Means to an end

How the tables turn

She was standing at the front of the line, waiting for her order. She looked as stunning as ever with her black hair braided, flowing down strong, naked shoulders, and her sleeveless body-con dress holding her perfect figure in all the right places. I wished I could be her, even though I didn't suffer from complexes on a daily basis.

What could she be doing there? Were she and Cola back together? Did he forget to mention it in one of his messages?

I hunched my back, trying to get as small as I could, so she wouldn't spot me.

It'd worked well until she received her coffee, turned to walk out and did a few steps in my direction.

"Josie? Oh my god, it's you, I haven't seen you in so long! How are you?" She smiled widely, showcasing beautiful, straight teeth which apparently hadn't got the note that they were supposed to stain from stuff.

"Hi, Gaia. I'm okay, you?" I grinned sheepishly, holding an arm out, so we could briefly hug.

"I'm great. It's so nice to see you. Are you with Nicolas now?" She asked in a weirdly excited voice, not searching around for him, though.

"He's not here, no. I came alone." I shrugged non-elegantly, not meeting her eyes, so she couldn't see that there was still some pain there.

"Come on. That's not what I meant. Are you guys together?" She hit my shoulder with hers, suggestively, playfully.

"Wha... Why would we be?" I was very confused and didn't want to have this conversation, but something in her tone was intriguing.

"Oh, so he didn't tell you?"

To that, my heart responded with loud thudding.

"Tell me what?"

"Oh, I probably shouldn't..." She started, frowning and weighing me with her gaze.

"What's going on?" I demanded, though it came out more as gentle pleading than an order.

"He's such a freakin' coward, geez. And you, excuse me, but are you blind, Josie?"

"Now that's just rude." I scoffed, over this dialogue. I almost turned on my heels to leave, and yet stayed, because she laid a hand on my elbow, taking pity on me.

"Sorry, yeah, overstepping. It's just that, I know it's not my place to tell, but if he still, after all this time, didn't muster the courage, I'm worried he never will and that's a shame, you feel me?"

"Huh?" She couldn't have been making less sense.

"Josie, he's madly in love with you. Has been, since, like forever. Why did you think we broke up? He wasn't hiding it very well, so I made him promise to at least confess. Guess I should've checked if he did. Did you for real not know?"

My head was spinning. I was suddenly very dizzy, trying to digest her words.

He loves me? Or loved? What?

That was definitely not something I expected to hear today. Ever, actually. I barely managed to get over the fact that he'll never reciprocate my feelings, and now I casually found out that he did? What the hell?

The reality check came in though, heavily implying that I should be one hundred percent certain if this wasn't a misunderstanding in any way, shape or form.

"I'm going to be indelicate here, so sorry for that, but are you positive that he didn't lie to you, because he didn't know how to break up with you?" I couldn't imagine why he would've wanted to do that - a goddess, as I mentioned - but I also couldn't just take her at face value about a thing like that. He could've been very dumb.