The Virgin Scandal

1

I rapped on the door of my boyfriend's house, praying that it wouldn't be one of his parents who opened the door. I wasn't sure if I could face them right now.

Thankfully, it was Beckett—although that wasn't much better. The sight of his handsome face made my stomach roll with dread for the conversation ahead.

"Imogen. Hey," he said, his eyebrows raising in confusion. I hadn't told him I was coming. "Do you want to come in?"

I bit my lip nervously. "Actually, no. I was hoping we could talk outside for a second."

"Woah. Okay," Beckett laughed. "What, are you going to break up with me or something?"

I didn't laugh.

"Wait. Are you?" Beckett asked, stepping out and closing the door behind him.

I took a deep breath and turned around, pacing to put some distance between us while I tried to figure out the right words to say.

"You said you wanted to talk, so just tell me what's going on."

Well, I couldn't stall forever. "I know," I blurted out, trying to sound bold, but my voice came out weak and cowardly.

"Know what?" Beckett scoffed. "What are you—"

I whirled around and finally faced him. "I know you cheated on me!"

For a second, he hesitated, and that was enough to tell me all that I needed to know. "What the hell are you talking about? I never—"

"Yeah?" I fumbled for my phone, opening it to a video Ayva sent me and holding it out for him to watch. "Can you explain this, then?"

I didn't need to look to know what was happening. The images were already burned in my mind. Beckett and some tall, skinny thing walking out of a cafe. Beckett and her making out in the middle of the street.

"That's not...we were just..." I could practically see the wheels turning in his head as he tried to come up with an excuse. Beckett was never the sharpest tool in the shed, although tool he definitely is. "Okay, yeah," he conceded. "It's exactly what it looks like."

Some part of me had been hoping he could somehow explain this away, but hearing him admit it made something snap inside me. "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?" I yelled.

"Come on. I'm sorry, Gen!"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT," I snapped. "You don't have the right anymore!"

"Don't be like that. I already cut her off, okay? I swear I won't do it again." His placating tone only infuriated me more.

"Why did you do it?" I blinked furiously, refusing to shed tears in front of him. "Am I not good enough for you?"

"You want to talk about not being good enough?" he retorted. "You're the one who is always finding excuses not to have sex with me. We've been dating for nine months, for God's sake—"

I didn't know whether to laugh or scream. "That's why you cheated on me?"

"I didn't say that!" He threw up his hands in frustration. "What do you want me to do? Un-fuck her?"

Those words filled me with a chill that doused my fiery rage. "So you..." I trailed off. Off course they had. That's what normal teenagers do, after all.

I snatched my ohone back. "Well, have fun with her. Because we're over."

"Wait, what?!"

"YOU HEARD ME! Or do I need to make it simpler so your pea brain can understand?" I sneered, placing my hands on my hips. "I. Am. Breaking. Up. With. You."