It took everything in me to keep things cordial, aiming to be the bigger person. I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing me flustered. He watched me shatter to pieces a thousand times over, especially when I begged him to give us another shot.
“I've been amazing. Never better.” It was a total lie, but I didn't owe him the truth. I didn't owe him anything. He didn't deserve me. He never had.
“That's great! I'm so happy for you!” he exclaimed, his sneer remaining.
“Yep.” I turned my attention back to the laundry soap, more keen on staring at the labels and not the ass from the past in front of me.
“Laura and I....” He trailed.
I stiffened at her name. He really was clueless. Like I gave a damn about the woman that had been fucking my fiancé for months while we were together. She could go to hell for all I cared. There would be a special seat reserved for her.
“We're expecting.”
The news was a punch to the gut.
What did he expect me to say? Cheers? Mazel tov?
Oh sure. I'd scamper over to customer service and ask for their registry right away. I'd send it all over to the condo we once shared where they shacked up, sleeping in our old bed. Their baby would be in the spare room, the nursery I always dreamed of for my little one.
Way to dropkick me in the biological clock, asshole.
I did my best to keep it cool, knowing the only way to get rid of him was to grit my teeth despite the turmoil brewing beneath. I could feel the heat washing over my face, the prick of tears threatening. “That's nice, Justin.”
“Isn't it? She's having a boy. He'll be here next month.” He plastered that stupid smile back on his face, and I wanted to smack him upside the head with a tub of detergent.
Rather than celebrating our first wedding anniversary, he would welcome a kid with his side piece. How fucking precious.
“That's nice. I'm happy for you, Justin.” Another lie, but perhaps it would give him whatever kicks he needed to leave me the hell alone.
Maybe talking to me was some weird self-coping mechanism. Maybe he needed to settle his conscience about what he had done. He could have also been plain stupid. I was leaning towards stupid based on the smile alone.
“Thanks.” He shifted his weight between feet, his shaggy hair swishing over his eyes with each step. “That really means a lot after everything.“
“Well, one of us has to be an adult here.”
His jaw clenched and nostrils flared, anger washing over his features. “Oh, I guess you're still bitter?” he asked, voice clipped.
Every drop of venom I was choking down came bubbling back to the surface, demanding release. It must have been all over my face, too, as he took a nervous step back.
Any restraint I had was long gone, and he would know what I thought of him and his joke of a relationship. I opened my mouth to unleash every bit of anger, hate, and rage I had towards him, but a hand on my shoulder replaced the venom with a yipe.
I whirled around, ready to strike, only to find myself speechless.
There stood Jason Barrett looking handsome as ever in his incredible blue suit from earlier, eyes bright yet marked with concern for me.
“Elena? Is everything alright?”
Jason
Many trends were forgivable. From the horrors of 90s flannel to trucker hats, we all had our style crosses to bear. I was a fan of shredded denim jackets in high school, something I thankfully outgrew.
What I couldn't forgive was a goatee. It was manscaping gone wrong. The epitome of perversion. The mark of the douche.
Puberty blessed me with many things, notably the ability to grow facial hair like nobody's business. I'd have a thick shadow by dessert daily and did my best to keep it at bay. I experimented with a full beard, some scruff, and clean-shaven as of late, but I never dared to fuck up my face with a goatee.
This pompous prick not only had a goatee but a hell of a mop-top.
He was in the way throughout the store, chattering on his phone and managing to be in front of me in every fucking aisle. I turned down household, only to find him questioning Elena in the laundry section, and by the sound of her voice, I could tell it wasn't a friendly conversation. The sudden rush of redness to her cheeks made it all click.
Marty had mentioned she was fragile when I assigned the filing job to her. He brought up her wedding getting canceled at the last minute a year earlier and the leave of absence over it. It all came back to me as I watched her stiffen in front of the goatee-faced idiot. He had to be the scumbag ex.
While she was guarded around me, she was usually relaxed, always smiling and joking around the office. She was a friend to everyone despite the atmosphere. She had been respectful to me when I least deserved it. Seeing her so tense was jarring enough to stop me in my tracks.
I made a split-second decision I knew I'd regret, interjecting in the middle of things. I couldn't leave her hanging. I wasn't raised that way.
“Sorry, I couldn't find the kind you were talking about, hon. You'll have to help me.”
I smiled apologetically and turned my attention to the twerp. “I don't believe we've met. I'm Jason.” I offered a hand, sliding Elena's cart out of the way, standing toe to toe with him.
I wasn't one for bullying, but I'd use my size when necessary. It was a douche move, one Nan always called me out on, but it worked, especially with punks. That squirmy little worm deserved to be reminded how pathetic he was.
He shook my hand, a weak grip as I figured. I
