Our Little Love Story *NOW PUBLISHED ON AMAZON KINDLE!!*

chapter thirty six

So we were done, at least in the sense of being ‘together.’ I had cried myself to sleep that night, and woke up the next morning with tears dried to my face. I had told my parents that I didn’t feel good, and that I wouldn’t be going to church with them. They looked like they understood, and attended without me. I laid in bed, hearing the loud church bells all the way at home, and knew that it was ten in the morning without having to look at the clock. I stared at the ceiling and thought about the events of the night before.

Jared had broken up with me.

Jared had broken up with me.

I kept saying the words over and over in my head, trying to make them make sense. It all seemed surreal. I guess his reasoning behind it all was somewhat honorable: he didn’t want me worrying about whether or not he was going to come home, when so many didn’t when they were sent to a place like Afghanistan to do a tour. I silently cursed the President, and whoever else my mind and heart decided that was at fault for our breakup. 

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It was noon, and my parents stopped by the house to see if I was feeling any better and if I wanted to go with them to eat lunch. I was still in bed, and had only gotten up once to use the bathroom. So they left without me once more. I sighed after hearing the garage door close and turned over to face the wall. I was dozing off and on when a sudden voice startled me.

“I missed you at church today.” I turned over on my bed and saw Jared standing in my doorway. I turned back to continue facing the wall without saying a word. “Come on, Tiffany. Talk to me,” he pleaded. I could sense him walking across the my room to my bed. He sat down on the edge of it and placed his hand on my hip.

“Leave me alone,” I muttered from under the covers I’d pulled over my head.

“No,” he replied simply. Neither of us said anything for awhile, and then he broke the silence. “I have to leave for California this evening. I would like it if you could come along.”

“I’m not your girlfriend anymore,” I reminded him.

“Tiffany, just because we’re not ‘officially’ together or whatever; that doesn’t mean that we can’t be friends. Best friends,” he said. I turned my head around to give him the most hateful glare that I could muster, and then returned to my original positions.

Jared let out a sigh, and then said, “Friends with benefits,” and I could feel him leaning close to me, and then his lips were on my neck. Butterflies fluttered instantly in my stomach and I fought for them to leave. 

“You can’t do that anymore,” I snapped, quickly flopping over to lay on my back and face him.

“Why?” he asked, trying his best to sound innocent.

“Because. We’re not together. You’re not my boyfriend anymore. It’s over, you said so yourself last night,” I said through gritted teeth.