Goodbye, My Sweetheart

After our SATs, my childhood sweetheart coaxed me into giving him my virginity. In just one night, he went through half a box of protection. I thought it was physical attraction and that he was madly in love with me. Until one day, by accident, I saw the group chat between him and his friends.

[Congratulations to my boy for scoring his first win.]

[Rue can barely walk. Weren’t you a bit too rough?]

[Too rough? She’s tough. She can take it. I’m just getting some practice in, so I’ll know how to treat the school’s prettiest girl right in the future. If I mess her up, I’d actually feel bad.]

So all those years of being childhood sweethearts were nothing but a joke.

I changed my university application. From that moment on, he went south, and I went north. Our paths never crossed again.

I bit down on my lower lip, unable to believe what I was seeing.

The soreness and weakness in my body kept reminding me just how over the top Dean Abernathy had been last night. However, as it turned out, it had all been for someone else.

Messages kept going in the group chat.

[That’s our guy, smooth as ever! With the prettiest girl in class in his arms and the prettiest girl in school by his side… He’s living the dream. I’m so jealous.]

[Rue’s probably crying, right? She’s been pursuing you all these years, and in the end, she’s just a pastime to you.]

[I hope her tears don’t drown you, dude!]

[If she cries, she cries. Worst case, I’ll spend a little time coaxing her. I guarantee it won’t even take two days before she comes running back to me. It’s been years. You think I don’t know her by now? Listen up, Joanna will be my future wife. Don’t get it wrong… Sh*t! I think I forgot to log out of WhatsApp on computer!]

The bedroom door suddenly swung open. Dean strode in and roughly snatched the laptop away. He was in such a hurry that the screen slammed straight into my wrist. I lowered my head, silently clutching the throbbing pain.

He fumbled with the controls, and when he saw that WhatsApp was still on the login screen, waiting to be scanned, he visibly relaxed. Then, he tossed the laptop back onto the bed. Only then did he notice my red eyes.

“Why are you crying?” he asked.

“I lost thirteen matches in a row,” I said numbly, forcing out an excuse. “I was about to win, too…”

The tears started falling anyway, salty and bitter. The flutter in my heart was nothing but my imagination.

The mattress dipped slightly beside me as Dean wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

He smiled and lightly flicked my nose. “It’s no big deal. Just you wait. Your boy’s gonna carry you next round!”

Excited, he pulled out his phone, ready to queue up a game with me, when he suddenly paused. Turning slightly, he used his lean back to block my view. Still, I caught a glimpse out of the corner of my eye. A message had come in from an avatar of a proud-looking tabby cat.

[Are you really going to Harbor City for university?]

Dean quickly put his phone away.

“Rue, my family needs me back. I’ll crush them for you next time.”

Like always, he reached out, intending to ruffle my hair. However, I tilted my head slightly, avoiding his touch. His long fingers hung awkwardly in midair.

“Be good. Don’t cry. I’ll help you out next time,” he said hastily before heading for the door.

I grabbed his arm, asking, “Do you really have to go?”

He paused for a moment. His gaze brushed over the faint marks still lingering on my neck. Then, he leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on the top of my head.

However, his voice remained firm as he said, “Be good. Something really did come up at home.”

His fingers slipped out of my grasp without hesitation. Head lowered, eyes on his phone, he walked away quickly.