'Hi, baby. Have you eaten your dinner?'
I rolled my eyes as I read a text message from Jake, my long time boyfriend. He just texted me two minutes ago if I received the BLT he sent me. He also said that it was a peace offering because he wasn't able to eat dinner with me as our daily routine for he's taking overtime. Actually, I don't mind. Jake has been too clingy this past few months and he knows how irritated I am with that kind of person but he's starting to be one.
I threw away my phone and went back to my bed. I looked up my ceiling and remembered how Stacey, my best friend, treated so well by his boyfriend. He fetch her everyday with an Aston Martin DBS. He also gave her a gift certificate worth of five-thousand dollars of shopping spree. And today, they went to Paris to see 'The Young Beggar' and 'Mona Lisa' together with the 'Woman with a Mirror' at Louvre. I know, I'm so envious because Jake cannot give me all those kind of stuff. After graduating college, my boyfriend landed as a webmaster for an advertising agency and he cannot afford to buy a DBS to give me a ride or hand me five-thousand dollars just to spend on some fabric and of course, most of all, he can't threw us a tour at Louvre. I heaved a sigh. I really wanted to see 'The Young Beggar'.
My phone vibrated again. I checked and was not surprised that it was Jake again. It was his fifth text message he sent me after sending the BLT. 'Babe, are you alright? Why didn't I got a reply? Are you busy? What happened to you? Is something bad happened to you? Text me back. I love you. x'
I blew and puffed in the air. He's really getting on my nerves. I ignored his text message for the fifth time and was about to power my phone off when it started to chides and his name appeared on the screen. My face crumpled as I pressed the green button.
"Lyrica! Baby, are you okay? Is there something wrong? Did you receive my texts?" he asked continuously. He sounded so worried, though. At the same time, he sounded as my strict father.
"I'm okay, Jake." I said, deadpan.
"Oh. Thank God, then. I thought there's something bad happened to you." I yawned at his remarks. He's such a worry sick. I remembered when he wrote love notes to me when I had a meeting and was preparing for a presentation. He said he was worried for my presentation when I'm not. My colleagues saw it all and I was so embarrassed. Thanks to Jake.
"Seriously, Jake, this got to stop." I practically used my stern voice for him to get the message that I'm really serious.
"What.. what do you mean this got to stop?" I can see his brows turning a line as he uttered on the other line.
I heaved another sigh. "Let's talk. Meet me at the bus station. Eight o'clock." I breathlessly blurted.
"Why? What―" I hang up before he can even protest. This really needs to stop. I wasn't happy with him anymore. I'm twenty-three and I deserve to be happy and to live my life out. Not to be in a boring relationship.
I wear off my pajamas and changed into a camisole and sweatpants. The bus station is just two blocks away from my house. It was also where I met Jake. So I wanted us to end on the same exact place where we started.
It was seven-forty-five when I reached the bus station. Not to my surprise, Jake is already there. He seems as agitated and anxious as he pace back and forth under the shed. I breathed a sigh. I hope this is not difficult as I imagine.
"Lyrica." He immediately hugged me right after he set eyes on me. I tend not to hug him back. Do I have to be sweet when I was about to demand a break up with him?
He held me at arm’s length and looked straight in my eyes. He knew something was up. Jake can read every action I made. I don't know if he's just observant or he's really always watching me. Either way, it was not a pleasant thing. "What's wrong, baby?" He asked for nth time.
His eyes were caramel brown and darting a confused at the same time knowing look. I stare at him, matching his. I fist my hands on both of my sides. I bit my lower lip and swallowed the lump in my throat. "I want a break up." And just like that, his world suddenly shattered.
He shook his head furiously. "Babe, that was not a nice joke," he said and held my fisted hands. I can his hands trembling. He actually knows that I wasn't playing a joke.
"It wasn't a joke. I don't like this anymore, Jake. I'm not happy anymore. You can't make me happy, anymore and I want a boyfriend who can give me happiness." I stated and drops of tears started to fall down on his cheeks. I forgot, he's also a crybaby.
"No. No. Don't do this, please. You're just saying that because I wasn't able to eat dinner with you tonight. I'm sorry, babe. I swear I'll eat with you every day. I would not eat lunch or dinner without you again."
I took away my hand from him and bowed my head. "I'm sorry, Jake." It was hard but I turned my back at him. As expected, he halted me.
"Don't. Lyrica. I'm pleading." He mumbled through crying sobs.
"I'm sorry." I walked away and then run. It was a little more difficult than what I imagined. Jake's a very nice boyfriend but―exactly there's a big BUT laying and I don't want that buts.
My head was flying sky-high as I open my apartment's door. I cannot fathom what I just did. Did I just break off with my very nice boyfriend?
"Lyrica!"
"Oh my God." Creep surged my spine as I saw Stacey. Her face was covered with thick blood. Her eyes were rounded with black damn circles. Her aristocratic nose was producing a lot of blood and her lips were pretty swollen. She was a wreck. "Who did that to you?"
"Gino. He did this to me, Lyrica. He's been doing this to me ever since. I just didn't tell you because it was so depriving." Dam of water fell on her blood-stained cheeks. I cannot stomach her state.
"I'll bring to the hospital," I blurted and held her hands.
She shook her frantically. "No. Gino might see me there. He's hunting me right now. I came to you because he doesn't know where your house is."
I nodded even though I can't contain what she was saying. "Okay. Alright. Just let me mend it."
I washed her face using a warm cloth. She wince whenever the warm is cloth touching her face. I so pity her. Gino's giving her the world and in return, he's hurting her physically. I'm so lucky that Jake wasn't like that. My boyfriend never hurt me. He'd rather hurt himself than I. And then I realize. I just broke up with him. What. The. Hell.
Then the doorbell rings. In anticipation of Jake, I run to open the door. I know Stacey's giving me a confuse look. But to my karma, it's a delivery boy.
"A package for Lyrica Jones."
"I'm Lyrica Jones." He gestured me to sign the confirmation of delivery and drift away. I have no idea who might send me a package. I opened the box and to my horror, it was a plane ticket. To Paris. And it was from Jake.
'I'm sorry, babe, I skipped dinner with you and booked us a flight to Paris, instead. Please, don't be mad. Love, Jake X'
I don't know how but I found myself running to the bus station. How could I did that to him? He was the nicest boyfriend! I'm so stupid to hurt him. I just wish he's still there. Ready to accept my apology and will love me without any doubts again.
Tears of joy dripped on my cheeks as I saw him there. He was standing exactly where I last saw him. I run to him and hugged him very tightly. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Jake. I was so stupid. Please, forget that I said what I said earlier. I love you, okay? I love you. So much." My sobs were everywhere and I hugged him more tightly for that fear that he might shove me away.
"I love you, too." He just said. I smiled. See? He's very nice.
My phone rings and I needed to unlock my embrace with my boyfriend. I smiled at him again and took out my phone inside my pocket. It might be Stacey but I frowned when I saw Jake's Mom on the screen.
I face Jake my phone to let him know it was his mother. He just nodded and smiled at me. I answered the phone. "Hello?"
Jake's Mom was sobbing in the other line. "Lyrica.. Jake has passed away. He was hit by a bus.." I couldn't hear what she was saying after that. I looked at Jake in front of me but there was no one in here.
"Lyrica?" I absent-mindedly dropped the phone and my cry became frantic.
