farewell (18+)

2. The Sting Of Rejection

I just stood there and looked at my best friend, my head trying to process what he was telling me. No more Vlad; no more late night talks when I couldn't sleep; no more angry sex when we disagreed; no more "come here, let me make you feel better, baby". 

"Why?" I asked.

"I don't wanna do this if it's not going anywhere."

"Going-- you sleep around more than I do!"

"What if I don't want to anymore?"

"Well, I do..." I glared at him. "I can't believe you're doing this."

Vlad frowned, slowly shaking his head. "I'm sorry, I just gotta protect myself."

"What the hell do you mean by that?"

"What do you think I mean?"

"... I think you should go."

Vladimir shook his head in what I assumed was astonishment. What else did he expect from me? On top of missing my whole family, I was now losing my rock, my partner in crime. I lost my ground, feeling like I was adrift in an endless ocean.

"Come on, Anna. Don't be like that."

"No, I just... I need to process this."

I stepped forward, shepherding him to the door as he walked backward. He hesitated at first, but he wouldn't impose his presence on me. It wasn't his nature. Still, he held the door when I tried to shut it.

"Wait. Are we good?" he asked, eyes pleading.

"Yeah. We good. I just need to be alone."

I wasn't convincing at all, but I didn't care. I didn't know what to make out of this. I closed the door and went to sit on my couch, head buried in my hands. When did everything go wrong? And so quickly?

Vlad had been by my side for the last eight years. We had gone to school together, had worked together, lived together. He had held my hand through every hardship in my life. He made me feel good whenever I felt like I didn't deserve it.

For the next week or so, we'd only interact when in a group, and even then, we wouldn't talk much or touch each other like we used to. We tried to keep the levels of awkwardness at a minimum, but it was easier said than done. I didn't know how to talk to him. I was still hurt.

I tried to go out and distract myself like in any normal break-up. I even flirted with some guys, tried to get by without my friend with benefits, but that didn't go well for me. It seemed like no man was willing to fill the void that Vlad had left. Maybe I was loosing my edge. Maybe I was gaining some weight? Whatever it was, it made me feel unattractive and boring. And to top it off, I had to watch Vlad's healing process first hand, since we ran in the same circles. For him, that meant going through gallons of booze and a parade of horny groupies. He was definitely winning this break-up.

"Is everything okay between you two?" our friend Wil asked during a party at his place.

I had been looking at Vlad, who was standing at a corner, talking to some girl. He gave me a heavy-lidded look before Wil snapped me back to reality.

"We're fine," I said.

"You don't seem fine." Wil crossed his arms. "He told me what happened."

"Of course he did." 

"You know why he did it."

"I know."

"I told you this would happen."

"I know. You were right. I didn't listen. But can we please not talk about this right now? Tonight is about Rodrigo."

"Don't worry. I'm not here to give you a hard time." He reached out to check my wrist watch. "What time is it?"