Bad Dreams //mgc

4.

"REGAN!" I scream with excitement, dropping my luggage that I just picked up from baggage claim, and run to give my best friend a hug.

I met Regan in kindergarten and we instantly became friends. We were inseparable ever since. She truly was the sister I never had. I have two younger brothers, one is a step brother, one's a half brother, but nothing compares to Regan. She was a part of our family, too. All my extended family knew everything about her too. Like I said, we were inseparable.

"Where's TJ?" I ask her when I realized he wasn't with her to pick me up.

"Oh," she replies. Something in her voice sounds off and my stomach starts churning. She looked down at her twiddling thumbs, her brown curly hair hiding her face. Yes, Regan and I are so much like sisters that we even look similar and both have the same long brown curly hair. This can't be good. "He got called in to work. But he wants me to take you there straight away to see him," she says shakily, looking back at me.

"Regan, what's going on? You're scaring me." As I glare straight into her big brown eyes, she quickly looks away, grabs my suitcase with one hand, my hand with the other.

"Let's go see your man," she says, as she pulls me out of the airport towards her car and leads the way. We arrive at her car, she loads my extremely large and heavy suitcase into her trunk, grunting as she's doing it. "What do you have in here? A dead body?!" She giggles. I roll my eyes at her and laugh.

"I've spent the past year and a half in college in California. What did you expect?"

"A little less shopping, a little more studying?" she teases. Laughing with her, we climb into her black Jetta and head off towards the restaurant TJ works at part-time, helping to pay his way through school. Its been a long three months, but I couldn't wait to see TJ!

We pull into the restaurant, and Regan says she'll take my stuff to her place and be back. She knew I wanted to spend some time alone with my fiancée. I get out of her car, straightening my dress and wiping out the wrinkles. I run my fingers through my curls, trying to keep them from going too frizzy in this humidity and walk in the warm restaurant. Damn this cold weather will take some getting used to. I left California and it was warrm and sunny, only to fly into below freezing temperatures and remnants of the last snowfall still on the ground. And its only December! I remember being warned that January and February are the coldest winter months. Great.

My breath catches as I see TJ coming towards me, a huge smile on his face. How does he look even better? I watch as his full 6' height walks towards me casually. Glad to know you're so excited to see me, too I think to myself sarcastically. His dirty blond hair has grown out and I melt at the sight of his blue eyes. But something in his eyes start to make my stomach turn uneasily.

"Cara! I've missed you baby!" He says, pulling me into a hug. "I just clocked out on a break. Let's go sit outside." In the freezing cold... Great idea dumbass.

"Okay!" I answer. Just his touch made my fears disappear. I was in his arms again. The one and only place I felt truly safe and warm. We walk outside, hands intertwined and go sit on a bench outside the restaurant.

"I've missed you so much Cara," he starts out. There's a sadness in his voice, "it's been extra hard these last few months. But I'm glad you're here now." He leans in and gives me a long passionate kiss.

Something feels off, I think to myself as he sits up straight and breathes a heavy sigh. "TJ? Is something wrong?"

He sits a few minutes, hands in his lap as he stares into the parking lot until he sees Regan's car pull in and park. She remains in the car, waiting quietly, texting on her phone, when he takes another deep breath and turns back to me. His eyes are filled with sadness and my stomach drops to my feet.

"Cara, I'm living with my new girlfriend. She's pregnant and we're starting our own family now."

No no no! This can't be happening? What the hell?! Its only been three months! How did this happen? I stand up, tears building up in my eyes. I will not let him see me cry. I will not look weak. Anger sets in and I start screaming at him, ignoring the tears I see forming in his blue eyes.

"WHAT THE FUCK TJ? THREE MONTHS AND YOU CANT HANDLE IT? THREE MONTHS AND YOU GO FUCKING SOME OTHER BITCH AND GET HER KNOCKED UP?! WHILE I NEEDED YOU. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT I WENT THROUGH? NO YOU DONT, CAUSE YOU NEVER ANSWERED YOUR PHONE. NOW I KNOW WHY, YOU SELFISH ASSHOLE!"

"I'm sorry baby," he whispers but I can still hear it, "I was drunk and I missed you so much. I...I...I wasn't thinking"

"OH YES YOU WERE... JUST WITH THE WRONG PART OF YOUR BODY!" I storm off towards Regan's car, leaving him still on the bench.

"I love you Cara"

"Fuck off TJ" I answer as I get in Regan's car and slam the door. "Drive!" I yell at her as we pull away. I glance in my side mirror and see him still on the bench, face buried in his hands, shaking from the tears. That's when I finally allow my own tears to fall. Regan intertwines her fingers in mine as we drive in silence to her townhouse, the only sound is my own sobs and sniffles.

I hate men.