It was 3 a.m. and you were getting nervous. Your boyfriend of five years, Brendan Gallagher, had gone out again and hadn't returned yet. You understood he needed to have fun time-to-time, but it was getting out of hands. Beside, he never wanted you to come with him, always saying that you "would be bored in his company". Coming from a loving family you didn't know what signs of unfaithfulness were, but you were quite sure coming home late and never keeping phone off sight were fairly good signs. Not to mention mysterious phone calls in the middle of the night.
Your eyes were closing, but you were determined to come to the bottom of this mess, reaching the truth once and for all. The clock was showing quarter past three when you finally heard door open and soon after Brendan came in, smiling like an idiot. Your heart sunk when you noticed his glowing eyes, messed up hair and his shirt unbuttoned. You heard him whistle a strangely happy tone. After few moments he finally realized you were on sofa, waiting for him wide-awake, and he froze. His eyes lost the glow and his silly whistling stopped.
"Leila," he breathed out while trying to smile like everything was fine.
"What are you doing awake at this hour?"
"Waiting for you, Brendan. We need to talk."
He sat down on couch next to you and gave you that puppy-look which had been driving you insane since the first day: "Sure, babe. What's wrong?"
"I need you to be honest. Brendan, are you having an affair?"
His expression turned from puppy-look one to surprised: "Of course not! What makes you think that? I love you and only you, remember?"
Only a second later, his phone rang. Before he could answer, you snatched it away from him: "Baby <3?! I am pretty sure I am not calling you! Who is she?"
"Leila, baby, it's not what you think..."
"Just stop lying already!"
In front of your eyes, he changed into a completely different person: "Fine! Yes, I am having an affair! Wanna know with who? Your best friend!"
You looked at him, disbelief glowing from your eyes. He was lying, you were sure about it. He was just trying to piss you off.
"You don't believe me? Answer the phone. Go on, I dare you," he provoked you, carefully observing your face. His arms were crossed on his chest and his eyes lost the loving glow he used to have for you.
Your hands were shaking when you lifted his phone to your ear.
"Brenny, is that you?"
"Y/BF/N?" you asked, nearly choking at her name. Predictably, she did not answer and the line was dead. So was your heart when you realized your boyfriend had been having an affair with someone you called your best friend.
"How could you, Brendan?" you asked him, your voice overflowing with disgust and sadness.
"I am sorry. It just happened."
"You are not sorry. It had happened, it would have been a mistake, not a relationship. At least pretend you care for anyone else but yourself."
"Now I know why I love her. She is not so complicated and she doesn't pretend she knows me. Let me tell you something. You don't know me. You never did," his answer felt like daggers to your heart. You looked at him again like you were trying to see who was really standing above you. He looked exactly like someone you had fallen in love with, but it wasn't him. Brendan Gallagher you knew would never hurt you like that. But it was him, hurting you in a way you had never expected.
"Brendan...," you whispered. His eyes looked ice cold when he spoke up: "I'll have to ask you to leave."
"But... can you at least tell me what did I do wrong?"
"Nothing. I just don't love you anymore, that's all. We had fun, but that's not what I am looking for. Not anymore."
Realization it was over, made you sad. Deep inside you were dying to collide on the floor, beg him to change your mind and start again. But what you did was completely opposite. You stood up and brought your face inches from his. Going by the look in his eyes, you saw he was expecting you to kiss him desperately, everything just to make him change his mind. But you didn't kiss him.
"Brendan Adam Mathew Gallagher, you are the saddest excuse for a man I have ever met. We've been dating for five years and you have to cheat on me to end our relationship. You expected me to cry, right. Well, guess what? You don't know me, you never did. Oh, and enjoy in your new relationship," you said sarcastically before you trotted out with your head held high. On your way out you grabbed your purse, your coat and your car keys. Still proudly, you sat in your car, started an engine and drove away. For about twenty minutes you felt proud to finally end that relationship, but then it all started coming after you. All the memories, both good and bad, occupied your mind and you had to stop somewhere. As soon as the engine stopped, tears spilled out of your eyes. You slammed your fist furiously against the steering wheel. Force of the hit opened a small drawer where you noticed a package. You pulled it out to check it. It was neatly wrapped belt, made of the finest Italian leather, which had cost you a fortune. Of course, it was the last gift you had bought for Brendan, but you somehow forgot it in a car.
"How could I be so stupid?" you scolded yourself, cold laughter of disapproval escaping your lips.
For two weeks, you were torn between tears and anger. You were torn between calling Brendan and pretending he no longer was a part of your life. Countless hours were spent under blankets, doing nothing and just starring at the wall. Your friends tried to convince you were better off without him and you sometimes agreed with them, but sometimes you could only nod your head while thinking how empty you felt without him. But no matter how hard you tried to eat normally, your weigh was decreasing drastically and your family was going nuts from worries.
It took three months to get over break up. At least to get over it enough to function the way you used to. Few of your friends suggested you to move away, but you didn't. You knew moving away would mean you are defeated and you didn't want to give Brendan and his girlfriend such satisfaction. Speaking of his girlfriend, your ex-best friend. She somehow found out in which bar you were working during weekends and she didn't miss a chance to make fun of you. However, she meant nothing to you and it was easy for you to ignore her comments. You couldn't believe how much she had changed. She went from your best friend to the biggest bitch you had ever met.
Another week passed before you received Brendan's message, which brought back all the sorrow you had buried. But as soon as you read it, sorrow was replaced with anger. He was not apologizing. Oh no, he was telling you to pick up your belongings.
"When can I pick them up?" you furiously typed back and waited for a reply. It came shortly after: "Whenever you want. Just let me know, I don't want to see you."
"Then just put them on a lawn and tell me to pick them up."
"Fine."
Half an hour later, he texted you again: "Okay, your stuff is ready."
You couldn't believe how he acted. He was being the biggest moron, acting like a five-year-old.
"Good," you managed to answer without throwing your phone at the wall. Somehow you pulled yourself back together and drove to the place you had sworn to yourself to never visit again. Brendan was not lying that time. Your belongings were neatly put on a pile, waiting for you to pick them up. It didn't take long for you to pick everything up and soon you were in your car, going back to your rented apartment.
For taryn_brooke, I promise everything will end okay:)
