Too Close for Comfort • jdb ( #wattys2016 )

(5) Unfriendly Reunions

^^Picture of Blake. (who knows him??)

5) Unfriendly Reunions

Mary

My face is as pale as Casper the Friendly Ghost and I find myself at a loss for words.

Blake? Out of all of the people in the world, why him? Out of all the clubs in the world, why this one? Why here? Why now?

I find these questions running rapidly in my mind as I stare up at the face that I once adored so much.

"M-Mary please say something-" he pleads, his large hazel eyes filled with guilt.

Good. That's how they should look, after what he did to me, he deserves to feel as much guilt as there is.

"I-I have nothing to say to you." I declare, my voice squeaky with pre-sobs.

I go to turn around but he grasps my arm. Not tightly of course. Blake was always the most gentle thing, couldn't hurt a fly.

"Mary," he reiterates softly. "Please."

I remove my hand from his grasp and violently wipes the tears that were forming on the brim of my eyes.
God bless waterproof mascara.

I turn back to him and quickly study him with my eyes. His hair is grown out now, and gelled stylishly to the back. His brooding, handsome features still remain intact, and for a second it seems like no time has passed between now and the last time I saw him: when I had gotten into a taxi and left him standing there in the rain, in nothing but his boxers, the same guilty look on his face that he had then, resurfacing today.

"What do you want?" I ask coldly, looking him dead in those gorgeous eyes of his.

"I just want to talk to you, Mary. Please, I miss when we used to talk." he tells me and I find myself chuckling coldly at that ignorant statement.

"Wow. You're so full of crap." I scoff, turning my head away from him.

He sighs. "Mary, come on. You know I never meant to hurt you. I never meant for any of this to happen. You don't really plan this kind of thing, you know.

"No. You don't plan these kind of things, Blake. Like I didn't plan to walk into my boyfriend's apartment on prom night and find him in bed with someone else. Let alone another man."

The words that spill out of my mouth make me cringe internally. I felt the shame that I had felt that night, standing in the hot pink Sherry Hill gown that I had spent a small fortune on, staring at my boyfriend who was found in a comprising position with his so called "football buddy" Trace Summers.

"I know," he looks down shamefully. "And I'm really sorry. I can't imagine how you must've felt."

As much as my sadness overcomes me, Blake's kind words calm me down slightly. He always had that effect on me. He was my rock, my shoulder to cry on. It's too bad that now every time I look at him, I wanna cry harder and harder.

"Yeah." is all I can muster up before the lump reforms in my throat.

"Listen Mary, I wanted to talk to you about something." He gulps and my red eyes shoot to his.

I don't say anything back, which somehow triggers him to keep going.

"Mary, I'm engaged." He utters and my heart falls into my stomach.

"Oh, so you finally left that asshole you cheated on me with?" I spit erratically. "Or, I'm sorry, it's not exactly cheating when I'm just your beard!"