, maybe she didn’t exactly dress up, but she wore one of the best of what she had, made up her face as simple as she knew he loved it, because she really didn’t fancy makeup, and he was breaking up with her after three years, on our anniversary nonetheless?
What the hell was he talking about saying they were so good together and whatnot only to break up with her?
Allen shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “I didn’t think I would be saying this tonight, but I think it’s for the best if we stay friends. We’ve had good times, but… I don’t feel the same anymore. I don’t think we should be together.” He said.
She blinked, stunned. It was as though the world around her had gone silent. She couldn’t even make sense of what he was saying. Her chest felt tight, her throat closing. She wanted to scream, to demand answers, but all she could do was whisper, “Why? Why now?”
He avoided her gaze again, pushing his food around on his plate. “I don’t want to hurt you. It’s just that… when I imagine you as a friend, everything feels… easier. You know? We have more fun when we were just friends.” He said.
Oh yeah, but then he asked her out three times, saying he knew they would be better as couple, but here he was now, breaking up with her without any real reason?
Wait, do people do that?
She felt her face flush, anger starting to creep up from the pit of her stomach. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Don’t blame her, she was hurt right now, and it was so unexpected, so she didn’t even know what to say or how to react.
Before she could stop herself, her hand grabbed the glass of water in front of ger. The motion was instinctive. Her fingers trembled as she poured it all over him.
He jumped back, sputtering. “What the hell, Zara?”
“You want to break up with me, but you don’t even have any good reason. How is that fair? On our anniversary nonetheless. Is this what’s so important you kept stressing about?” She asked.
His expression hardened, and for a second, Zara thought he was going to apologize. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, his voice cold. “You want the truth, Zara? I can’t stand how you dress, how you act. You’re embarrassing to be around sometimes. I can’t show you off to my colleagues, because they’d laugh at me.”
“What?” what was this man saying? He was breaking up with her because of the way she dressed? He said that was what he liked about her, dressing modestly.
This was exactly how she had been dressing since before we met, and this was it? Holy s**t. She couldn’t believe this.
“You’re a coward, Allen. I can’t believe I wanted to marry you.” She said and he shocked her. He threw his head back and laughed.
Snorting in between laughs, he said. “Marry me? You wanted to marry me? Did you never asked yourself why I never touch you since we started dating in three years?” he said.
“You said you wanted us to wait. You said you didn’t want to touch me until I was rightfully yours.” She said.
“Rightly mine, my ass. I couldn’t even see myself touching you, that’s why. It didn’t matter that you had never been with anyone before. At first, I had asked you out because of that, then I tried that one time to touch you, but I just couldn't get those sacks you wear out of my head.” He said. He was being mean on purpose now, and Zara could tell by the curve of his mouth and the look in his eyes.
She sat there, her mouth dropped open, and she just couldn’t believe all she was hearing. She felt like she was suffocating, her chest tight as his words cut through her like a knife.
How could someone be so cruel? How could he act like this after everything they had been through?
She stared at him, dumbfounded, the truth of his words sinking in, but it still didn’t feel real.
“Are you serious right now?” She choked out, her voice trembling with disbelief.
“All this time… you made me believe we were working toward something real, something… meaningful. And now, you’re just going to throw it all away because of…” she shook her head, not even able to finish the thought.
Allen smirked, his eyes cold, but something flickered in them… regret, maybe? She couldn’t tell.
“You just don’t get it, Zara. I’m not attracted to you, not like that. And it’s not just the clothes, anyway. You’re not spontaneous enough, you don’t so things for me on your own accord, and you’re like a prude most of the time.” He said.
Oh wow! This was a very planned situation, she could see that, at least. She swallowed hard, trying to make sure she didn’t break, but the pain was too much. The disappointment was suffocating.
“Then why did you keep me around all this time?” She whispered, more to herself than to him. “Why didn’t you just leave me alone?”
His eyes narrowed. “I kept you around because it was easy. Plus I didn’t want to be cruel. I mean it, I still hope we are friends.”
Friends?
If Zara wasn’t so angry, she would have laughed at that.
“I’m sorry I’m not your perfect little trophy, Allen. Maybe I’m not what you wanted, but I thought we were more than that.”
His eyes narrowed, and a cruel smile tugged at his lips. “Well, you’re not. And you never will be.” It was as if she had never known this man, because this wasn’t the Allen she had given three years of my life.
She wanted to lash out, scream, but she just couldn’t. Instead, she stood up from the table, her hands shaking, her legs unsteady beneath her.
She grabbed her bag, shaking with rage. “You’re pathetic,” she muttered under her breath, before turning and walking out of the restaurant.
- Writer
