My what?I ask.
Your headache.Evie said you went to bed early.
When did you talk to her?I tracked Evie from the moment she walked in the door.She spoke to Rosie and then came straight to my side.I can still feel her soft body leaning into mine, like a goddamn phantom limb.And yes, I went straight to bed, but how would Evie have known that?
Not sure.Just before she left, I think,Sinc replies.
How did she look?I can’t believe this.How did Evie go from my bedroom to making casual party conversation?She was devastated.Or is this just further proof of what a con artist she is?
Um, like always?Pretty?Sinc answers in confusion.
Mats sees through my bullshit questions.He turns around to face me.Is everything okay with you?
We broke up last night.I’m angry that I have to explain this when I assumed that they’d all know.
Evie dumped you?No way.She worships the ice you skate on, something I have trouble understanding,scoffs Coty.
Of course not.I broke up with her,I reply.Isn’t that my modus operandi?I get out before I can get hurt…until now.
Why?Coty asks.She was the first one who tolerated you for more than a month.
I shrug.There’s no way I’m explaining what happened.
I’m sorry to hear that.You guys seemed to be really happy,Mats says.
We were.But that’s the problem: whenever I relax, I get fucked.It’s better to expect nothing, that way I’ll never be disappointed.
Even last night, things didn’t go the way I’d originally planned.I figured that we’d break up, and I’d go back to the party and hook up with someone new.Monica or whatever her name was.After all, hadn’t I told Evie how easily replaceable she was?
But I should have known that things would be different with Evie.When I was alone with her, I couldn’t stop myself from kissing her one last time.And when I broke up with her, she was supposed to get upset and leave.Not keep arguing with me, and telling me what a great guy I am and how much she cares for me.And she certainly wasn’t supposed to tell me she loves me.
When I close my eyes all I can see is her face, covered in tears.But she’s so resilient.She kept trying to save us, so I had to escalate my arguments and insults until she finally left.
Once I was alone, I was filled with loathing for the things I said.Things I never believed.Maybe part of me was hoping that Evie would deny everything.That she was as innocent as I believed she was.But once she admitted her guilt, I didn’t need more proof.
Coty starts to say something else, but Mats shakes his head.Instead, the guys leave me to stew in my own unhappy thoughts, Sinc starts talking about how the Sharks are doing, and Coty takes a nap.
Once we’re at the airport, Sinc and Coty rush to catch their flights, but Mats and I have almost two hours to kill.We’re on the same flight to Edmonton, but his connects through to Vancouver.
Want to go to the premium lounge?I have an extra pass,Mats offers.
I show him my own membership, and he smiles.We head into the premium lounge where it’s mainly businessmen.We help ourselves from the breakfast buffet and settle into a corner table with plush club seats.
Mats has a sip of his cappuccino.Mmm.I think even Coty would approve.
I nod.Our team is like an extended family who know each other’s habits and foibles.I’ll miss everyone when we graduate.Moments like this will seem like paradise when I’m in Ukraine.
At first, we eat and chat aimlessly about our plans when we get home.
Enjoy tropical Vancouver.I’m probably the only person headed for a place colder than Minnesota,I say.
Mats chuckles, but then his smile fades.Look, if you want to talk about anything, I’m here.Or you can call me anytime.
I didn’t want to tell the guys what happened.The whole thing is straight out of a bad movie.But on the other hand, I’m a ticking time bomb, and I certainly don’t want to detonate at home.My family has enough worries without adding my petty ones.
So I tell him about Angelica and the whole ridiculous revenge scheme.The only part I leave out is how I treated Evie last night.The more perspective I get, the worse I feel about how I behaved.
Fuck.That is totally insane.I guess it’s true that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.Mats shakes his head in disgust.Belatedly, I remember how Lana, his ex-girlfriend, tried to get with me two days after they broke up.As if I’d do that to a friend.
