The Girl He Left Behind

•9•

They met.

They loved.

They lost.

In the beginning they were just two strangers filled with hope. He was sweet and beautiful in her eyes. She was kind and gorgeous in his eyes. Love came easily for both of them. But somewhere along the way, his love for her turned sour. Or maybe it never existed.

In the end he left her heart and her whole being in pieces. Not caring, nor taking responsibility for what he's done.

You'd think he won and she lost.

But in the story of heartbreak, both sides lose great things.

~

I remember the day I found out he had a girlfriend.

It wasn't as shocking as you'd think it would've been. I had never asked him, for fear of what he would say. He wouldn't tell me, for fear of me pushing him away. I was timid and always tried my hardest to be good. The kind of girl who would never do anything to purposely hurt another person. He knew that. He knew he could never have me and her, so he kept it to himself.

The day I found out, my dad tried talking to me about it. I don't know what he expected, for me to admit that I was hurt? That I was humiliated? I snapped at him and fled to cry outside, alone.

I tried to avoid the eyes of his friends, who were sitting on the bench nearby. One approached me after my mom came outside and explained the situation. He told me that he thought I knew. And that he felt horrible for what his friend had done.

The next day, Abel told me he would leave me alone if it was what I wanted. That he'd never come near me again. He apologized for hurting me. At the time I barely knew him. But I really wanted to know him more.

I thought it over and decided to screw it all.

He made me happy.

I was always trying so hard to make everyone else happy. To be a good daughter and a good friend and a good person. I wanted to be selfish for once. I wanted to be happy.

In such little time of knowing him, he had made me so happy.

I knew it would end badly. I knew it would hurt. What I didn't realize was how much it would hurt. Pain like that, I had never experienced. It isn't something I wish on anyone. Thinking back I wonder when it all started going downhill. It's hard to pinpoint an exact moment in which he stopped loving me, or stopped pretending to love me.

If I could go back in time, I would change it all and end it when I should have ended it. When things were good. When he barely knew me and all I knew of him was that he had made me happy. I would've saved myself so much pain and him the pleasure of breaking someone's heart.

No one is truly evil. So I wonder if he ever felt guilty. Or if he ever regretted hurting me. It causes me pain to think that he started things with me with bad intentions from the beginning. But it causes me more pain to think that maybe he did love me and just fell out of love with me as he got to know me.

"What're you thinking about?"

"Sad things, don't worry about it Cinnabon," Cane grimaced at my nickname and went back to making pizza.

I eyed the way his hands kneaded the dough, wishing I could cook like him. Unfortunately my hands were made for holding pens and signing papers. I sighed at the thought and turned my gaze to the peaceful park. Mexico is a beautiful place, especially when you appreciate the little things.

Like the way everyone knows everyone here. And they're kind to each other. In these small towns everyone helps one another. And it's beautiful because from where I'm from, we don't know our neighbors. We keep to ourselves unless we have to go to the store or just anywhere. We drive around in cars never stopping to speak to others. Here people tend to just walk everywhere. Unless they're driving out of town, cars aren't needed. Leading to more conversation and friendships.

Had it not been like this I wouldn't have met my friends.

But had it not been like this I wouldn't have met Abel either.

Curse disguised as a blessing? Possibly.

Then again I can't blame a small town for my own stupidity.

"How are you?" Cane asked suddenly, startling me from my own self blaming thoughts.

"Fine, you?"

My curt reply didn't sit well with him as he left his place and came to sit next to me, "I mean how are you really? We haven't seen you since the whole Abel thing.."

"Listen Cinnabon, he's your friend. He was your friend then and he's your friend now. Surely he talked about me to all of you. Meaning you knew, you all knew he'd end up hurting me terribly and you let him. All of you stood by and allowed it to happen!" I lowered my voice when I noticed people were starting to stare, "and I don't blame you okay? No matter what he did to me he's your friend. So I get that. But don't come and ask me how I am or talk to me about how you haven't seen me since he literally ripped out my soul."

Before I could leave Cane pulled me into an embrace. I didn't struggle or hug him back. Suddenly I just felt drained. I want to go back home and get the hell away from here. Maybe others can face their past and forgive and forget and all that, but I can't. If it were anything else sure I could forgive and move on. But this...

This isn't something I can just forget and move on from.

This wasn't some average teen romance it was everything you see in romance novels. At least on my part it was. Except this is reality and people like me don't get the beautiful happily ever after. I'm sure in his mind our story looks completely different to how it is in mine.

Before I could continue thinking of my sad love story Cane and I were both interrupted by the clearing of a throat. Cane released me, hesitantly, as I turned to face the person who interrupted us. Of course I already knew who had been behind me. Just his presence could revive the dead butterflies in my stomach.

"I didn't realize you two were so close," he said with a devilish smile.

The sinister look in his eyes had me inching away from him, only to be stopped by his hand gripping my wrist. I struggled to get him to let go and he proceeded to yank me against his chest. Before I could move away again his other hand came to wrap around me, holding me there.

"She's always been a friend of mine Abel and as for my friendship with you, continue to mistreat her that way and I'll end more then just our friendship."

Part of me wanted to let them fight it out. But I couldn't allow Cane to get hurt, not because of me. Although it was almost comical to watch them glare at each other. Cane a respectful and kind man against Abel a manipulative killer.

It was like seeing an angel and a demon clash.