When Perfect Meets Crazy

39 - Boy, you belong to me

"Are you guys good now? Or do I need to teach Claire a lesson?" Those were the first words out of my mouth when the couple returned.

They were both wearing placid expressions that gave me no clue as to how the conversation had gone but I was leaning towards still together seeing as there was no hostility or crying and to top it off, they were walking back together.

"We broke up," Ian announced.

"What?" I blinked.

He nodded.

"What? No. No." I shook my head in denial. "No. Claire doesn't get to have this. I should've known she would do something like this. Look, Tammy, Ian and I... we're no--"

"It's fine." She gave a one shoulder shrug. "It's not that. I know Ian. I mean we dated for almost two years. He's not the type to cheat. He hates it."

"So... why?" I wasn't following her logic. If that wasn't it, then what was?

"It's not you. It's him and apparently something he can't tell me about." At this, she flashed him an accusatory glare, then sighed. "The long distance thing wasn't  really working anyway. I guess it's just time."

All I could do was blink.

She adjusted the strap of her purse, flashed him a forced smile, then walked away.

"Take care of him. He was good to me," she called over her shoulder on her way out.

My eyes narrowed, the incredulous look finally falling off my face.

"Did you," I faced Ian, "just use me as an excuse to break up with your girlfriend?"

"Ex," he corrected.

"Clearly." I hissed. "Did you?"

"No."

I eyed him up, suspicion blatant in my gaze.

It definitely felt like it from where I was standing. But then again, that had to be the cleanest friendliest breakup in history. If he had used me as an excuse, it wouldn't have gone down so smoothly.

I wasn't sure what to believe.

"So why did you break up?"

"We... I don't want to tell her. I don't... I don't know." He heaved a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Like she said, the long distance thing wasn't working. There was no point anyway."

I decided to ask the obvious; "Why didn't you just tell her?"

He shrugged.

"You told me," I pointed out.

"You found out," he corrected.

"She is your girlfriend."

"Was."

"Yeah, 'cause you wouldn't tell her." I hissed.

We were literally just going round in circles.

"Can we just drop it?" He glared.

"Its your relationship," I shrugged innocently. "Oh sorry, it was." I sniped. "Now, it's nothing."

• • •

I went in on Monday ready to let Claire know her ploy, whatever it was, had failed. I had spent the rest of Sunday trying to figure out what her goal was. It was unlikely but it could've been for Tammy to issue an ultimatum for Ian to stop hanging out with me. News that I was friends with one of the Carringtons had rocked the school and with him actually showing up to -sort of- pick me up twice, it could be that Claire felt threatened by my growing popularity. After all, it was the one place she excelled beyond me.