Love/Hate Heartbreak

Valentine's Day? More like the day of the dead....

I sighed and flipped my hair standing on the sidewalk waiting for a taxi to drive by that I could hail. I was eager to get home on this Valentine's Day. It was 2021, I was 21 years old, working at hot topic part time and taking writing and literature classes at night, I had no boyfriend or husband with no intention of finding one anytime soon, and today of all days reminded me why I had vowed to stay single and make something of myself. Valentine's Day? More like day of the dead- as I looked from side to side of the busy streets of Boston I saw couples left and right, some younger than me, some old, but all of them had the same expression on their faces as they gushed at their significant other: I settled for you because I thought I needed someone to make me happy...
It was sickening, and no matter how cynical I sounded I knew it was smart to stay away from such relationships like these I saw around me.
A taxi cab drove up beside me and the driver rolled down the window.
"Miss? Need a ride?" The driver called. I raised my eyebrow but got in anyway. As the cab began to move I looked out the window at the parade of couples still marching down the street. It was a never ending line of sappy garbage if you asked me. I scoffed and looked down at my lap.
"I knew it was you! Annalise Smith it is you! I'd know that Black and Blue head of hair anywhere! And that band merch too!!" The driver shouted.
Startled I looked up from my lap and into the rear view mirror at the eyes of the driver. I gasped as I realized who was driving my cab.
I would have known those sickeningly deep blue eyes anywhere, there in the driver's seat of the cab was none other than Joshua Harper, grade A number one clown of the class, and all around honest to God aggravating. All throughout our high school years we tortured one another, even becoming so violent at times that we fist fought. He didn't care that I was a girl and, frankly, neither did I every time I stood up and looked down at his angry face- bloody from the hard blows of my fist. We truly hated each other with every ounce of what we had, and everyone knew it too. I groaned.
"How did I wind up in a cab being driven by you of all people?"
He chuckled.
"I knew your face the moment I saw you on that sidewalk, and I couldn't resist." He said. I shook my head and laughed. As strange as I felt about the whole situation, it was oddly comforting to be with someone from back home in Mississippi on this holiday.
Josh drove around in circles, as he hadn't asked me where we were headed in the first place, and we talked about high school and caught up like civil human beings would, having an almost casual conversation like we had never hated each other. Finally Josh looked at the meter and saw he had rang up quite a bill for me, purposely or not, I had no idea, but as we came to a red light he turned around and smiled at me.
"Where to?" He asked. I looked around and laughed.
"Actually my apartment is right across the street on the left." I said. Josh nodded and pulled into the lot of the building complex where I resided. I pulled out my wallet as we came to a stop, but Josh turned and put his hand over mine.
"Don't worry about it, I got it." He said quickly. I looked into those deep blue eyes of his and began to melt. After all those years of torturing each other in school, I had forgotten just how handsome Josh really was. I smiled at him and his cheeks heated. I laughed sticking my wallet back in my bag and opening the door.
As I shut it he rolled down the front window for me to peek into.
"Thanks for the ride." I said. I stood up but quickly bent back down.
"Can I ask you a question?" I said.
"Sure." Josh grinned goofily up at me and I couldn't help but laugh.
"Why did we torture each other all those years?" I asked, pondering it myself. Josh smiled and looked down at the console before looking back up to meet my eyes. His fierce blue orbs igniting every inch of my body every second I held his gaze.
"Well I don't know about you, but I was madly in love with you." He said bluntly.
My mouth hung agape as I backed away from the window. He continued talking, smirking at my reaction.
"And so I did anything to be near you, guess fate had a way of working it out so that we moved to the same city. Who knows? Maybe it's our destiny!" He said over-dramatically. He laughed and began to roll up the window.
"See you around Annalise." He said winking. And with that he rolled up the window of that bright green cab and drove away, leaving my body and mind standing in the parking lot of my building, but taking my cynical little heart with him.

.....Truth was, all those years of high school that we tortured each other, I was in love with him too...