A Lesson In Love or Don't Drink That

Something's wrong

She'd dumped him.

Jeremy was running down the street, hardly looking where he was going through the tears that were streaming down his face.

She didn't love him anymore.

And she'd done it at their favorite coffee shop. When he'd gotten the text from Christine that morning, "Jeremy, we need to talk.", he knew it had to be something serious. But he hadn't expected this.

He stopped his wild sprint, and leant against a tree that was growing on the sidewalk, panting hard and sobbing harder. He struggled to breathe in the cold, December air. The darkness had fallen hours earlier and he was afforded some privacy in the long stretch between lampposts.

At least the street was deserted that evening, so no one could hear him crying his broken heart out against a tree in the bright light of a seven eleven.

He looked pathetic. He was pathetic.

Had Christine ever even loved him? Had it been fake the entire time? She was a good actress, after all.

It hurt to think about the times they had spent with each other over the past 3 months they had been together. Jeremy pulled out his phone, wiping his face on his jacket sleeve, making the world slightly less of an indistinct blur. He hiccuped violently as he opened the gallery app. What was a little more pain now, anyway?

After "The Play Incident" had been behind them, Christine and Jeremy had started dating. And they were the perfect couple.
Or so he had thought anyway.

They sat up late at night, cuddling and watching bad movies on Netflix just to laugh at them together. They went out to the nearby park and sat on the grass talking about nothing for hours.
Jeremy did his best to be the most perfect boyfriend he could possibly be. He wanted to make Christine smile and laugh everyday, he listened to all her problems and anxieties, brought her chocolate when she was going through some rough patches.

But apparently his best wasn't good enough.

Jeremy walked into the small coffee shop, the bell signaling his entrance. He walked around and eventually spotted Christine, sitting in the farthest alcove, 'the lovers table' as they called it here. It was the most tucked away and offered the most amount privacy. Couples of hopelessly romantic teenagers liked to come there and make out.

But the look on Christine's face was serious, Jeremy couldn't help but feel she'd picked the private corner for another reason. He smiled and waved at her as he walked over. She gave him a weak smile in return that he couldn't help but feel was slightly forced.

This concerned him even more. He sat down in front of her, his smile faltering slightly.
"What's wrong, Christine? You look worried." That makes me worry. He said in his usual tone that lacked any kind of confidence that Christine had said was 'really cute' just weeks prior. Probably another lie.

"Oh, Jeremy... You're a sweet guy, really..." She didn't look him in the eyes, just stared resolutely at the hot chocolate she had barely touched. "And you're a great friend but... Oh, this is harder than I thought it would be, I... don't think we should see each other anymore." She said the last part in one breath and then looked straight into his shocked face, with a look of guilt and sadness.

Jeremy just froze. Christine started going off about how it would be better it they saw other people, and how the just don't click together like they use too.
But he stopped listening.

A million question fought amongst themselves in his head, a buzz of confusion and words. But one stood out from the rest.

"There's someone else, isn't there?" His question cut through Christine's rambling like the knife through his heart. She stared at him with a look he couldn't stand. It made him angry.