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He opened his front door. The smell of marinara sauce hit him smack in the face. Hector ran in the house, realized that someone he didn’t know was inside, and began to bark furiously.
“You’re home!” Jessica cried. She ran to greet him wearing the same short skirt she’d paraded around in at the festival. Only now she also had on an apron and was barefoot. She reached up to kiss him but he angled his face away just in time to avoid any contact with his mouth. It didn’t seem to bother her, though. “Oh, my God! I heard you got a dog.”
Jessica fell to her knees and grabbed Hector into a tight hug. “Aren’t you adorable!” She glanced up at him. “Nate! You told me you didn’t like dogs! Where was he today at the festival?” She began talking to Hector in a high shrill voice. Hector seemed to be buying it. He stopped barking and licked Jessica across the face.
“My sister had him when you saw me. Can you give me my house key back, please?” he said.
“But, honey, aren’t you glad to see me?” she pouted. “I made your favorite—spaghetti and meatballs, and Cesar salad, and I even bought some brownies from a local bakery. I made sure to get ones with nuts, just for you.”
“That’s nice, Jessica, but we aren’t having dinner together.”
“Why not?” She stood up, scooping Hector into her arms.
“Because we aren’t a couple anymore. Hell, we’re not even friends.”
“But, I already told you back at that festival thingie, I’m sorry. I made a huge mistake. If I could take back that night at The Harbor House I’d do it all completely different.”
“The thing is, though, Jessica, I wouldn’t.”
She looked like he’d just punched her in the face. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but she needed to realize they were never getting back together.
“Is this your way of punishing me?” she screeched, causing Hector to whine. “You want me to grovel? Okay, I’ll grovel. I’m sorry, Nate. I made a huge mistake. I love you and I know you love me. Please take me back, baby. I promise, you won’t be sorry.” Hector began to squirm uncomfortably, so Jessica put him down on the ground. He immediately ran into his crate. Nate wished he could follow him inside.
He tried to gentle his voice. “Jessica, we just aren’t compatible anymore. We want different things in life.”
“But that’s just it! We did want different things, but I’ve changed. I know you want kids, and well, I’m okay with that. And I’ve given up my job and everything to come live here with you. What more do you want from me?”
Nothing, he realized. There was absolutely nothing he wanted from her, because he wanted everything from someone else.
“You shouldn’t have given up your job without talking to me first. I’m sure it’s not too late to get it back.”
She pulled off her apron and tossed it angrily onto the floor. “It is too late to get it back. I’ve already taken another position with the firm. Nearby in Panama City. And I did it because you said that’s what you wanted.”
“I admit, it’s what I di
d want. But it’s not what I want now.”
“Listen to yourself. It’s been five months, Nate. Can you really turn off your feelings for me that quickly?”
She was beginning to sound like Lauren. To someone else, the argument made perfect sense. But he could go only go off of what he felt. He owed it to Jessica, he realized, to tell her the truth. He braced himself for her backlash.
“Let’s sit down and talk,” he urged.
“That’s more like it.” She plopped herself down on the sofa. He sat down as well, careful to keep a good three feet away from her.
“We had some good times, Jessica, we truly did. And I did care for you. But—”
“Do you still have my ring?” she asked. She flung her left hand out in the air and wiggled her fingers. “I got a manicure just for the occasion. I’m ready to wear it now.”
Ring? Was she delusional?
“Jessica, I returned the ring.”
“What? Oh, well, you can get it back, though, right? I don’t think I ever told you how absolutely gorgeous it was. But then, you always did have superb taste.”
He took a deep breath and started again. “Back to what I saying. I think that I confused what I felt for you with love, and if you look deep down inside, that’s probably what you’re doing now as well. If you really loved me, you wouldn’t have turned down my proposal. We would have found a way to make it work. And if I truly loved you, I wouldn’t have been able to move on as quickly as I have.”
“Move on?”
