I'm Coming Home

Guess Your Words Just Came A Little Too Late

Cassandra

I walked into the small nightclub that had recently opened up and I automatically felt out of place. Everyone was drunk and grinding on each other, just having a good time while I was stood next to my co-worker, hugging myself because I felt as though too much skin was showing. While I knew I was hot, anyone could see that. I wasn't as comfortable in my skin as I seemed.

"So, now what?" I screamed over some Drake song, looking up at the tall man who seemed just as awkward as I did.

"Let's get drunk." I couldn't stop myself from laughing as he pulled me through the crowd towards the tables in the back. My grip on his hand was tight, scared that if I lost grip, I'd lose him in the crowd. I couldn't figure out why I agreed to this. I barely knew the guy; for all I knew he could be doing this to kill me. Even though he didn't give off the murderous vibe, I was still uneasy about this.

Once we sat down at the tiny table, he turned to me. "So, what's got you all tightly wound?" I didn't want to talk about it, but for some reason the words came out so fast that I couldn't stop them.

"I fell in love, and I lost." I smiled as some waiter showed up to do table service. I ordered some fruity drink that was on the menu and he ordered a simple Budweiser beer.

"Haven't we all?" He seemed confused as to why this would mess me up as much as it had.

"We were kids when we fell in love. I was stupid to believe that he'd sit around and wait like he had promised. Now I'm left trying to move forward with a life I thought I would spend next to him." Then the look of realization came across his face.

"The guy who's been stalking you! Wait..." He took a drink of his beer that the waiter had delivered before turning his attention back to me. "If you lost, why is he still lurking around?"

"He slept with my best friend, it's complicated." I shrugged as the words once again slid off my tongue. "I mean, men have needs. I hadn't seen him in 3 years. I was stupid and naïve to believe that after all that time when I came back everything would be the same. I'd come home, see him, and we'd pick up right where we left off."

"You don't cheat on someone you love; I don't get how he thinks sleeping with your best friend is something you could just slide past." He seemed genuinely annoyed at the thought of Wyatt cheating on me, as much as I enjoyed it, I knew I couldn't allow him to think that was just the story.

"We weren't together." I shrugged before taking a sip of the blue drink. "We separated when I left for Culinary school out west, and we made a promise. 4 years, and I'd come home to him and he'd be waiting. I realized I couldn't wait a full 4, and came home early. I just...I was blind sided. He was calling and texting, acting as though he was sleeping alone and that there was still a chance, but when I got home, that chance was stolen so quick that I didn't even have time to process."

"Whether or not you two were saying it or not, you were together. I mean, I guarantee that you weren't with anyone while out there." Thinking back over my 3 years in Toronto, I realized I hadn't had sex in that long.

"Shit," I laughed, taking another sip of my drink. "I haven't had sex in 3 years." Just like that he started laughing too, beer coming out of his nose as my exclamation came as a surprise. "Sorry, here." I grabbed some of those scratchy napkins out of the little metal container and handed a few to him. "But enough about my pathetic naivety. What brought you here? Don't tell me it was the McNeil's restaurant because I can guarantee that you would get a job anywhere."

"I got in touch with my birth mother." Tilting my head, hoping he'd go on with this story. "According to my father, the one who adopted me, my mother was 15 when she had me and wished to give me a better life. I got the same sappy story from her, and so I thought, why not. Move here and get to know her. If I don't like what I find out, there's always a job else where."