Single But Engaged ✔️

24: Girl, we just met like five minutes ago

Unexpectedly running into your ex? Not exactly the worst thing that could happen to a person. 

Unexpectedly running into your ex while he had a pretty brunette beside him, with both their hands linked? An absolute nightmare!

Lucky for me, I was now living that nightmare. Note the sarcasm. 

Now, as I stared from a beaming Henry to the girl beside him, I couldn’t help but wonder why the universe chose to punish me this way. 

Henry, on his part, was now saying, “wow, I can’t believe this. How long has it been? It’s been almost three years since we last spoke, right?”

I figured there was no point in answering that. He could do the calculations himself if he wanted, because I sure wasn’t going to be the one to appear as the crazy ex who’s been counting down the days since we ended things.  

He must also have realized it too. Hence, his switching the question to: “how have you been?”

Cue the exaggerated stretch of my lips in what I hoped was a smile. “Oh you know, I’ve been great.” 

Someone please make this end.

No surprise there, that didn’t happen. Instead, a spirited voice was now piping up from beside Henry in a declaration of: “Aria, oh my god, I’ve been dying to meet you!”

Ok…

Thankfully I was spared from thinking of a response by the sound of a titter – Henry. “I’m so sorry,” he started, staring between me and the girl beside him. “Aria, this is Sia, my girlfriend.” 

I didn’t miss the note of pride in his voice at the last part, nor the smile he threw her way as he spoke. But I definitely missed the time when I was unaware of any of it. 

“Oh, hi,” I found myself saying, regretting the words the moment they left my lips.

Although what else was I supposed to say? Maybe: ‘hello to you, new girlfriend of my old boyfriend.’ 

Gosh, why was there not a manual for a situation like this? Because I for one, could truly benefit from it. Maybe then, I wouldn’t be internally regretting every decision that led me to this point, but outside, managing a small smile in response to Henry’s girlfriend’s face-splitting grin.

No kidding, the girl was like a Christmas tree – beaming brightly. Which considering the situation, was pretty weird. But then again, it was probably not as weird as her reaching for my hands. 

Seriously though, what was up with this chick?

“Henry’s told me so much about you,” she gushed. “To be honest, I’ve always felt like you and I are kind of connected.” 

Um…what? Unless she meant ‘connected’ as in we’ve both had a particular someone’s droopy member inside our ‘doorway,’ then I seriously doubt that.

But of course, I didn’t voice that thought. The words that instead left my mouth were: “wow, that’s uh, nice to know.”

That earned a tiny giggle from her. And just when I thought she was about to let go of my hands, she held on even tighter, her features suddenly losing some of its earlier brightness, only for her to blurt: “I’m so sorry.”

Of all the things I thought she’d want to say, that was definitely the most unexpected. 

Hence, I couldn’t quite keep from voicing: “what?”

“I’m sorry,” she repeated. “god, you have no idea how long I’ve wanted to tell you that.”

To say I was confused would be an understatement. Why the hell did she need to apologize to me?