𝙱𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚊 𝚁𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝? | Jenna Ortega

break up | j.o

It was a cold, foggy day in Romania; the gray sky seemed to blend perfectly with the gloomy and surreal atmosphere surrounding the set of Wednesday, Tim Burton's new project. I walked down the hallway leading to the break room, nervously clutching my jacket around me. The damp, biting air felt like it was penetrating to my bones, but the tension inside me was even more oppressive. It had been three months since I last saw Jenna. Between my commitment on a horror film set in Los Angeles and Jenna's long shooting days, our lives had become entangled in a chaos of distance and frenzy. That's why I decided to surprise my girlfriend.

"Hey." I smiled nervously at Emma, whose blue eyes sparkled with amusement as she noticed my agitation.

"Jenna is in there," she said with a smirk, pointing me in the direction that would lead me to my girlfriend.

I nodded in understanding and approached the door leading to the break room. The room was large but relatively quiet: a coffee machine in one corner, a table, chairs, and a sofa at the other end of the room. Some crew members hurried around with cameras and props, my eyes searching for the one I loved and admired so much.

There she was.

Jenna sat on the sofa, her usual headphones around her ears as she isolated herself from the world while flipping through what seemed to be a script. I approached with my heart racing and positioned myself in front of her. Her brown eyes slowly scanned my figure, and I could feel my heartbeats increasing by the second. When her eyes met mine, I sighed and broke into a spontaneous smile.

"Hi," I said, a small smile on my lips.

Jenna took off her headphones and let them hang around her neck.

Jenna blinked in surprise. "I didn't expect you," she murmured shyly, making me frown in confusion. She got up from the sofa and gave me a quick hug, but it felt strange and forced. "Everything okay?" I asked nervously, a strange feeling creeping into my gut.

Jenna stepped back and looked at me without blinking, a small smile on her lips. "Yeah... I'm just tired," she replied, her gaze drifting into the void. "This project is draining me."

I nodded, trying to muster a smile that could ease the tension. "I understand. Maybe we can spend some time together later... You know, watch a movie or something."

"I don't know, I have a cello lesson," she said calmly, her eyes looking at mine with fatigue; huge circles under her eyes highlighted the sleepless nights.

"How about dinner?" I asked hopefully.

Jenna nodded weakly but there was no enthusiasm in her expression, only acknowledgment. I placed my hands on her waist and leaned down to catch her lips with mine. The kiss was mechanical; her lips, once soft and warm, now felt cold and distant.

Something was wrong.

"Jenna, can we talk?" I asked with concern. Something was off, and I needed answers.

Jenna huffed and glanced at the clock on the wall, grimacing. "Break is almost over. I need to get back to the set."

Frustration grew within me.

"It won't take long, I promise," I insisted. I could feel my voice trembling, but I couldn't let this slip away without an explanation.

I took Jenna's hand and led her toward the exit of the room. The biting cold hit my face immediately, chilling me to the bone. Jenna wrapped her arms around her body, trying to shield herself from the frigid wind as her eyes watched me with a mix of anticipation and frustration. She quickly looked around, almost cautiously, ensuring no one was nearby before turning her attention back to me.

"What's going on, Jenna?" My voice was a whisper, my fear too evident. I couldn't ignore the distance between us.

She looked at me for a long moment, her gaze impassive as if she were trying to find the right words. Finally, she sighed heavily. "It's nothing. I'm just tired from work."

"Jenna..." I started, immediately sensing her lie.

"Really, it's nothing," she gave me a smile.

"That's not true," I insisted, the anger at being deceived taking over. "I know you too well. Please tell me what's going on."

A long silence filled with tension stretched between us, and my nervousness grew with every passing second. Jenna lowered her gaze, then raised it again, her eyes now filled with a torment she could no longer hide. "I don't know, okay? I don't know what I want... We... We've moved too fast," she finally admitted, her voice breaking with a hint of hesitation.

The realization hit me.

"What? Are you trying to say that..." I began, tears threatening to spill at any moment. No, it couldn't be true. All those months together, the video calls, the kisses... It all made sense.

Jenna looked at me with guilt.

"I..." she started, tears threatening to fall. Her bottom lip trembled, and the awareness of what was about to happen hit me like a punch to the stomach.

"I'm tired, Y/N," she admitted.

I shook my head rapidly, unable to accept her words. "We can make it, Jenna. We can do it together," I proposed nervously, not wanting to give up easily.

Jenna shook her head, causing an intense pain in my chest. "No, Y/N. The distance, the work... all of this is hurting me," she confessed.

Tears rolled down her cheeks.

"It's over between us," she murmured.

The world crumbled around me. There was nothing more to be done; Jenna had already made her decision. I looked at her in pain, tears streaming down my cheeks as she gazed back at me sadly, the pain palpable on her face.

"I'm sorry..." she added, her voice broken.

I bit my lower lip, trying to stifle a sob and lowered my head, hiding my emotions. My heart was shattered, and a sense of emptiness filled my stomach. It was over. I turned away and walked away from the set, the realization that Jenna had left me dominating my thoughts.

Don't look back. Don't look back. Don't go to her trying to change her mind. Don't look into her eyes.

Don't do anything.

Just move on, even though my world had collapsed.