a 2 Page Note

The First Note

**** 2 Years Previously, April 2019

May Daniels prayed that her call wouldn't be answered as she shakily thumbed in a number as familiar as her own. Her wish was almost granted.
"Hello?" An orotund voice answered on the other line before the last ring. May took a deep breath and in a very fake cheerful tone responded back,
"Hi baby it's me, I need to talk to you about something important are you busy?" After some ruffling and mumbled voices, Jake Archer said,
"I've got a few minutes. What's up?" May braced herself as she unfolded the note she'd spent hours contemplating, editing, and crying over all day.
"I've been thinking about things and I wrote a letter to collect my thoughts so I wouldn't forget everything I needed to say." She forced out an airy laugh as she was prone to doing when she was nervous.
"Okay." Jake drawled out apprehensively.
"Now before I get into this don't do anything stupid alright? And let me finish before you say anything." May took another deep breath but before she could begin Jake cut her off.
"It sounds like you're breaking up with me." Relief and anger flooded through her but anger won out in the end. He'd always been so damn good at reading people; especially her. Even over the phone it seemed.
"Let me just say what I need to say Jake. Please." She couldn't help but beg. Jake was silent for a moment before saying,
"Alright April, you can tell me." May's heart twisted at the pet name he'd called her for the years before and after they began dating.
"I wrote this in terms of a main idea and several supporting examples so-"
"Just give me the big ones." Jake interrupted. Jake was infamous for being matter of fact and to the point and it was something May had always loved about him. But today it emptied all the sadness and dread from her heart so that rage could spew out.
"I'm breaking up with you because you've never made me a priority. You're selfish. And arrogant. And so immature it makes me want to scream. I don't know how or why I've put up with it all for this long but I'm done." May barely took another breath before chewing him out some more. At some point though the anger dissolved into tears, and by the end of the 'big ones' she was wheezing slightly and her exposed chest was quite damp with tears. She stayed silent for a long minute barely hearing the waves lapping a few feet behind her. Jake remained silent for one more heartbeat before sighing heavily.
"I know I've been shitty. I really am sorry for that. You're absolutely right about me and wanting to end things." May thought she wanted to hear those words. Hoped for them on some level. But something about him actually knowing all these things and not changing for her clanged around in the hollow place her heart used to be. When she didn't answer Jake sheepishly said,
"I'll let you go now. I'm sorry again May." The phone call clicked off and May stared at her phone now streaked with sunscreen she'd applied right before the call. She knew she should get up and go back to her family so they wouldn't come looking for her. But she kept hearing 'I'm sorry again May'. As much as it hurt to hear her pet name, hearing him say her real name when he had seldom used it in the last few years, made her cry all over again. She cried so loudly this time that a handsome young man, probably not much older than her 20 years, wandered over to her. She didn't notice him until a water bottle was by her leg. When she looked up into his tan face and blue eyes he smiled politely at her.
"It's going to be okay." The stranger said to her confidently and nudged her with the water bottle. May wiped at her face and took the water bottle. All she could muster was a small smile in return. The stranger walked away down the beach and as she watched him go she numbly got to her feet, water bottle in hand, and made her way back to where she'd left her family.