My New Love

     She wasn't supposed to be here. I looked around, trying to find some place to hide, but all I could find  was a tall plant in the corner of the room. The crowd was growing as more people came in, so that helped me blend in more with the surrounding couples. All I have to do now is avoid her for the next three hours. Maybe she won't notice me? Maybe she will and I'll finally have to tell her.
      We had been dating for about three years now, high school sweethearts. The sad thing was, I just wasn't in love with her anymore. I thought about the brand new number in my phone from Starbucks four days ago. Meeting Jamie, the beautifully quiet girl, with her nose stuck in that book, was all the closer I needed to tell myself that me and Taylor weren't working out. 
     I hadn't wanted to tell her so soon. I was going to wait until the start of school this August. This grand party my parents were throwing was supposed to help me get my mind off of her, but here she was, looking as beautiful as she had the first day we met. I tried to distract myself by helping my parents ready the meal, but it wasn't working. Every second I found myself looking up at her and her marvelous figure. Then something changed. I looked up again to find her dancing with a tall, lean man, maybe a couple years older than me.
     What the heck? I watched her body move in a way that was so familiar to me. Watched her eyes as they glued themselves to this college aged guy. I told myself not to be upset. I was kinda sorta doing the same thing... But that nagging feeling still ate at me, my core disappearing little by little. Then, almost as if the lighting of the entire room changed, I looked to the door, finding Jamie standing in its open gaping mouth. She caught my eye and waved. Her dark brown hair falling against her tan skin. She had on a short dark blue dress, making her ocean blue eyes pop even more. My thoughts about Taylor completely disappeared as I took the rest of her in.
     She slowly made her way over to me greeting the people she passed. The kindness she showed towards others reminded me of how she acted when we first met at Starbucks. I stood in awe as she made her way towards me, but then quickly remembered Taylor, even though I didn't want to. I was suddenly afraid of her seeing me. I stared at her dancing with that other guy thinking of ways to let her down easily... "Hey!" Jamie quickly snapped me out of my thoughts with her sweet and soothing voice. "Oh, hi," I said back trying not to sound too distracted. "What's wrong?" She asked with a kind and concerning look on her face. That face made me want to kiss her right then and there, but I held back, worrying that Taylor might see.
    I rubbed the back of my neck. My eyes trailing from Jamie's face to Taylor's. "Oh-, um, nothing," I nervously chuckled. "Nothing at all."  She cocked her eyebrow at me. "Okay..." My mind trailed to Taylor again. Gosh Bryan, focus! "So," I rocked on my heels. "Do you want to um, dance?" She giggled. Giggled. I think it was the cutest thing I've ever seen or heard. "Sure," she held out her hand and I took it. Giving her a tiny bow, "My lady." That earned yet another giggle, which I personally congratulated myself for. I pulled her onto the floor, one hand holding hers the other on her waist. She gave me a shy smile. Taylor flew from my mind, all I could see, think about, hear, feel, was Jamie's eyes. Her perfect hair. Her perfect curves. Her perfect everything. The song played on and on. Our bodies becoming closer and closer until our noses were almost touching. Was it crazy that this, this, girl had become so incredibly precious to me after only a few days? I tilted her chin up, going for a kiss. Then reality came and smacked me in the face, kicked me in the gut, punched me in between the eyes. I had a girlfriend to break up with. And she was yelling at me. "BRYAN?!"
     I felt a hand slap across my face, leaving it red and with a terrible sting. I looked up to see Taylor staring at me, waiting for an explanation. "Oh, hi Taylor," I said waiting for another slap. She cut right to the chase, "Who is this?" She continued glaring at me. I looked around for the guy she was dancing with but he was nowhere to be seen. I looked up at her, staring into the eyes I had once fallen in love with. I knew that with what I was about to say I would never get a loving look from those eyes again. "I'm breaking up with you," I said to her and immediately ran towards the doors, not looking back to see the look on her face.
     I heard yelling, stomping, everyone who witnessed our little "disagreement" conversing. I burst through the doors. I ran to my front yard and onto the hammock swinging hidden in the trees. I really messed up. I thought about the slap that Taylor had administered to my face. Which might I add was only three millimeters from Jamie's face. I touched my tender cheek. The weird thing is, is that I'm not thinking about Taylor's wrath, only Jamie's scared, hurt face. She'll think I was cheating on Taylor with her. She'll think I'm some jerk that jumps from one chick to another. I was so embarrassed. I pulled out my phone. Studying her number until I had it memorized. Footsteps. I jolted upright, falling right out of the hammock and onto the ground. "Hey."  I knew that voice, how many times had I heard it? Listened to it over the phone? Studied the way it dipped and rose?Kissed the mouth it was coming from? "Hi Taylor." She reached out and pulled me up from the ground and onto the hammock beside her. "So, she's not your girlfriend?" The moon shone off her gray eyes. "No, I would never cheat on you," I turned my body towards hers. "I-," I stopped, contemplating how I should say this. "I was going to tell you this later but then I met Jamie and-,"
     "Let me stop you." She placed her hand on my chest. "Don't sugar coat anything, I want you know before you go on I probably feel the same way..." She trailed off. Picking at the fabric of her dress. "Who was that guy you were dancing with?" I knew she wasn't lying since I just saw her with another person.                    
     "That was uhhh..." I saw her stop and look at the ground. What could she be thinking about? Was she going to lie? I wouldn't care anyways, well at least as not as much as I would have a couple of weeks ago. If she loved another man I wouldn't mind, because I loved another girl. Still, I didn't want to hurt her. If I was to cause her pain I could never forgive myself. She looked back up at me and finally said something. "Look, the truth is is that I wanted to break up with you. I stopped having feelings for you a while back ago and didn't feel like telling you. Some of your other friends told me you were going to be gone to some sort of camp while your parents were having their annual grand party so I thought I could bring another guy to get my mind off of you. I didn't know you were there until I saw you with that other girl. I overreacted and I'm sorry."
     "I feel the same way. I was planning on telling you when we got back to school. I completely forgot you were coming to the party tonight and Jamie who I had just met was there too. I would never hurt you. Please believe me"
     "I do. And maybe we should just be friends. It seems like we're both finding other people anyways."
     "Good idea" I was about to get up when she pulled me into a hug. I felt the same kindness she had once shown me as my girlfriend, but now that kindness had changed. She was my friend. I hugged her back, glad that she wasn't angry with me. Just as we pulled away from each other I heard any pair of feet coming towards us. I looked up and saw Jamie.
     "Ah," I rubbed my neck. "You heard that?" She looked down at her feet then back up at me. "Not if you didn't want me to." She waved her hands and I couldn't help but blush, still not over the fact that this amazing girl was talking to me. "I'm actually glad you heard it..." Looking over at Taylor, who is and forever will be my best friend, she smiled at me. Clearly happy for me. Not angry. How can you get angry at someone who you love in such a special way? "So, are you angry at me?" She looked at me, bobbing her head back and forth, thinking. It was the cutest thing ever. "Not really. I-" she stopped, looking over at Taylor. "That's my cue! See you inside..." She patted my back and walked away. Jamie pointed at the hammock, motioning for us to sit. I obliged, wondering if it was appropriate to put my arms around her. She answered my question by putting her head on my chest. Looking up at the night sky, the stars reflecting off her amazingly blue eyes. "Soooo... Do you want to go back inside or..." I tried to speak but was cut off by her. "No, we should just stay out here away from all of the people."
     "Okaaay... But why?"
     "Gosh you're dense."
  I chuckled. "Alright then." We sat there in silence, her head on my chest, my hand on her leg. She tilted her head up at me.
     "No wonder Taylor broke up with you, you just sit there!" I gave her an impish grin.
     "Well then no more sitting..." She gave me a grin equally as mischievous, pressing her lips to mine. I gripped her lower back, one hand trailing down her thigh, laying her down onto the hammock. She moaned and it took all my willpower not to lose all self control. My lips made their way from her mouth to her jaw to her collar bone. Every dip and curve and imperfection now impossibly precious to me. She wove her fingers into my hair, the others untucking my shirt. I pulled her on top of me, enjoying the feel, the taste, the sound of her so much I couldn't imagine ever breaking the kiss. She gripped my face, "It's the craziest feeling," she breathed. "This, being with you, I've only known you for less than a week and I can't imagine a life without you. Is that crazy?" I shook my head. Touching my thumbs to her face, staring into her endless blue eyes, deep as the universe above us. "I feel the same way Jamie." She bit her bottom lip, trapping it between her teeth. I poked at it. Pulling it away with my fingers. I got yet another giggle out of her and it felt as if I just won a million dollars. No, better, I felt, deeply, truly in love. I gripped her waist pulling her back to me, never wanting to let go ever again.

The End