Chapter 1
1091 Words
Hope's POV
Evenings like this were always my favorite. It's when I loved enjoying ice cream and harmless gossip the most. And that was exactly what I was enjoying when my cousin, Sophia, dropped her latest “life revelation” on me.
“By the way, I’m done with men.” She announced dramatically, licking her scoop of strawberry as if she’d just said something profound.
“Since when?” I choked on my ice cream.
“Since forever." She replied. “Men are basically all stress and headaches. My girl kisses me like she actually wants to be there. Can your boyfriend say the same?”
“You’ve been dating her for less than a week.” I playfully nudged her hip with mine.
“And it’s the happiest I've been all my life.” She declared, pointing at me with her cone like she was giving a sermon. “Meanwhile you’re over there clinging to Mr. inconsistency.”
“He’s just been busy.” I said, rolling my eyes.
“Busy?” she repeated with pure sarcasm. “Busy doing what? Freeing Palestine?”
"You’re so dramatic.” I said with a laugh.
“No, you are." She retorted.
"Besides, we're still cool even though we had a little flight last week."
"‘Still cool?'" She mimicked my voice horribly. “‘He hasn’t called, he hasn’t texted and he barely sees you. But you say 'we're still cool.’ Girl, you’re delusional.” She said like a big aunty.
I hated how the word pinched at my chest because she was telling the truth.
But she wasn’t done though.
“what if he’s cheating on you?” She asked, folding her arms suddenly. "Right now. What if he's with another woman? How would you know?"
“Don’t be ridiculous.” I said, making a face.
“No, no, listen." She said. "I’m not saying he is cheating, I’m just saying: the signs are too obvious.”
“Alex would never cheat.” I scoffed loudly and she looked at me the way someone would look at a child insisting Santa was real.
“Oh, Hope." Sophia murmured. “How sweet you are. And very, very naïve.”
I stuck out my tongue at her and she grinned, satisfied with herself.
We were still bickering lightheartedly when a small crowd began gathering near the fountain ahead of us. People were whispering and pulling out phones with smiles on their faces.
“What’s happening?” I asked.
Then I looked, and I saw a young man dropping to one knee, holding a ring up toward his excited girlfriend.
The whole park erupted in cheers as she screamed “YES!” and threw her arms around him.
“Awww!” I clapped with excitement. “So romantic!”
“See?" I said as I started teasing my cousin. "This is how it should be. Man and woman."
“Oh please.” She said, waving me off.
“Who will propose to who between you and your 'girl,' since you’ve decided to go full lesbian?” I asked teasingly.
“Obviously me.” She shot back promptly.
I burst into laughter as I went on teasing her and she couldn't help but join me laughing even though I was making fun of her.
Then some random guy walked past us, and started flirting with me.
“Hey beautiful.” He said boldly. “Can I get your number?”
“Oh—um… sorry. I have a boyfriend.”
He shrugged and then strolled off without giving me a second thought as I declared I had a boyfriend.
“You see? This is your problem." My cousin said suddenly. "You’re loyal to a man who can’t stay consistent for three days, while missing out on what could be real for you.”
“It’s called commitment.” I replied, slightly defensive.
“It’s called missing opportunities!” She countered loudly. “If a man hasn’t spoken to you in days, there are only two possibilities: he’s either dead or he’s cheating.”
“Sophia, you watch too many movies.”
“And you don’t watch enough reality.”
I opened my mouth to argue back when my phone buzzed after that.
It was my best friend, Riley. I smiled automatically and answered.
“Hey babe, what’s up—”
“Hope.” Her urgent voice came through sharply and my stomach tightened as I thought she was in some kind of trouble.
“Riley? What happened?”
“Where are you right now?” She asked.
“I'm in town. Why?”
“I’m at Westview Restaurant.”
“Okay… and?”
“Your boyfriend is here.”
“Alex? Doing what at Westview?”
“He's with that girl from his office. The one you said he called a ‘sister.’ I’m looking at them right now kissing.”
“Nah...” I whispered. “You’re joking.”
“I’m not joking." She said firmly. “Hope, he’s—just hold on, I’m sending you a video.”
“Riley, wait—”
The call ended and a second later, a notification popped up and my heart skipped as I thought she was actually being real.
I opened the message and saw Alex sitting comfortably with a girl I’d already overthought too many times. He was smiling, touching her cheek and kissing her as if the world around them didn’t exist.
I froze and accidentally dropped the ice cream in my hand as I suddenly felt numb and cold.
“What happened? What is it?” My cousin took one look at my face and grabbed my arm.
I couldn’t speak. I just handed her the phone.
She watched the video, and her expression darkened instantly.
"Is that him?" She asked and I nodded
And immediately I hailed a cab and it stopped nearby.
“Hope. Don’t go there.” Sophia said, already knowing my thoughts.
But my mind was already spiraling. My heart was punching my ribs as I almost went into shock in disbelief.
“I have to.” I breathed.
“No, you don’t.” She insisted. “He’s not worth it. You know how you get when you’re upset.”
But I wasn’t listening. I walked down the cab with a desperation I didn’t even recognize and my cousin cursed under her breath as she climbed in the backseat beside me.
“Fine, if you're going then I'm coming too.” She muttered.
- Writer
