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Claire sat on her front steps, elbows propped on her
jean-clad thighs, and head supported on her hands, staring glumly down the
street. Brody would be here soon, and she dreaded his arrival. How was she going
to tell him?
Claire sighed as she shifted her position to stare
down the other side of the street, eyes searching for his orange El Camino. She
wished there was some way to skip the coming confrontation. She didn't think he
was going to understand why she was breaking up with him.
He thought they were great, perfect even. He wasn't
bored or restless, and Claire didn't think he was going to understand her
reasoning. Brody loved her, and he thought that was all that mattered. He didn't
crave excitement or a rush of passion. He wasn't curious about a relationship
with someone else. She was the only person he had ever been with, ever loved,
but Claire didn't think he minded.
She did. She wanted to experiment before she settled
down with one person. She wanted to date other people, try new things, and not
be tied down too young. She was tired of the sameness of the relationship she
had with Brody, and she knew she had to tell him.
Claire hoped she wasn't shallow. She did love Brody,
but she wanted to make sure there wasn't anyone else she loved more. She knew
she was risking losing him forever, but she couldn't just leap into a permanent
relationship without testing the waters first. She wanted other loves-other
lovers-and other experiences before she limited herself to just one person.
The arrival of his El Camino on her suburban street
interrupted her reverie.
He pulled into her driveway and burst out of the cab, looking flushed and
excited. "Sorry I'm late, but I was-"
"We have to talk," Claire cut in. A long
silence greeted her ominous words, and she waited for his reaction. Surely, he
had an inkling of what she would say? She continued to wait, wondering what was
going on in his head.
Brody shut his mouth with a snap and looked at her in
surprise. She sounded so serious, and she was wearing her serious face.
"Sure, honey, what's up?" he asked, feeling nervous. His hand clutched
the box in his pocket, which explained his case of nerves. Should he ask her
now, or should he be more romantic and smooth about it?
"I think we should see other people," she
said in a rush, pushing her blonde hair off her face. She looked so cool and
unaffected when she said the words. They sounded rehearsed, in fact.
"What?" He shook his head, and his face
turned ashen. "Why?"
"I want to see who else is out there. We're
heading toward a very serious relationship here, and I'm just not ready for
that."
How could she be so composed when saying that? It had
to be a joke-a twisted one, of course, but surely just a joke. She didn't want
to end things. "But, Claire, what about-"
She cut him off again. "I've made my decision. I
want to be free to see other people."
"Two years. We've been together for two years.
You were my first," he reminded her in an anguished voice.
"I know, and you were my first, but I don't want
to look back with regret in a few years and wonder how it would have been with
someone else." Claire turned away. "I think you should go now."
Numb, Brody climbed back in his El Camino and backed
down her driveway as she hurried inside and slammed the door. Two years, and she
was throwing it all away. He couldn't believe what had happened. Didn't she know
true love when she saw it? She was wasting their love because she wanted to be
with other people.
Feeling angry, Brody brought the truck to a stop and
fished in his pocket. He pulled out the jeweler's box and flipped open the lid,
staring down at the tiny chip diamond. He had saved for six months to buy the
ring, and she didn't want it. With a grunt, Brody pitched it as far away from
him as he could and drove on. He didn't look back, though he wondered if Claire
watched him from the window in her living room, regretting her decision.
He didn't think so.
©2002 StoriesByEmail.com
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