Goner | M.C.

Part 2

[Reed Winters]

Love, a fickle bitch. That conclusion was easy to come as I had been in love or maybe I had been in love with the idea of love. Kids are told to be who they are and to follow their dreams and ambitions and stay true to themselves, but once I had met Josh, that all seemed to blur.

Josh and I had been together for eight years. We were sixteen and in high school when we got together and everything about love was new to me. I had never had a boyfriend before then so everything was my first time with him. I had felt enamored by the fact that he had chosen me over everyone else and it was intoxicating. I was in love that I had allowed myself to follow him halfway across the world for his dream job.

Love was supposed to last forever. I never understood how I had gotten lucky enough to find my soul mate at such a young age, but what I didn't realize that a relationship is a two-way street and only works if both people are in it for the long hall. I learned that the hard way and in probably the most cliché way I possibly could.

. . . . .

It felt like weeks since I had seen Josh when in actuality only a day had passed.

It wasn't strange for him to be working long hours at his job. He was a lawyer after all and was aiming for the new partner position that had opened up. Making partner was something that we had hoped he would get for a while now.

I say we because he was the sole provider in our relationship. When I was still in high school my mother used to tease me about how I was lucky. I was dating a rich man's son. 'Marry rich', she would say because unlike her real relationship with my father she had dreamed of finer things for herself.

Josh had never stated otherwise that he was resent of me leaning on him as much as I did. Through the years he told me how much he enjoyed the feeling of being able to provide for someone else. So instead of finding a real job or a long-term career, I volunteered at a nearby outreach, homeless shelter three days a week in hopes I could give back to the community in some way.

My boyfriend had proposed to me. It had been so unexpected, but it was exactly what I had wanted. It was like everything was finally falling into place. I was so in love with the feeling of stability that I hadn't noticed the rest of the world changing around me.

To surprise to fiancé, I decided to bring him lunch from his favorite sandwich shop since I knew he would be spending all his time on a new case and impressing his bosses.

My heels clicked against the sidewalk as I made my way down the street toward the office building I had only been to a few times. There was a slight skip in my step as I basked in the rays of the sun that shone from above. The sky was cloud free and the fresh air only solidified that way I was feeling about my life.

I smiled sweetly at co-workers I passed as I turned down the hallway that led to my fiancé's office and only glanced at the empty seat where his receptionist normally sat. Without knocking I let myself into the room.

"Hey, babe! I bought-"

The paper bag I held fell from my hands as I stared at the scene in front of me. There at his desk was Josh, but he was not alone. Between his legs was the missing receptionist that should have been at the desk just outside his office door.

It was like everything I thought I knew was a lie. Josh promised me he would always take care of me, but I never thought that meant he would resent me for it.