“How could you let this happen?!” Steven yelled at me from across the room. “How could you have screwed up this much?!”
“I didn’t mean to!” I screamed for the hundredth time. “It was an accident!”
“You messed everything up!” He stormed out of the room, and I followed quickly.
“Why don’t you just LISTEN TO ME?! Steven, it was an accident!”
“But that’s it, Zoe! You even TRY not to mess up, and you STILL DO! I need to distance myself from you.”
“What are you trying to say?” I whisper, my voice cracking.
Steven opened the bedroom door and walked in. He turned to me. “It’s over.”
The door slammed, leaving me all alone in the hallway. Two years together- TWO YEARS- and this is how it ends.
I slumped against the wall and slid down, sobbing. It was a mistake! How could he do this to me? The bedroom door opened and Steven walked out with a suitcase in hand.
“I’ll come back in an hour to get the rest of my stuff. Don’t be here.” He avoided my gaze, staring at the floor.
“Steven, please.” I whispered, wiping the tears away and standing up.
He only grunted and walked out of the hall. I ran after him, my heart breaking further with every step he took towards the door.
“Please! Please, Steven! Don’t go!” I grabbed his arm, trying to pull him back, but he only shook me off. “STEVEN!”
He left the apartment, walking down towards the building exit. I crumpled to the floor, imagining a scenario where this all turns out okay. I was struggling. I looked up and saw a picture of us on the coffee table. It was taken a year ago, when we were still happy. We were at the beach with friends, celebrating my seventeenth birthday.
All those good memories we shared- gone. They walked out of the door with Steven. How was it so easy for him to walk away from me? We had talked about getting married and having kids, and now all of that was gone. Why did he leave?
I stand up shakily, and make my way to the door, leaning on the walls for support. Tears continued to stream uncontrollably down my face, leaving a trail of smeared makeup on my cheeks. I left the apartment, trying to find him.
“Steven,” I whimpered. “Please.” I knew he couldn’t hear me, but I couldn’t help myself. He was gone, and I would probably never see him again.
I stumbled out of the lobby, ignoring the looks of disapproval from my fellow tenants. I looked up and down the street, looking for Steven’s familiar brown hair amongst the crowd.
Then, ten feet away, I saw him hailing a taxi.
“Steven!”
I ran towards him and grabbed his shoulder, turning him to face me.
But he was not Steven.
I covered my mouth, trying to cover up my despair to this random stranger. I continued to stare at this man, wishing that he was Steven.
“What’s wrong, love?” His face contorted from shock to confusion as he wrapped his arms around me.
I sobbed into his shoulder. “My boyfriend left me.”
“Then he’s a jerk.” He stated, rubbing my back comfortingly. “Come on; let’s get some lunch on me.”
He grabbed my hand and guided me down the busy London street. I never let go of his hand, desperate not to lose another person. He was so nice and kind, and not to mention attractive.
We entered a small deli, and he led me to a small table in the back. He called over a waiter and ordered before turning his full attention to me.
“So,” he began. “What happened?”
I had calmed down by now, staring blankly at the glass of water in front of me. “I got fired today. When I told Steven, he got mad. He broke up with me.”
The stranger reached across the table and grasped my hand. “It’s his loss.”
I looked up at him, noticing how his eye changed colors in the light. In one moment they were green, and then brown, and then blue. “What’s your name?”
“I’m Tomlinson, Louis Tomlinson.” He smirked. “What’s yours?”
“Zoe.” I took a deep breath, getting rid of all of my thoughts of Steven.
“Well, Zoe, I think Steven was a big fat jerk to break up with you.” He stated matter-of-factly.
“And why do you say that?” I smile, intrigued. Everything about him made me happy, and I couldn’t help but grin when he looked me in the eyes.
“From what I’ve seen, you’re a pretty good catch.”
“What about me is good? I just single-handedly screwed up a two year relationship.”
Louis reached up and brushed a dark curl behind my ear. “You’re trustworthy,” he pointed to my heart.
“You are thoughtful,” he pointed to my head.
“And you are beautiful.” He kissed my hand, leaving me blushing furiously.
“You hardly know me.” I shake my head, unsure of the feeling that I had inside of me. My brain was telling me to get up and leave- I just had my heart broken and I didn’t need another boy to cry over.
But my heart was telling me to stay with him- Louis would never hurt me.
Louis smirks and leans back in his chair. “And I intend on changing that.”
Two years ago, I went with my mind. It had told me that Steven seemed nice, and that I should trust him with everything I had. Two years ago, my heart told me that something was wrong with Steven, and that he wasn’t good for me.
Now, sitting across from a boy named Louis Tomlinson, I’ve decided to go with my heart.
