The Forgotten mate

Now (9)

I opened my eyes and sighed loudly as I was forced to confront the reality that I was in. The girl avoided eye contact as she climbed off me, suddenly looking very awkward. I rubbed my forehead, suddenly feeling complete s**t.

‘I’m Lizzie.’ she said quietly. I looked over at her frowning. She shrugged,

‘In case you need to tell her.’

‘What?’

‘Your girl.’

‘I don't have a girl.’ I snarled bitterly.

'Guy then,' she shrugged. I didn't respond, ‘Well there is someone, not many guys look so horrified once they come.’ she said sweetly as she reached around rummaging for her shirt, ‘you regretted this instantly.’ she pulled the shirt on and smiled flirtatiously, ‘and I'm not used to being a regret. At least not this quickly anyway.’

‘I don’t have a f*****g girl.’ I said, hating the sulkiness that was clear in my voice.

‘Well then there is nothing to tell her and so nothing is wrecked.’ she said brightly.

‘No, I guess not,’ I said gently.

‘So there is no need to cry.’ she said.

‘No’ I said, scrubbing my cheeks roughly. I hadn't even known those tears were falling, ‘sorry,’

‘Don't be, doesn't matter to me.’ Lizzie said with a small smile. 'I wasn't exactly expecting romance, I was just horny and thought you were hot. She's lucky you feel this much when she’s not even your girl.'

'f**k I wish she was' I said, thumping the steering wheel but regretting it as I felt the wheel bend and splinter under my blow. Lizzie frowned,

'No need to take it out on your car, she said with a smile, I think you hurt her’ she said, patting the car's dash. I frowned at her, 'you know that's the classic story. Right you always want what you can't have. It's never the same when you finally have them and get to know the real person once they are off that pedestal and realize they belch and fart too.'

'I know that she is not some dumb f*****g infatuation. Of course, I know that she is a real person.i... I just. getting a woman has honestly never really been a problem, it's just I never really cared that much if I succeeded or not.'

'Wow, this is making me feel special.' Lizzie said in her deadpan voice.

‘Everybody would be laughing their f*****g asses off right now because i could never be such a f*****g p***y. I never fall in love… not even f*****g close. But I can, I did I do, I…i … I f*****g saw her and i know I still f*****g love her and I never stopped. But she doesn't … she left me …she f*****g ghosted me and did I imagine everything. She couldn't have felt it because she wouldn't have been able to just forget me like that. She was the one and only time I had ever felt like that. That's it that was love for me. It was. I’m sure it was real. She was the only girl in my life I've ever been sure of. She is the one for me. How can the one thing I'm so sure about be wrong?’

‘It isn't.’ Lizzie said softly, ‘maybe you just need to make her remember.’

‘She shouldn't have been able to forget.’

‘Maybe if you have a guarded heart she couldn't let herself believe that she’d be the one to touch it.’

‘So what do I do?’ I asked my steering wheel.

‘Not a clue.’ Lizzie said softly, ‘Maybe whatever you did to win her heart last time.’ The silence stretched out. It felt like an eternity but in reality it was probably only a few minutes as Lizzie finally spoke, ‘well good luck with it.’ I turned and smiled at her.

‘Thank you. You know, in other circumstances I think I could really like you.’ Lizzie, to my surprise, frowned,

‘Free tip Romeo, saying that to a girl thirty seconds after asking her how to win back the love of your life is not a good move’. I just smiled again,

‘I’ll give you a lift home.’

‘Nah.’ she said lightly, ‘wouldn't want your girl to see you with me. See ya.’ She got out of the car with a smile, closing the door lightly behind her.