Pure Hate | ongoing

1⎮burning my heart

I have often been told about love. About its benefits and the joy it could bring us. But, strangely enough, when I was told about it, it was never about family love or friendship.

It was always romance.

The butterflies in our stomachs, our heartbeats speeding up and our breathing stopping. Every detail I was given about it, I took it and kept it in a corner of my head to always remind myself that I already knew this, that I was lucky enough to experience it with a perfect man.

Because that's what he was. Perfect.

Ethan Huxley.

Handsome, kind and caring. All while being captain of the football team and one of the best students of our school. Perfection is what defines him best.

Or at least, what used to define him best.

Until a few minutes ago, the mere thought of him made me smile like an idiot. Now, at this very moment, even looking him in the eye revolted me.

"Why?" I exclaimed with a trembling voice.

Ethan put his hands on my shoulders. A moment earlier, that touch would have thrilled me but right now, all it did was repulsing me. I moved back, pushing him away abruptly.

He had no right to look at me with those tender eyes, not after what he had just told me.

"Look, Em' ", he said always looking at me with the same gaze. "You and I are way too different. We really are. We're the opposite of each other. Plus, we're both really busy, so..."

"You want us to break up because we're different? Are you kidding me?!"

"I was going to tell you about it..." he began to justify himself before I cut him off.

"You were going to tell me? What the fuck, Ethan?! Do you even realize what you're saying! I saw the text that bitch sent you and all you can think of is 'I was going to tell you about it'."

I tried to calm my breathing before I cut his throat. Seriously. Both my hands were itching.

"Emily," he sighed and my first name in his mouth disgusted me for the first time. "Her message meant nothing."

If he'd shut up, maybe I would have stayed calm for a few more seconds.

"Yeah?" I said wryly as I picked up the phone sitting on the bed.

Before he could even respond, I already had the conversation in front of me.

"When you tell her it's over between you two, meet me at my house, okay?" I read aloud.

The words I had just spoken had burned my lips. As much as the man standing in front of me had burned my heart.

But I think what hurt me the most was the name that was displayed above the conversation.

Holly.

Questions raced through my head: How? When? Why?

But, deep down, I knew the answer to all three was the same. It was them, just them. The captain of the football team on one side and the most popular girl in the whole damn school on the other.

A fucking American cliché.

That's why he was leaving me for.

"I'm telling you, there's nothing ambiguous about that message." Ethan continued.

"Really? Then why, as soon as I told you about it, you bring up a breakup?"

He breathed loudly to tell me how exasperated he was. Suddenly, the fact that we were breathing the same air disgusted me.

"I didn't cheat on you." he added as if it were obvious. "And she had nothing to do with my decision."

"Of course not." I replied, rolling my eyes.

"I swear to you, Em. It's not because of her. And it's not you either, it's me."

No. He didn't dare say that. Of all the things he could've thrown at me, he came up with the typical cheating line.

Asshole.

"You know what? You're right." I yelled at him. "It's not me, it's you. You're the fucking problem, Ethan! And you want some more good news? You don't have to break up with me, I'm doing it for you. It's over."

For a moment, I thought I saw surprise in his eyes. But I didn't care.

I grabbed my bag and the things I had left lying around his room. My movements were angry and impatient. All I wanted was to get out of that place. And not to see him. Never again.

"Now, please," I continued with the door handle in hand. "Go fuck your whore and don't ever talk to me again!"

I slammed the door behind me and with a hurried step, I left the house, not bothering to greet his family.

Of all the people who have told me that love gives us life, that it is the essence of all hope in human beings.

To all these people, I would answer that on that day, my hope was drowned in the tears of sorrow whose waves carried me away.

And I died with the love I felt.

840 words

I think this is gonna be the shortest chapter of the book but it was just to introduce you to the story :)

Next chapters will be longer and will always have enemies to lovers scene with a real tension!!

Thank you for reading this first chapter!

— love you <3