Page 82 of The Heart You Kept

Ouch.

“This has nothing to do with him and everything to do with me,” I whisper.

He stands. “Keep telling yourself that, and when the challenge of taking my girl is over and he’s used you and thrown you in the trash, don’t come running back to me.” He marches toward the door.

“Pascal, wait.”

Slam…goes the door.

I sit as his words echo in the silence. Don’t flatter yourself. The hot tears break the dam and roll down my cheeks.

Pascal is right, every word he said was spot on. I mean nothing to Edward and maybe I wasn’t meant to be with Pascal, but I am definitely not going there with him because, unlike my current relationship, there’s one thing I know for certain.

If given the chance, Edward Prescott could break me.

MONDAY MORNING.

I turn the key in the lock.

“So.” Helene smiles from beside me. “How did it go?”

“Well….” I push the door open. “Not great. I’m pretty sure he hates me.”

Helene and Jonty exchange glances. “Why would your brother hate you?”

“Oh.” I remember that a lot has gone on this weekend and they don’t know yet. “My brother doesn’t hate me. His graduation was great, I meant Pascal.”

“Why, what happened?” Helene asks as she hangs her purse up on the hook in the back room.

“We broke up.”

“Oh.” Jonty’s eyes widen. “This is so unexpected.”

“Not really.” I sigh as I go to the cash register and begin to count out the float.

“Did something happen between the two of you?” he asks all interested.

“Not one thing, I guess a lot of little things combined.”

“So you are the one that broke it off?” he asks.

“I guess.”

“Was it a big fight or….”

“Why are you suddenly so interested in this?” I sigh.

“I just find it fascinating that you can break off with someone without warning. The evil minds of women fascinate me.”

“Well, it wasn’t without warning, obviously,” Helene answers for me. “She told him that he needed to get better in bed.” She begins to dry hump the air.

“I did not.” I smile. “You are so bad.”

“But so good at it, right?”

Jonty turns the stereo on and a deep beat of jazz livens up the space.

“What day are you interning this week?” Helene asks as she begins to dust.