Lover and Friend

Third Time's a Charm

Zuri's POV:
It was 7 in the morning when Starr burst into my room. I had just woken up, hadn't even got the chance to rub my eyes. I yawned as I stretched and turned over to look at her. I put my hand up to block the light from the sun piercing through my window. I knew something was wrong because she couldn't even look me in the eyes. My mind was filled with a plethora of different scenarios of what it could be, but I kept my cool.

"Zuri..." she hesitated as she spoke, making the worry I was already feeling deepen.
"You seen this?"

She turned her phone so I could see revealing a picture of my current boyfriend, Chris, kissing another woman. The woman looked vaguely familiar but I was so devastated I couldn't recall where I'd known her from. My heart sank to the pit of my stomach. I couldn't believe he'd done this again. He promised me that after the last time he was done. It was my fault really. I had taken him back time and time again, why would he stop?

My eyes welled up with tears. I felt like I was going to be sick. Starr got in my bed with me and wrapped her arms around me. Tears rolled down my cheeks and she wiped every last one of them.

"Starr, why he keep doin this to me? What am I doin wrong?" I say, struggling to speak through my tears.

Starr's expression changed from anger to slight disappointment. She stopped liking Chris after the first time I caught him cheating. She told me that if I took him back he'd continue to cheat. I knew she right but I loved Chris so much I didn't listen. We'd been together since high school. He was my first love. I wanted to marry him and have his kids. I couldn't understand why I wasn't good enough for him.

"Z stop right now! I mean it. You deserve so much more than this. You the most kindhearted, beautiful, smartest, and most loyal person I know. And dis nigga a bum! He don't work, don't drive, he dropped out of high school his SENIOR year. He clearly dumb. He a leech. You don't need him. I wish you would wake up and see that you worth so much more than dis!" She lectured, with a sincere but stern look.

I couldn't even respond. I just sat there silently. My tears dried up as something clicked in my mind. She was right. This was the last chance I could bear to give him. This was the third time this has happened and each time it felt as if my heart was torn for my chest, still beating, and stomped on. I was done.

"Na stop all this crying and be done with dis nigga! Get cute! Do yo makeup, yo hair, and put on sum sexy. Invite da nigga over and dump his ass! Yo ass is too damn fine to be crying over a bum ass nigga, da fuck. I gotta go to film for my channel. Love ya!" She blew me a kiss as she headed out the door I pretended to catch the kiss and put it on my heart.

"I love you more. Thank you." I responded.

Even though she and I didn't always see eye to eye, she was the realist person in my corner.

"If you need me, I'll be right across the hall. I am so happy we're both about to be single biitchhh we goin out tonighttt! And I'm picking out yo outfit too! Ok bye fareal." She yelled on her way out of the door.

I decided I was going to take Starr's advice and get cute to dump this bum ass, cheating ass nigga. Now I wasn't sure about the party because I preferred kickbacks. I'd never been a fan of large gatherings with a bunch of people I didn't know. I had a feeling I didn't have a choice about the party but I planned to resist as much as I could. I got in the shower. As the water streamed down my body I reflected on all of the memories I had made with Chris. He was my first and only boyfriend. He was my first time. I pondered where my life would be if I'd left the first time he stepped out on the relationship. Would I be in a healthier relationship with a better man? Would I be happy and single? So many questions and what ifs raced my mind. After about 20 minutes I was out of the shower. I looked at my body in the mirror. I hadn't felt pretty in a while. I compared myself to all the girls he'd cheated with. I felt disgusted for allowing him to treat me the way he did. Chris never gave me compliments, but was always in some Instagram model's comments or DMs sending heart eyes. I fought the urge to break down in tears.