Dear Lover, I Loathe You.

19

Genevieve made the drive out toward the coast. She felt anxious the whole way there. She was worried that maybe it was nothing and she was just getting into her head about things. Maybe it was a friend? But what if it wasn't? She tried to stay focused on her driving and took deep breaths in attempt to calm down.

The familiar beach started to come into view as she made her way into town. She parked along the street and got out of her car. The cool early morning breeze caused bumps to rise against her skin. She looked around and walked through the town streets. She made her way toward the cafe her and Taylor frequented. She entered inside. It was early and some people were only coming in for their usual cups of coffee and leaving to enjoy the day. There was a brunette woman working the counter and fixing the espresso machine.

Genevieve felt her heart race from the nerves. Could this be the girl Taylor had been texting? She approached the counter unable to speak. The girl glanced back, her eyes slightly widened and she turned around with a soft smile. "Hey, I know you. I haven't seen you here in a while. You're Taylor's ex-girlfriend right?" She asked. Genevieve looked at her confused, "Ex? We never broke up." She said.

The girl's smile slightly dropped. "Are you A?" Genevieve asked. The girl looked confused, "I'm Inez." She said. "How do you know Taylor?" Genevieve asked. "Wait, if you two didn't break up where have you been?" Inez asked. "I was away at a summer program in New York for a few weeks. Did she say we broke up?" Genevieve questioned. Inez stayed silent and looked off for a moment. "What?" Genevieve asked.

Inez looked at her with worried eyes, "You said you were looking for A?" She asked. Genevieve nodded, "Do you know her?" She asked. Inez nodded, "August. She works here. Taylor's been seeing her while you were away." She explained. Genevieve's was in shock and was trying to process what she heard. "Inez! I'm clocking in." August shouted as she entered the cafe. Genevieve turned around and saw her wearing the corduroy hat she had bought Taylor the first time they visited town. August froze as soon as she recognized Genevieve.

Inez silently watched the two. "August, why don't you take an early break. I won't mark it." Inez said as she grabbed one of the empty trays in the display case and went to the back. Genevieve stared at the hat on August's head. That's all she could look at. She was too afraid to look her in the face, afraid she might lose it and burst into tears the moment she has to come face to face with the girl Taylor had been cheating with.

"I know you." August said unsure of what to say. "I know you do." Genevieve softly replied. August noticed she was avoiding looking her directly in the face. "Can I help you with anything?" August asked. "Have you been seeing my girlfriend?" Genevieve asked. August looked confused. "Taylor. Have you been seeing her?" Genevieve clarified. August's eyes slightly widened. "Aren't you broken up?" August asked.

Genevieve shook her head, "No. I was away in New York at an theater program for a few weeks. We never broke up." She replied. "So I'm asking again. Have you been seeing her?" Genevieve asked. "I-I swear if I had known I would never do this to someone." August said. "Your friend said you were both under the impression that we broke up. Did she say something?" Genevieve asked. August looked down and nervously fidgeted with her fingers. "She..." August began to tear up.

Genevieve sighed and approached the girl and sat her down at one of the tables. "I'm not mad at you. If you're being honest and you didn't know. I need to know what happened." Genevieve said. August took a deep breath and wiped her tears away. "I swear I didn't know. We had been hanging out after she asked me to hangout. She seemed lonely and we were just friends at first honest." August explained. "Then what happened?" Genevieve asked.

"We grew close and..." August's eyes began to get blurred with tears, "Oh my god I feel so stupid." She said. "August what happened?" Genevieve asked. "We...we started a physical relationship." She admitted. Genevieve's face fell and her body felt like it had gone into shock. She felt paralyzed and couldn't move. She felt to her stomach. August began to sob, "I'm so stupid I trusted her I really thought we had something., I lost my virginity to her." August said.

Genevieve looked at August and felt sorry for her. But Genevieve still couldn't help but stare at that damn hat. "I'm so sorry." August said through tears. "Don't apologize." Genevieve said trying to keep a brave face. August looked up at her with sad eyes. Genevieve stared at the hat and all she could do was slightly laugh to cope with the mess of conflicting emotions she was feeling. "I bought her that hat." Genevieve said. August took off the hat and stared at it. "She let me borrow it. It was just supposed to be for a week but she never asked for it back." August said.

"Here. I don't want the reminder." August sighed and handed the hat to Genevieve. Genevieve took the hat and stared at it. The months of good memories associated to it were tainted and ruined in the matter of minutes. "Thank you for telling me. I...I'm really sorry about what happened to you." Genevieve said as August looked away and wiped the tears slipping from her eyes. Genevieve left the cafe and went back to her car. She sat in the car and immediately broke down in tears letting every painful emotion she was holding back come out in the moment. She managed to compose herself for a moment and looked at the hat in her hand. She glared and threw it in the passenger seat and started up her car and made her way back toward home.