My Boyfriends Best Friend

Chapter 7

I wake up on Saturday morning, and my head is pounding so incredibly that I think it may jump straight out of my skull. After my two am soiree with Jon on Wednesday, I finally slept at my place on Thursday and Friday. However, I got just as much or less sleep in my own bed because I couldn't stop thinking about this dilemma I was in. Darren had sent me a text message asking if I wanted to come over for dinner on Saturday, and nothing will prevent him from being there. It was honestly kind of sweet but also annoying for some reason. I should probably do something right and break up with him in person, and I can not ghost him. If I ever wanted the chance to date Jon, ghosting looks pretty bad. I texted him that we could meet for lunch and suggested this little diner I had been to a couple of times.

When I looked at my phone, it was already half past nine and I had to meet him at eleven thirty. All I want is to curl into a ball and sleep away this feeling, and instead, I have to go break up with this guy. I hate confrontation, I have never been good at it, and it makes me feel sick, like I will throw up. I have never been good at holding in my guilt which probably means I'm a good person, right? I will finally leave the warm bed and head into the small bathroom to shower. The lukewarm water revitalizes me, and I can feel myself waking up as I shower. There are butterflies about breaking up with Darren, but there are also butterflies about getting to know Jon. They compete for attention, trying to see who can make me feel worse. When I get out of the shower, it is steamy, and I wipe down the mirror above my sink.

I stare at myself again, looking at my features bare and raw. My hair is plastered down my back, and without make-up, you can see the slight imperfections on my skin. I hate seeing myself in this natural state before I can make myself look the way people think I should. I take a deep breath and let it out slowly before bending over to look in the cabinet under my sink for my hairdryer. When my hair and make-up are done, I head upstairs and recheck my phone. It is now ten-thirty, perfect, running a little ahead of schedule. Should I wear a black dress to indicate the end of our relationship? Or this yellow sundress to maybe soften the blow? I finish getting ready, and before I leave, I check my make-up one last time before heading out the door. When I get to the diner, it looks like I am the first one there because I don't see Darren right away, and when I check my phone, it's only eleven-fifteen right now. The diner is a seat yourself, so I walk towards the patio section along the restaurant's back wall. The thing I love most about this diner is the view. Their patio has the best view of Lake Stevens that you will ever see. There is something about how they are located, and the lake and surrounding foliage look beautiful, especially on a beautiful summer day like today. I send Darren a quick text:

Alice: I made it to the diner and snagged a table on the patio! See you soon.

I take my sunglasses out of my purse. Last summer, I invested in my first nice pair of sunglasses, and now there is no going back. The pair I am wearing today have large lenses covering just about half my face and a beautiful tortoiseshell print. I wore them today in case I start crying, and my mom always told me to hide my weaknesses; this is just one more way I feel she has let me down. I feel like the baddest bitch when I wear them, and I don't know why. I literally hate making people even the slightest bit bad. It is actually a problem.

I look down at my phone when Darren walks onto the patio.j When I see him, I wave him over. When he gets to the table, he grabs my hands and pulls me up from my seat before kissing me. I impulsively want to push him away, but it ends quickly, and then he smiles at me. "I have wanted to do that since Wednesday." I feel a blush creeping across my face, giving him a faint smile before looking away from him and trying to retake my seat. He doesn't let me sit down, though; instead, he hooks an arm around my waist and turns us around to look at the door to the patio.

My brain realizes what is happening too slowly because one second, we are looking at an elderly couple that looks like they just stepped out of a J-crew catalog. Then the next, I am being ambushed! Darren's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Walker, are now sitting at the small patio table across from Darren and me. His mom Peggy jumps up and down in excitement, talking a mile a minute. Sparing no expense to tell me how great her son is and directly uses all of her self-control not to pinch his cheeks. Then there was Darren's dad Dalton, who had yet to say a single word. All I could do was smile and not answer when someone asked me a question, but I was not present at this dinner. I again went for the sexier option and wore the yellow sun dress, and It was busty. As a backup, I had brought a white cardigan but left it in the car, expecting to need it once it cooled down. Why didn't he tell me he was getting his parents? I mean, it is only common courtesy to let someone know they are about to meet your parents. Lucky for me, lunch goes by quickly, and I tell them that, unfortunately, I do have to go because I have something to do this afternoon. Darren looks a little disappointed but ultimately understands. I give them a quick wave before walking back to my car. I don't even know that I have started crying until I am heaving uncontrollably. Why had that gone so bad? How could I have messed up a breakup that bad? I grab my phone, and I will text Jasmine about this shit show when I see Jon's name in my recent contacts. I decide to send him a text instead:

Alice: So phase one of breaking things off with Darren was a total failure. He showed up with his parents unannounced and ambushed me.

Almost as soon as I sent the message, I saw the text bubble pop up.

Jon: Yeahhhh, the Walkers showed up this morning unannounced, and I have a feeling that Darren may have thought you needed to be included in the sense of fucking panic.

Alice: Why? You and Darren are both grown people. Isn't that a little harsh?

Jon: I don't know if Darren has talked much about his relationship with his dad, but Darren's dad has always been really hard on him. To be better to do more is why Darren works so hard. He wasn't always the most excellent; even now, he isn't, and he's trying to improve. Peggy almost died four years ago; after that, he sold the house to Darren and let him take on more responsibility with the business. I didn't know any of that, and now I feel like an even bigger jerk. How was I supposed to break up with Darren now that I knew all of that?

Alice: Do you want to come over?