Dreamless in Early Graves (Vic Fuentes / Kellic) ✔️

Chapter 20: The Dates

"I'm sure that this is what she would've wanted for you, bro." Mike said, straightening the snapback on top of my head.

I sighed, nodding slowly as he took a step back and looked at me with a reassuring smile.

I was getting ready for a date with some girl I met at Jaime's record store a few days ago. And part of me really wasn't looking forward to it. It had only been about three weeks since Ana died, and naturally I was still grieving, but Mike insisted that I had to 'get myself back out there'.

So I was going on a date with this girl. . . Laura I think her name was. She was pretty, she was friendly, we had the same interests. . .

She wasn't Ana, though. But no one was like Ana, and I was never ever going to find someone like her again. It was hard to wrap my head around that fact. But I knew that Ana wanted me to move on, so I guess I kind of did it for her.

"Just give this a try, alright?" Mike then said. "I know it's not easy, but you gotta start somewhere."

I nodded but stayed quiet. Admittedly, Mike was right. I had to give this a chance.

<> <> <>

It was a disaster.

The whole date was a disaster. Laura may have done most of the talking, but oh my god she just would not shut up about her ex boyfriend and how much of an asshole he was. As if I cared.

I kept trying to change the subject, to get to know her better, but every single time she dismissed it and went straight back to complaining about her ex and how she didn't want her next boyfriend to be like that. It was really exhausting.

Meanwhile, all I could really think about was Ana. And whenever I tried talking about her, that was dismissed as well. Laura didn't want to know about my ex. Which was kind of hypocritical. 

Ana wasn't an ex, though. We didn't break up, she just died. It wasn't the same thing, not to me anyway. But the way Laura shoved the subject of conversation aside was so disrespectful to me. . . so I left the restaurant.

I left and I never called her again.

About a month after that, I met a guy. We seemed to click almost instantly, and Mike was so happy for me.

We went on several dates and I ended up spending a few nights with him. He was a nice, well-put together guy. He had his own company and his entire future planned out. And something he did a lot of too was pampering me.

He gave me everything. . . But with the sheer intention to get me to stop talking about Ana. And that was a problem.

He got jealous whenever I mentioned her. He viewed her as an ex girlfriend that I hadn't gotten over yet. That's how he saw it. He didn't understand nor respect that I was still grieving.

"Where are you going?" Beau asked me, watching me put on my shoes.

"Just going to pop by the cemetery." I told him, a pang of guilt still going through me, because there she was, buried. . . the complete opposite of what she wanted.

Beau sighed, rolling his eyes. "I think it's time for you to get over that. Starting by not visiting her grave every damn week." He murmured tiredly. 

"Excuse me?" 

Beau sighed again and turned towards me. "You heard what I said." He practically barked. "I'm sick and tired of hearing about that woman. She's dead, give it a rest. If she was so fucking amazing, maybe you should go join her then."