Why We Ended Things

First Dates

You and Eren started dating after having sex in a convenience store parking lot. It happened in his red 2008 Toyota Camry.

When you put it like that, it made it seem like the quirky start to some indie-romance film, but it hardly resembled anything of the sort. It was exactly as it sounded.

It wasn't even of the newly-renovated convenience stores — the kinds that had a thousand different slushie flavors to choose from and sold nitro cold brew just because it was trendy. No, this was nothing more than a worn-down, old gas station. One of those twenty-four-hour joints with just a single fluorescent light, flickering a sorry amount of light over the gas pumps.

That part would matter later.

Eren had just finished closing the bar for the night when he turned to ask you, "Would you want to grab something to eat?"

You raised your head from the counter. It throbbed slightly, just behind your eyes. You hadn't realized until then that you had made yourself far too comfortable. You were long ways away from your quaint apartment; you were still at work.

You didn't think you had even fallen asleep, but when you looked over at your forgotten drink, it told another story. The ice had melted, and all the water had separated from the liquor. Bothered, and with a stiff neck, you reached for your phone. When you checked the time, it was well past two in the morning.

"Are there even any places open this late?" The voice that left you was groggy and sedated.

"Sure there are," Eren said with a smile. You couldn't fathom why he was still peppy this late at night. He reached for his coat, sliding it over his shoulders one at a time. "I've been with you all night, and I haven't seen you eat a thing. Come with me."

You thought it over, your eyes still fixed on your drink. It was late, you were tired, but you couldn't find it within you to say no. Your grumbling stomach was only partly to blame; Eren had just as much fault. Especially with his cute, lop-sided smile that you were trying to ignore.

You reluctantly tossed back the last of that watered-down drink in a gulp or two, frowning at the taste. From behind, you heard Eren call out, "If you don't come now, you're getting locked in for the night."

You looked over your shoulder to find he had already wandered off. His footsteps grew distant as he neared the front of the building.

You used the bar to weakly push yourself upright. "Alright, I'm coming."

As soon as you hopped down from the stool and grabbed your bag at your feet, Eren pointed at your glass. He rolled his eyes with a bit of an attitude and said, "At least put it in the sink."

You groaned but did as you were told. You jumped onto the bar, chest pressed against it, toes just barely lifting from the ground, and placed the glass in the sink. After, you hurried toward the door. Despite Eren's warning, he was kind enough to stay and hold it open for you.

You hugged yourself to stay warm while he locked up. It was April and finally starting to feel like it, but your thin sweatshirt was practically nothing in the nighttime air.

"Cold?" Eren asked over the jingling sound of keys.

"No," you lied. For whatever reason, you dropped your hands to your sides and fought through the chill.

"I can hear your teeth chattering from here."

"No, you can't!"

He laughed while sliding the keys back into his pocket, but they barely fit. "Sorry I don't have my coat with me to give you." He walked past you, and with a quick nod of his head towards the other side of the street, he said, "But my car's close by. It isn't much, but at least it has heat."