Love Always, From Mayberry

Chapter forty five

I can't wait to see you at work today. I love watching you work.

Presley is so odd I think to myself as I read his text. He didn't completely repulse me like he did in the beginning and I had to admit conversation with him did help pass the time at work when we were slow. It was a smaller grocery store so there was a lot of those slow nights.

Still yet, his constant staring and his eccentric worded compliments gave me uneasy feelings. However, sometimes one is able to find comfort in the most unlikely of people.

I felt my phone vibrate several times from my back pocket while listening to Presley talk about his family and the day he had at school. His school was the county high school for the area while Mayberry was the city high school. The population at his school was far greater than Mayberry.

I feel my phone vibrate again and I'm happy to see it's a text from Steven. The happiness quickly faded.

Whit, I want you to know that this decision has nothing to do with you but everything to do with me. I have never put much thought into leaving a girl before and I've never been such a pussy about it that I couldn't even tell her to her face. I'm so sorry I've done this to you. I thought I could change but unfortunately I'm still the immature selfish kid I've always been. I know 10 years from now you'll still be on my mind and you'll always be my biggest what if. I don't want you to wait for me, though. I want you to move on and find everything you deserve. You deserve so much better than me. I can promise you one thing, I'll always love you.

I felt the blood drain from my face and tears begin to fall as I reread the text. I knew it was coming and I thought I was prepared for my first heartbreak but I wasn't. Reading that text was a pain that was new to me at my young age.

Presley comes behind the counter and puts his arms around me pulling me into a tight embrace as I sob. Thankfully no customer was in the store or this would have been a very embarrassing moment.

"Whitney, honey, what's happened? Tell me. I'll do whatever I can to help." Presley strokes my hair as I hand him my phone with Steven's text too upset to say it out loud and make it real. I expect Presley to begin to run Steven in the ground as I knew my dad and Dan would be doing as soon as they found out but he didn't and I was relieved. I didn't think I could take all that at that moment. Instead he simply held me as I cried.

"I'll take over the register and close the store" he speaks calmly as I look up at him with swollen eyes.

"Seriously, go home. Rest. Tomorrow is another day." He smiles reassuringly in my direction and I take his advice. I didn't have it in me to reply to Steven's text. I wasn't even sure what to say. As bad as I had wanted Steven. As much as I had wondered what it was like to be loved by him, I wish he'd left me wondering. I knew in time everyone would move on and forget Steven and Whitney. But I wouldn't. I'd stay there, forever. I just knew I would.