Someone's bound to get burned

“What the f*ck Chloé, are you trying to give me the It’s not you, it’s me thing right now?” harshly said Brandon, sitting on a park bench.

-No... I mean, yes. I don’t know how to say this, Brandon, blurted Chloé, nervously playing with the lid of her coffee cup.
-You call me, after 2 days of complete silence, and except me to understand that you’re breaking up with me, just like that?
-It is... it was getting serious... started Chloé.
-We can slow things down!
-It would be just end up getting you hurt a little further down the road instead of now, soflty said Chloé.
-That has to be my f*cking luck, all the girls that I want to just have fun with want babies and weddings and cribs. Then you tag along and end up not wanting anything serious? Is this a f*cking joke?
-I’m-I’m so sorry Brandon, was the only thing Chloé could answer, tears rolling down her cheeks. I never wished for any of this.
-So what, it was only a fling for you? Friends with benefits? Sex buddies? Sh*t, Cloé, the playoffs are about to start! Responded Brandon, fist clenched on his laps.
-No, of course not! ... I guess I thought I wanted something else.
The two felt silent for a moment, watching strangers passing by.
“Something else... or someone else?”

***

“Stop... stop. STOP! Jonathan, STOP, for god’s sake!”

Jonathan violently jumped back after feeling the punch of Chloé’s fist on his chest, taking him aback. She was trying to catch her breath, her hands clenching her hair.

“What is wrong?” asked Jonathan, puzzled.
-What is wrong? You really got to ask?! Cried Chloé.
-For something wrong, it definitely felt right... said Jonathan, walking toward her again.
-No, No! Stay where you are! Stopped Chloé, pointed her index at him. Don’t move any closer!

Tears were rolling down her cheeks. “You can’t do this to me, Jonathan! I was okay with us being friends! I was okay with it, don’t you understand? And there you are, always calling me, touching me, complaining how your girlfriend should be more like me... but she is still your girlfriend, right? I’m like the brand new toy you get to play with but you still keep the old ones, just in case? Perfect Jonathan, not daring to change anything to his so-called perfect life! You can’t have this hold on me, dude! You just can’t! How can you do this to me? How can you make me do this to BRANDON? He is your friend! I am YOUR FRIEND!”

Jonathan was speechless, standing near his apartment door. “It’s-It’s not that easy, Chloé. I’ve been with Amanda for a while... It's complicated. She’s talking about apartments and weddings...I just don’t know what to do.”

Chloé repressed shobs and took a few deep breathes. “You want the easy way, go for it then. But don’t expect me to stand around to make you feel better when you freak out about a life you don’t really want to have. I’m done.”

She threw his keys to him; they hit his chest and dully fell to the ground. He looked down, looking at them motionless on his floor and by the time his hazy eyes were up again, she had turned around and left, leaving him to hear only her footsteps walking down the stairs of the building.

***
Chloé staired at Brandon for a few seconds before saying slowly “There is no one else”.

***

She was sitting in her armchair, looking outside. The snow was slowly melting into a gooey grey swamp; the sky was grey, the people passing by seemed grey. Her coffee had have the time to get ice cold on the nearby table as she watch the world pass by in front of her.
She could still smell him close to him, his arms around her. How wrong it felt. How right it felt.
Her cell phone suddenly buzzed, indicating a new text message. There had been a few of Brandon, who had finally emerged from his bed, that she still needed to get back to, but the new one was from Abby. She frowned as she took her phone, reading the new message.

“Hey grl! Got the news!? Manda just texted me, Jon PROPOSED! Did u know he was going to?? Such a sneaky boy ;) “

He had made his mind, after all.

***

Brandon looked at her. “I wanted to date someone who wasn’t as screwed up as me. I guess you were not the right one, after all”.

He got up, shot a last look at her and walked away

Notes