Never Say "I Told You So"

My hand slammed against the back door as I shoved it open with my body weight. The bar atmosphere was starting to make me sick and my friends would hardly notice that I was gone. They were smashed already. I was supposed to be drunk too, but I couldn’t bring myself to drink tonight. My heart was broken and my will was completely shattered. It felt like there was nothing for me anymore.

I sighed heavily and leaned against the wall, letting my eyes slide close as the warm Arizona air filled my lungs. My fists clenched at my sides. I wished I’d never met her. I wished I’d never fallen for her. I wished she was still here. Pain vibrated through my chest again.

“Hey sport.” The cool voice came from my left and I winced at it. It wasn’t hers but it was close enough. I opened my eyes and turned my head, finding the dark brunette smoking her cigarette and smirking. “How’s the heart doing?”

I wanted to scoff at her. I knew she didn’t really care how I was doing. She didn’t care about anything. But in my crushed state, I was vulnerable. “It’s fucking miserable.” I blurted and then closed my eyes again, letting my head fall back against the wall.

She scoffed. “Come on, Trotter. It’s not like it’s the end of the world.” I was surprised she knew my name. It never seemed like she paid much attention to anything.

“Sure feels like it.” I sarcastically muttered and glared at her. She shrugged and took another drag, making the two motions look so natural.

“Kenzie’s a whore. Everyone knows it.” Her tone was colored with the bitter resentment I was used to hearing when she talked about her sister. The same emotion was starting to brew in my chest.

“Would have been nice if someone let me in on that.” I spat and narrowed my glare towards the opposite wall of the alley. Talking to my ex girlfriend’s baby sister was not what I wanted to be doing. The alcohol behind me was starting to sound like a good plan.

My head snapped to the side as she started to laugh. “Did you really think my sister was that sloppy?” She snorted and shook her head. “Even you should know better than that, Trotter.”

It slowly clicked in my head as I stared at her. “You sent me that text?”

She blew smoke out and then smiled. It was the smile that always reminded me of the Cheshire Cat and sent shudders up my spine. “Course I did.” She giggled. “My sister could have led you on, at least for another year before you even started getting suspicious.”

My head spun. She said another year. Did that mean this whole year we were together, she was messing around? My stomach lurched suddenly and I gagged.

Her high heels clicked on the cement as she took a few steps toward me. Her small hand was light on my back as she rubbed it. “Don’t think about it, sweetheart. She wasn’t worth your time.” She reassured me sympathetically.

I wiped my mouth and straightened up, focusing on her soft, small face. Luna and I had never been best friends. I simply dated her sister and occasionally ran into her at parties. We hardly ever talked, but when we did, she wasn’t like this. She was cold and reserved, careless and even a bit wicked. This sudden mood swing was strange beyond belief.

“You should try smiling again. This whole brooding thing makes you look like you have a stick up your ass.” She winked and removed her hands from me, taking careful steps backward. She smirked as she raised the cigarette up to her lips again.

“Thanks for the advice.” I nodded dryly.

She laughed again. “It’s not advice; it’s a demand. You’re never going to pick up a new girl if you keep moping like that.”

I opened my mouth but then closed it. Things felt like I’d walked into a Twilight Zone by mistake.

“It also helps if you stop looking so damn, awestruck.” She arched one eyebrow at me. “It’s not like I’m God.”

A strangled sound came out of me, something like a laugh of my own. “You are so far from God, I’d have to call you a demon.”

Her smirk widened. “Touché.”