Tales Of Planned Break-Ups And Not Sticking To The Plan
Day 19 of The Andie Chronicles
I knocked on the door of Douglas’ apartment.
Already my plan to survive this breakup and be the winner had gone down the toilet.
I wanted a neutral territory to host our conversation, somewhere neither one of us felt comfortable with. And instead, I found myself on his home turf.
Bad start, I told myself. I could recover though.
He opened the door and leaned in to kiss my cheek. I pulled back. I didn’t want him to touch me. Contact would be bad right now.
It wouldn’t help my resolve.
I outstretched my hand and pushed him away from his chest. “Let’s not pretend we’re something we’re not, ok?” He didn’t argue with me.
“Do you want a drink?”
Douglas already had a glass of wine set out for me, but I refused.
“No, I don’t want to stay long.”
He pointed to the outdoor patio for us to sit and talk. I thought the warm night air wasn’t a bad idea, but it wasn’t exactly conducive to making a swift getaway. There was another thing on the plan going wrong.
“You want to talk to me?” We hadn’t even sat down before I asked my question. “Or, more accurately, you want to break up with me?”
Douglas couldn’t look at me. “So they told you, huh?”
I laughed. “Gees, you think I needed my friends to tell me that? You don’t think much of me. And you don’t think I can see through your very shit acting skills. I knew you had checked out long ago. I just want you to say it.”
I couldn’t explain it to Douglas. But he was a man of the world and should know how this works.
It comes a time in every breakup when the person being dumped works out what is happening. When they do, they have zero plans on making it easy for the dumper.
That was me right now. I was taking a very staunch attitude. If you want to break my heart, it’s best you suffer the way I am too.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
Douglas asked me, taking a big sip of his wine. I don’t think it was his first drink for the night.
“Enjoying this? Oh hell no. Once again, your judgment of character is way off.”
Douglas hunched his shoulders. “What do you want me to say?” I cocked my head in response. “How about, hey Andie, I want to break up. Try that?”
“It’s what I want to say,” he replied, stumbling over the words, “but I don’t want to hurt you.”
I thought about it for a moment. My instinct was to feel sorry for him, but I quickly remembered the butcher’s paper, the plans, and the resolution I came to.
No sympathy. Don’t show any sympathy to him.
“Gees, Douglas, grow up,” I said, coming to my feet.
“We dated for six months, not six years. I’ll say it. I want to break up. Good, are we done now?”
You’re reading The Andie Chronicles, the 2023 romance-fiction series from the 1 Lovelock Drive (1LD) universe.
By the way, this all started when Andie turned thirty-five, and her then-boyfriend didn’t call her.
Or the day after that.
Or the day after that, too.
Everything started to unravel when her BFFs got into bed with her ex, too… ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️
Tales Of People Forgetting Your Birthday And Lovers Who Don't Materialise
Today is my birthday. And like all birthdays, it should be an amazing day. There should be metaphorical fireworks going off in my life. My loved ones, family, friends should be everywhere, celebrating with me, teasing me about reaching my mid-thirties, and showering me with happy memories.
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