Crash Into Me

Chapter Two: Eli

Even though I just met her, I can't stop thinking about Allison. I've seen her running at Metroplex park by the hospital I work at a few times during my break. The cafeteria overlooks the park, and I always like to pass the time people-watching whenever my co-workers are too busy to eat--which happens more often than it probably should. Sleep and food typically come second to a busy shift in the ER. There's always the same usuals walking their dogs or jogging along under the shady trees. And then, one day, someone new appeared. Her.

I still remember the first time I saw her--this Sunday--the same day I broke up with my girlfriend, coincidentally. She was wearing a bright pink sports bra and black running shorts, abs flexing with every breath she took. She was breathtaking--by far the most jaw-droppingly beautiful woman I have ever seen. She always takes the same winding route through the park at the same time every morning around nine. 

I'd been making sure to take my "mandatory" break every day since I saw her, hoping she'd reappear, and every time I did, I was relieved to see her pass by. I admit, I felt slightly creepy, but damn, there was just something about her. Then, today, I decided to go for a jog on my day off at that same time so that maybe I could actually talk to her instead of just admiring her from afar. I had to meet her. Who knew that the day I would try to talk to her would be the day the poor girl would take a fall and scrape her knees and hands up like she did? I could kick myself in the ass for chickening out and not asking for her number, though. Of course, it didn't help that Jannine had to call at the exact moment I was bandaging her up.

I drive up to the Lounge and sit there in the quiet for a few minutes, trying to gather my thoughts before I go in. I know that this conversation isn't going to go well. How can it? What is someone supposed to say after they catch their girlfriend cheating? I came home early from a work conference in D.C. to surprise her last week, only to find her in our bed with some lawyer from the law firm she works at. It took everything in me to not punch the guy square in his face. I'm pretty sure I would have had the bastard not ran off before I had the chance. 

She cried and played the usual victim role, saying that I wasn't "there for her" anymore and that we hardly ever see each other anymore. I'll admit that we had both been preoccupied with our jobs, but apparently she was more preoccupied with someone else, as well. 

Taking a deep breath, I open up my car door and walk up to the familiar glass doors. The Lounge was our go-to place for drinks. Too bad the place is forever ruined after all this. Jannine is
sitting at the bar, drinking her usual—a cherry amaretto sour with an extra maraschino cherry. Her short blond hair falls lightly at her shoulders and her sleek figure fills out her white silky dress. She's wearing her favorite pair of black Louis Vuitton leather boots that stretch past her knees, revealing her toned thighs. She's trying way too hard and I know she's going to try to get me back. Straightening up, I take a deep breath and reach for the silver wine bottle-shaped door handle, not ready for this conversation at all. 

"I thought you weren't going to come," she says, swirling her drink in her hand as I slide into the chair next to her.

"Neither did I," I say coldly.

The bartender walks over to take my order. "What would you like?" he asks, smiling, clearly oblivious to the awkwardness of our situation. He must be new, because I've never seen him here before.

"Whiskey. Neat." I say blandly, wishing I was anywhere else but here. He smiles and nods before leaving to get my drink.

"Look, I know I—"  Jannine starts, but I put my hand up, cutting her off.

"Stop." I feel the anger filling me up as I try with every ounce of my being to control it. I grit my teeth and try to choose my words carefully. "You've given me enough excuses as to why you've been sleeping with this other guy. I just want to know how long it's been going on, and this time I want the truth—I think you owe me at least that much." 

She looks down at her amaretto again, her cheeks turning pink and her eyebrows furrowed in distress as tears start to form in the corners of her sapphire blue eyes. She exhales before slowly saying, "Six months."

My chest burns with fire at her response. "Six months?!" I whisper-shout. Eyes of curious customers look up at us and hushed whispers blend with the music. My voice was louder than I meant for it to be. The bartender walks over, placing the whiskey in front of me before asking, "Is everything all right over here?" 

"We're fine, thank you," Jannine replies with a look of hurt on her face. The bartender nods, eyeing me quietly before turning to leave and whispers to another bartender, gesturing towards us.

I try to quiet my voice, even though I'm incredibly furious. "Really? Six months? What the hell is wrong with you? You couldn't have just broken up with me instead?" 

"Eli, I'm so sorry." I flinch as she says my name. "I never meant to hurt you and I kept wanting to end it a thousand times!"

"Then why didn't you?" I ask, feeling my anger turn to heartbreak. As much as I hate her right now, we've been together for two years and of course I still have feelings for her. That doesn't just disappear because of what she did, although I wish it did. 

"I—I don't know. Jeremy has been there for me through the whole Fletcher case. We didn't think it would go this far," she searches my eyes for an ounce of sympathy, but I give her nothing. I don't want her to sense my weakness or hurt. Instead, I let out a laugh of disbelief.

"You didn't think it would go this far? How far were you going to let it go before you called it off?" I ask, not really wanting to know the answer. "One day? One week?" I'm overwhelmed with a sickening nausea at the hideous memory of the two of them in our bed--him hiding his dick with my pillow, and her wrapped up in our white sheets tainted by their six months of cheating.

She shakes her head, seeing that this isn't going as she had planned. "I know you're angry and hurting right now, but I ended it with him that night. It's over. I promise you. I will never let anything or anyone come between us ever again. Can't we just put this behind us and start over?"

I really wish we could just start over. I really wish that I could believe her. But even if I did, it would never be the same. I want to tell her that all is forgiven. We can go back to our apartment and go back to our lives together. But instead, I say, "You know Jannine, for being a lawyer you sure are pretty damn unbelievable. Good thing I know you're guilty, because this whole innocent act you're playing isn't working." 

She backs away, shocked that she didn't get her way. She really thought that I would take her back. Pathetic. I shake my head and know that this is the end. It's been over, long before I even knew it. I pull out my wallet and throw a twenty down on the table before getting up. "Have a nice life, Jannine."

She opens her mouth to say more, but I walk away before she can utter one more word of her toxic lies.