Falling For Mr. Sundae | ✔

21. Deja Vu

Tim wanted to talk to Julian and I after closing on Monday night. An excited energy wafted off of him, piquing my curiosity. I had a feeling it was about the script Julian and I worked on and when he showed us one of the freshly printed flyers my suspicions were confirmed.

"You two are good together."

I knew he didn't mean that in a romantic sense, but that's where my mind went. I glanced at Julian from the side and caught him looking away at the last second. Was he thinking the same thing? I bit back a smile and turned my attention Tim.

"I read it out to my kid and he ate it up," Tim said. "Please tell me there's more where this came from."

Without consulting my co-writer I told Tim about my notebook of ideas. It wasn't even until Tim dismissed us and we were outside that I even thought to ask if it was okay with him.

"It's fine," he said. "I don't mind spending more time with you."

A smile played at my lips. "No?"

"I mean, to work on the skits or whatever." He shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck.

He tried to play it off, but he was doing a poor job at it. The smile on my face slowly grew.

"I need to tell you something." He looked at me expectantly as we stopped in front of our cars. Before I had a chance to get my question out something caught my eye over Julian's shoulder.

My stomach dropped when I saw Adam park his truck in front of a Mexican restaurant. He hopped out of the truck with Melanie and they walked into the place together, hand in hand. It stung a lot more than I'd anticipated.

I guess a part of me hoped they had only had a one night stand. That it was just a random hook up and they went their separate ways after. It was clear that wasn't the case. He actually left me for another girl.

Tears pooled in my eyes as my mind swirled with questions.

Why her?

What'd she have that I didn't?

Why wasn't I enough?

"He's a dumbass." I tore my gaze away from the entrance of the restaurant and focused on Julian.

I knew he meant well. There were just too many doubts floating through my head to believe that.

"Yeah, well, it feels like I'm the dumbass." I let out a dry laugh and wiped away a fallen tear with the heel of my palm. "Who gets cheated on twice in a row?"

"You're not the problem," he said, looking me right in the eye. "He is."

I got a feeling of déjà vuas I peered up at him. Then I remembered. Tenth grade, on a class trip to the school's library. It was the day I found out Ray had been cheating on me. I was trying to keep it together, not wanting to have a break down for the whole school to see.

I was beginning to crack, though. And in a moment of desperation I turned to the nearest guy and drilled him with questions he wouldn't have the answers to because he wasn't Ray.

I expected the guy to back away and call a psycho or something after I finished my rant. That's not what he did, though.

"You said that to me before," I said now. 

His brow raised. "You remember that?"

I nodded. Then I was hit with the realization of how pathetic I must've seemed to him.

"Wow, that's embarrassing," I said, tucking some hair behind my ear.

Knowing he was a background character in both of my shitty love stories and witnessing my poor decision making made my stomach churn.