My Favorite Stranger

1

Today they bumped into each other, Mya taken off guard and horrified that they ended up in such close quarters.

Her insides twisted with shadow pain and remembrance of the two years they spent together. Her heart broke again in her chest and all she could see was the many women he indulged in shortly after their falling out.

As much as she wanted to scream at him for even looking at her, she had an image to maintain. Not like it isn't already tainted, she thought.

She had no choice, but to suck it up and keep going. She hated that people saw her as fragile and broken, still drowning in heartbreak. She was, but that wasn't the point.

Mya took her glass and walked over to the living room, sitting down on the white couch and aimlessly kicking her heeled foot as she crossed one leg over the other. The black straps of her heels tying up her hairless legs perfectly, hugging the soft skin.

She wore a white blouse and a black skirt, one side of her hair pulled behind her ear. The diamond earrings she wore today looking perfect and pristine — much like she looked on a daily basis.

Mya's physical appearance was mostly modest, but that didn't mean she wasn't gorgeous. Though Mya no longer felt a lick of beautiful, her dark eyes, pouty lips, and flawless skin said otherwise.

The softness in which she bore with her emotions was one that may have been impossible to come by again in someone.

She was incredibly kind and always sweet. She was sexy, quite naturally, in the way she spoke and carried herself. Her body was just as perfect. Curves that filled out her outfits beyond what they needed too. Her nails, feet, and eyebrows always done. She always kept up with herself, especially now more than ever.

Just because she was heartbroken and damaged didn't mean she had to look the part. She had to maintain something good in her life.

She stared off into nothing, her thoughts muddling together as she killed half of the glass already. Tristan swarmed her mind, invading every nook and cranny.

The moment they broke up, all evidence of their relationship had been purged from existence, except the very bed upstairs where they slept, cuddled, had sex, talked, watched movies, and did work together.

Mya couldn't bring herself to buy a new mattress even though laying in it every night was borderline sadistic. It was the only thing she had left and letting go had been easier said than done.

She didn't know why she loved him so much when all he had done was manipulate her and lie to her — brush her feelings off and never listened when she needed an ear. One day he just decided he didn't want to be with her anymore.

No matter how hard Mya tried to make it work, it just didn't. It took two willing people to fix a relationship and it was clear where his head really was.

He wasn't in love and definitely didn't have feelings that ran as deep as her's. He explained that he wasn't ready to settle down and it was all too much for him, but in reality, she knew he missed giving attention to the multiple women that swooned over him. He missed having a different girl in bed every other night.

Tears glassed over Mya's eyes as she took the last sip of her wine. Her foot had practically been stabbing the air now. Her heart ached and began beating with anger and regret.

She knew Tristan was happier. She could see it every day when she went into work, when she attended the meetings, the parties. She even overheard her co-workers talking about him from time to time. He was happy to be single and free — away from Mya.

He wasn't phased. His heart, not even the slightest bit of dented while her's was destroyed.

Her entire personality changed, taking on something very lifeless and dull. Her good sleeping habits had gradually declined — some nights being impossible to get sleep. Some days were impossible to get by without crying.

Healing isn't linear. She learned this, knew this, but it was fucking nauseating, like pulling teeth.

She wondered how long it was going to take before she began to enjoy her life again. If it was even possible.

She got up and poured more wine into her glass, this time to the brim. She drank enough of it before walking up the stairs to the second level of the house so it wouldn't spill over.

Her master bedroom was spotless. The king-sized platform bed perfectly made. Her large desk was organized, not a single paper or pen out of place.

She quickly discarded her clothes, her glass of wine on the desk momentarily until she was fully naked. She picked up her glass again, strolling down her long hall of walk-in closets to her bathroom.

This was the only time of the day that she felt at peace. When she could shower then submerge her body underneath the warm water of her tub. Getting clean momentarily killed all feelings of despair and sadness unlike anything else besides drinking.

She didn't think heartbreak could be so atrocious. Of course, she's dated people before, but no one relationship ever lasted that long. She was never that invested in someone before. She coined herself stupid and crazy for even falling so hard in the first place.

All of the red flags were there. All of them ignored — in which she shouldn't have let herself feel so stupid about. This was common for a lot of people. Love is blind. That's just what happens.

She turned on the shower, the lever pushing toward the hottest temperature. She quickly finished the rest of the drink, placing the empty glass on a granite countertop. It was time to sulk under the showerhead and let the water beat it all away for a few minutes.

Her family crossed her mind — her mother and father only 5 hours away by flying. She missed them. She missed being in their presence, amongst the rest of the family, who complained that Mya worked too much and spent too little time with them.

She missed her older sister, who was traveling the world with her husband right now, relishing in her romance. Mya wished that was her. She wished she could've had what Leanne had.

Something true. Something meaningful.

But she knew being surrounded by family was one of the worst things she could do. She didn't want to be bombarded with questions again about Tristan, about what happened, how she was feeling, and what she was doing. If she was seeing anyone new.

She didn't have the heart to tell her family that she was a mess. That despite all of the money she was making and the surplus success of being the head of the software engineering department, it all felt pointless without someone to share it with.

As steam filled the large master bathroom, Mya stood there, neck craned up toward the shower head as the water drenched her face and the rest of her body. The shower simulated how she felt all the time. Like she was drowning.

The Santa Praiser Business Summit was only a few days away. All heads of each department in Saylo would be attending. Tears pricked at the edges of Maya's eyes. Tristan had to be there along with several other of her co-workers.

Mya was going to be alone, during a high class and professional summit, in an unknown new city, for what felt like the millionth time.

The cycle was vicious and never-ending. She had to start packing at least by tomorrow, but for now and for the rest of the night, she was as safe as she could possibly be, sleeping in a bed that harbored the many sweet memories of a non-existing relationship.