Not the One
Chapter 23
Surprisingly, Jane was already there before me. She was drinking from a purple coffee cup.
“Hey,” she said.
“Hi. I’m glad you’re here,” I said. She crossed her legs, and I sat down next to her, my body twisted towards her.
“So, what do you want to talk about?” She asked.
“I… that kiss was real even though I was drunk. I still really like you, despite the fact that I’m going out with Tina right now.” Jane was staring at me in disbelief.
“Oh…” she said. “I’m sorry. I… don’t feel the same way about you. Fernando proposed to be at midnight… and I said yes.” I honestly could feel tears coming out of the corners of my eyes.
“Ha… congrats,” I managed to say. “I’m happy for you. Well, I’m gonna go. I don’t want Tina to be worried about where I am.” I quickly bolted out of there. I didn’t hear Jane calling out to me to stop and talk, so I assumed she was not coming after me.
I was running as fast as the wind. Tears were streaming down my face. This was the second time I had been disappointed by Jane. So it was true. They were actually serious. Serious enough to get engaged. They were probably already planning their wedding. Maybe I should give up on her and move on, but a voice inside was telling me that I should not do that.
I arrived at the hotel, hand on the doorknob, ready to open the door. I wiped any tears left on my face and smiled. They always said that if you smile, you would feel happier. I was trying to do just that. I opened the door to find Tina sitting on the bed. I was afraid she would be awake. She looked up at me.
“Leo. Where have you been?” She asked.
“Out… with Jane.” I started to cry again. This was so not happening.
“What happened? What’s wrong?” She put her hand behind my back and led me to the bed. I sat down.
“Nothing… except for the fact that Jane’s engaged. I can’t believe it.”
“And… why are you so upset? Aren’t you happy for her?” She questioned.
I muttered, “But I still like her. I thought we would have a chance with each other.”
“Oh…”
I held Tina’s hands, “I’m sorry. I don’t know what to think right now. I like both of you. Maybe we should break up so I can think about this thoroughly.”
Tina stood up. “Seriously? Well, if that’s what you want. I’ll leave and stay in my mom’s room. You can stay here until our trip is over. But really, it’s over now.” She grabbed some of her belongings and headed out of the door. I knew I made a bad decision, but it was the right thing to do. I needed alone time to sort out my feelings and see if I should just be single and suffer heartbreak alone or be with Tina, and yearn for Jane.
I was alone for the next several days. I had no plans to go out. I wanted to be alone, but I also wanted to talk to someone. I took a deep breath and gained the courage to call Jane. She picked up.
“Hello?” She said.
“Hi, it’s Leo. How are you?”
“Busy. I’ll talk to you later.” I heard Fernando mumbling something in the background. She hung up. Wow, that was such a disappointment.
I kept thinking about how messed up I was. I wished I never broke up with Tina. She actually liked me, and I went ahead and dumped her all because of my mixed feelings.
I suddenly did not want to stay in the hotel room anymore because it reminded me too much about Tina. I decided to head outside to get some fresh air. I had no set destination, so I was walking and roaming around. I passed by and saw something that looked familiar. It was Tina. With Damien. They were sitting on that same bench where we counted stars that one night. I saw them talking and holding hands and giggling. I stood there watching their actions. I wanted to march over there and tell Tina I was sorry for everything and that I wanted to get back together, but then they kissed. They kissed passionately. I couldn’t watch anymore, so I left the scene. I felt awful being stuck here in the city of love with no one to love me.
It was as if fate had something to do with this. I went to Perri’s to eat pizza, and I saw Tina sitting alone at a table. I was curious to know why she was there alone. I went up to her.
“Tina. Hi,” I said.
“Oh, hi, Leo,” she said.
“What are you doing here by yourself?” I asked.
“I’m not here alone. Damien’s in the restroom right now.”
“Oh… well I want to talk to you.”
She said, “Maybe later?” Just then Damien came back. I walked away and found a table nearby where I could see them. They were laughing and whispering to each other. He was holding her hands. Their pizza arrived, and they were feeding each other slices. I was jealous and disgusted at the same time. We broke up a couple of days ago, and now she was back with her ex again. Did she want to be back with him the whole time? Maybe that was why she agreed to even go on this trip in the first place.
Right when I got up to leave after I ordered my takeout pizza, I saw them kiss. Again. They must be together. I was here to try to get Tina back, but it was obvious she didn’t want to be with me anymore.
“Hey,” she said.
“Hi. I’m glad you’re here,” I said. She crossed her legs, and I sat down next to her, my body twisted towards her.
“So, what do you want to talk about?” She asked.
“I… that kiss was real even though I was drunk. I still really like you, despite the fact that I’m going out with Tina right now.” Jane was staring at me in disbelief.
“Oh…” she said. “I’m sorry. I… don’t feel the same way about you. Fernando proposed to be at midnight… and I said yes.” I honestly could feel tears coming out of the corners of my eyes.
“Ha… congrats,” I managed to say. “I’m happy for you. Well, I’m gonna go. I don’t want Tina to be worried about where I am.” I quickly bolted out of there. I didn’t hear Jane calling out to me to stop and talk, so I assumed she was not coming after me.
I was running as fast as the wind. Tears were streaming down my face. This was the second time I had been disappointed by Jane. So it was true. They were actually serious. Serious enough to get engaged. They were probably already planning their wedding. Maybe I should give up on her and move on, but a voice inside was telling me that I should not do that.
I arrived at the hotel, hand on the doorknob, ready to open the door. I wiped any tears left on my face and smiled. They always said that if you smile, you would feel happier. I was trying to do just that. I opened the door to find Tina sitting on the bed. I was afraid she would be awake. She looked up at me.
“Leo. Where have you been?” She asked.
“Out… with Jane.” I started to cry again. This was so not happening.
“What happened? What’s wrong?” She put her hand behind my back and led me to the bed. I sat down.
“Nothing… except for the fact that Jane’s engaged. I can’t believe it.”
“And… why are you so upset? Aren’t you happy for her?” She questioned.
I muttered, “But I still like her. I thought we would have a chance with each other.”
“Oh…”
I held Tina’s hands, “I’m sorry. I don’t know what to think right now. I like both of you. Maybe we should break up so I can think about this thoroughly.”
Tina stood up. “Seriously? Well, if that’s what you want. I’ll leave and stay in my mom’s room. You can stay here until our trip is over. But really, it’s over now.” She grabbed some of her belongings and headed out of the door. I knew I made a bad decision, but it was the right thing to do. I needed alone time to sort out my feelings and see if I should just be single and suffer heartbreak alone or be with Tina, and yearn for Jane.
I was alone for the next several days. I had no plans to go out. I wanted to be alone, but I also wanted to talk to someone. I took a deep breath and gained the courage to call Jane. She picked up.
“Hello?” She said.
“Hi, it’s Leo. How are you?”
“Busy. I’ll talk to you later.” I heard Fernando mumbling something in the background. She hung up. Wow, that was such a disappointment.
I kept thinking about how messed up I was. I wished I never broke up with Tina. She actually liked me, and I went ahead and dumped her all because of my mixed feelings.
I suddenly did not want to stay in the hotel room anymore because it reminded me too much about Tina. I decided to head outside to get some fresh air. I had no set destination, so I was walking and roaming around. I passed by and saw something that looked familiar. It was Tina. With Damien. They were sitting on that same bench where we counted stars that one night. I saw them talking and holding hands and giggling. I stood there watching their actions. I wanted to march over there and tell Tina I was sorry for everything and that I wanted to get back together, but then they kissed. They kissed passionately. I couldn’t watch anymore, so I left the scene. I felt awful being stuck here in the city of love with no one to love me.
It was as if fate had something to do with this. I went to Perri’s to eat pizza, and I saw Tina sitting alone at a table. I was curious to know why she was there alone. I went up to her.
“Tina. Hi,” I said.
“Oh, hi, Leo,” she said.
“What are you doing here by yourself?” I asked.
“I’m not here alone. Damien’s in the restroom right now.”
“Oh… well I want to talk to you.”
She said, “Maybe later?” Just then Damien came back. I walked away and found a table nearby where I could see them. They were laughing and whispering to each other. He was holding her hands. Their pizza arrived, and they were feeding each other slices. I was jealous and disgusted at the same time. We broke up a couple of days ago, and now she was back with her ex again. Did she want to be back with him the whole time? Maybe that was why she agreed to even go on this trip in the first place.
Right when I got up to leave after I ordered my takeout pizza, I saw them kiss. Again. They must be together. I was here to try to get Tina back, but it was obvious she didn’t want to be with me anymore.