watermelon mojito

part 7: quit?

The next day, the weight of Troy's actions felt even heavier as he drove to work. The night before had been a blur of guilt and regret, and he'd barely slept, his mind racing with thoughts of Rich. Now, as he pulled into the parking lot of the smoothie shop, dread coiled in his stomach. He knew he had to face Rich today, had to confront the damage he'd caused.

Troy took a deep breath as he stepped out of his car, trying to steady himself. He pushed open the door to the shop, the familiar scent of fresh fruit and the low hum of the blender machines greeting him. But the atmosphere felt different today-tense, almost suffocating. As he walked in, his eyes immediately scanned the room, searching for Rich.

But Rich was nowhere to be found.

Troy's heart sank, a cold dread seeping into his veins. He walked up to the counter where their co-worker Jackie was making a smoothie, her usual cheerful demeanor muted by the early morning rush.

"Jackie," Troy said, trying to keep his voice steady, "have you seen Rich?"

Jackie looked up from her work, her brow furrowing in confusion. "Rich? No, he's not here. He... he quit last night, Troy. Didn't you know?"

The words hit Troy like a punch to the gut, the world tilting around him as the implications of what Jackie said sank in. Rich had quit. He'd left, just like that-because of him. Troy felt his throat tighten, his vision blurring as tears welled up in his eyes.

"Quit?" Troy echoed, his voice barely above a whisper. "Why... why didn't he tell me?"

Jackie frowned, her confusion deepening as she noticed the tears beginning to spill down Troy's cheeks. "Troy, what's going on? Why are you crying?"

But Troy couldn't answer. The tears came faster now, hot and relentless, and he quickly turned away, not wanting to break down in front of Jackie. He wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand, trying to pull himself together, but the reality of what he'd done was too much to bear.

He had pushed Rich away. He had ruined everything.

The rest of the shift passed in a blur, the hours dragging on as Troy went through the motions, his mind a whirlwind of regret and heartache. Every time the door opened, he half-expected Rich to walk in, to look at him with those eyes that had once held so much warmth. But Rich never came.

As soon as his shift ended, Troy didn't bother to say goodbye to Jackie or anyone else. He just grabbed his things and walked out, heading straight for his car. The moment he slid into the driver's seat, the tears he had been holding back all day finally broke free.

Troy sat there, his hands trembling as he pulled out his phone. He scrolled through old texts, messages that once brought him so much happiness. He re-read the playful banter, the late-night conversations, the sweet words that had made him fall for Rich in the first place. Each message felt like a stab to the heart, a reminder of what he had lost.

In a daze, Troy reached into the cup holder and pulled out the watermelon mojito he had grabbed before leaving work-a cruel, bittersweet reminder of how it had all started. He took a long, slow sip, the taste that had once made him smile now feeling like ash in his mouth.

He stared at the screen of his phone, his eyes scanning over Rich's name in the message thread, as if willing a new text to appear. But nothing came. The silence was suffocating, the pain unbearable.

Just as Troy was about to set his phone down, a notification lit up the screen. His heart skipped a beat as he saw Rich's name appear.

Troy's breath hitched, his fingers trembling as he stared at the notification, his mind racing with a hundred different possibilities. He didn't dare open it just yet, the fear and hope warring inside him too overwhelming to face.

But one thing was certain-whatever that message said, it would change everything.

And for better or worse, Troy knew that this was a moment he couldn't run from.