20 years

Alejandro

A week has past and Jessica still hasn't heard from Sam.

Her mom and Sarah stayed to help her pack everything up and head back to Minnesota with her.

"You okay Jess?" Sarah asks but Jessica just stares into space and doesn't answer.
"Jessica!" She raises her voice.
"Hm?! Oh! Sorry!"
"Are you okay?"
"I'm okay."
"You don't look okay."
"... I just don't understand. Why hasn't he called me?"
"Oh Jess.. I don't know, he's an idiot!"
"But I don't understand! How could he be with me for so long and not even give me an explanation? Fine he doesn't want to marry me, but doesn't he love me? Why doesn't he want to be with me?"
"Jessica, you are such a great person.. You don't deserve this. Please just try to forget about Sam, because he's not good for you."
"I know that, but I love him and I can't help who I fall in love with."
"Why don't we go out and forget about him?"
"No.. I don't want to."
"Jessica, you've spent long enough crying over this guy. I hate seeing you upset."
"Well I hate being upset, but I just can't seem to let him go."
Sarah rolls her eyes and says, "Well I don't know what to tell you then. You want to call him? Then call him! I just don't want him hurting you again!"

***

That night Jessica kept thinking on weather or not she should call him, and just as soon as she went to pick up her phone, it rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey Jess.."

"Sam?"

"Yeah.. It's me."

"What do you want?"

"I wanted to call to tell you that I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?"

"Yeah. I know I acted like a total ass and I want to apologize. I still love you, Jess."

"I love you too... But I can't keep dating you knowing that there's no future. I can't be with someone who doesn't want to be with me."

"But I do want to be with you, Jessica!"

"Sam you've done this before. I just don't want to get hurt again."

"I promise you that I won't hurt you every again!"

"Why should I believe you?"

"Jessica please!" Sam says as his voice begins to shake.

"You know.. I've waited for days for you to call me.. But now that you've called and I hear your voice... I don't know."

"What do you mean?"

"I just need some time to myself."

"What are you saying."

"I'm breaking up with you, Sam.."

"What? Jessie, no!"

A tear falls from Jessica's cheek and and she says in almost a whisper, "Goodbye, Sam."

She hears him begging as she lowers the phone slowly.
She hangs up and cries herself to sleep.

***

The next day she goes down for breakfast and her mother asks if she's okay.

"Yeah, I'm just tired.."
"You look sad."
"Well.. I broke up with Sam last night."
"You did?!" Her moms eyes light up.
"Mom!"
"Sorry!  I mean, you did?" She says faking a sad look.
Jessica rolls her eyes and says, "Yeah, he called me last night and apologized.. Which I wanted so bad to say it was okay and go back to how things were.. But I can't.  At least not right now.  I just need time to think."
"Well you take all the time you need, sweetie." Dorothy tells her as she sets pancakes down in front of her.