Light of my Life

Hot Rich Ex-Boyfriend

LAUREN

The lights were off and Miles was softly murmuring in his sleep by the time Alyssa got out of the bathroom and was ready for bed. I stared up at her silhouette sleepily. She silently slipped around the room, and ended up sitting down exactly where Miles had been an hour ago.

"Isn't he dreamy when he sleeps?" She giggled insensitively. I gave her a look.

"What if someone said that while you were sleeping?"

"Well I wouldn't hear it, because I would be sleeping. Would I?" She retorted. I rolled my eyes.

"What do you even see in him?"

"The real question is, what didn't you? Why on Earth did you break up with this man? Did you know he's gone canoeing with his buddies around Italy? He used to live in Spain, and he as ridden off of Niagara Falls! Niagara, Freaking, Falls! I mean, why?" She whispered excitedly to me. I rolled my eyes at how naive she was.

"When do you think he had time to go do all of those things?" I pointed out sarcastically. She thought about it, oblivious. "When you're addicted to experience, relationships seem to become a hassle. While I was in Minnesota, working my heart out so I could go to college and waiting for my boyfriend to return my calls, he was out racing down the Autobahn, or swimming with dolphins. He's adored by everyone he meets, and just when you think that you're close, he pulls the rug out from under you and suddenly you're just like his other ex-girlfriends, left in the dirt."

"I thought you said that you broke up with him."

"I did. He came back from a vacation once, super excited. He told me that he'd had a revelation. he knew his calling. He was going to move to LA and become a rock star. I asked him about his parents company, and he said, who cares about my parent's company. Then I asked him about me and he said he'd come visit every other week and that he loved me. I couldn't handle it anymore. I ended it and he was heart broken. But when you love someone, Alyssa, you give up your dreams to be with them. Miles always had it in his head that ambitions and experiences were more important than people, and he was wrong."

Alyssa sat in silence for a moment, and then turned to me. "But he's still hot, rich, and he used to live in Spain."

"Yeah, but that doesn't justify the fact that he thought going skydiving and leaving to become an A-List celebrity while your girlfriends has to work to pay for a tuition because you had a revelation is alright, as long as you visit every other weekend."

"Lauren, you are so picky. No one's perfect you know. And it's not all about you."

"Maybe, but I know I want someone who's always going to be there for me, no matter what. And Miles didn't give a crap. He was too addicted to danger and adventure. I want someone who cares."

"Does Alex care?"

I paused, the breath in my lungs disappearing. "I don't know," I uttered softly. "Sometimes, I know he feels something though."

"Well if all you want is someone who cares, and both Alex and Miles don't, then why Alex over Miles?"

I paused again, and whispered, my chest tightening. "I don't know."

"I think I do," Alyssa smiled a little, lightly holding my hand in hers. "You love Alex. You've always loved Alex."

I nodded, exhaling softly. Miles lay practically still, the only noise was his sweet breathing.

"Now I'm mad at you," Alyssa teased. I continued to stare at Miles down on the floor.

"Why?"

"Because I've know you for three years, and you haven't once mentioned that you had a hot, rich ex-boyfriend."

"Well when was it going to come up? When we first met? Oh, hi. My name is Lauren and I have a rich ex-boyfriend named Miles Cassidy."

"Effective I guess," she chuckled quietly. Miles shifted a little.

"You know he is kind of hot," I tilted my head. Alyssa let out a snort.

Miles smiled in his sleep.