Page 10 of The Trophy

“Babe,” Jon says, having the decency of looking embarrassed. “I’m here because I made a mistake. You were right. You and I are perfect for each other. I should have never broken things off. I was just confused because being long distance is hard. I’m sorry. I love you, Lakyn.”

Fuck.

I would have had my arm cut off to hear Jonathan say those words a month ago. But now?

I don’t feel one damn thing.

Actually, scratch that. It’s lunch time, I’m getting hangry and I just want him to go.

“I wasn’t,” I murmur.

Jon and Bay both ask me the same question. “You weren’t what?”

“I wasn’t right,” I huff, frustrated. “You were, Jon. It’s crazy that I didn’t see it until you broke up with me, but you were right. We weren’t a good match. I thought I was in love with you, but I was lying to myself.”

Bay nods, gloating at Jon’s shocked and stricken expression. “Totally.”

“Shut up, Bay!” Jonathan snaps. “By the way, what the fuck are you doing here? I’m having a conversation with my girlfriend and we’d like some privacy.”

For once in her life, Bay reacts with way more maturity than I usually would give her credit for. “Do you want me to go, sis?”

“No,” I plead. “Please, stay. There’s nothing I have to say in front of Jon that I haven’t already discussed with you.”

It’s not that I feel unsafe with Jon and there’s nothing he can say to convince me to take him back. However my ex is relentless when he wants something, we’ve had countless arguments that went on for hours, well into the night. Bay’s presence is an excellent deterrent to ensure that he doesn’t stay here, thinking that he can wear me down and convince him to give him another chance.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for the unpleasant conversation that’s about to happen. I usually hate confrontation and this is how Jonathan basically bullied me into things I would never have done if not because he insisted; like giving up meat and being the one who always had to travel to the East Coast to see him on long weekends and breaks.

“Jon,” I begin, forcing myself to look into my ex’s brown eyes. “I’m sorry you came all the way here from Princeton to get turned down. But you know how I feel about surprises and if you had told me that you wanted to visit, I would have saved you the time and the embarrassment. When you broke up with me, I was devastated. You said we had grown apart and I couldn’t see it. I thought you and I were meant to be, but I was wrong.”

He tries to take my hand, but I take one step away from him.

“Lake,” it’s his turn to plead. “No, I was wrong. I don’t know what got into me, I?—”

“You cheated on me, Jon.”

He flinches at my tone. “No, I didn’t. I can explain.”

I stop him, my hand extended in a halting gesture. “Please Jon, don’t. It’s bad enough that you cheated. If you have ever cared about me, at least extend me the courtesy of not insulting my intelligence. The last time we spoke, when you called me after blocking me because I accidentally liked one of your photos on social media, I saw a photo of you kissing your new girl. Don’t even try to sell me any bullshit that the photo is from after you broke up with me. You had on your favorite yearbook t-shirt from senior year. The one your mom ruined in the wash last year during winter break. So you had been cheating on me for months.”

He hangs his head, but it’s short lived.

I know him too well to believe that he’s going to accept being wrong.

Ultimately Jon never truly thinks he is wrong and that was always one of the biggest sources of conflict between us. It’s why Bay can’t stand him too. My sister is the most stubborn person I know, but she admits it when she fucks up and she’ll do anything in her power to make amends. Jon on the other hand will argue until he’s blue in the face, twisting the truth and other people’s words to have the upper hand.

“Lake, I’m sorry. I admit it, I fucked up. But I missed you and you were always so busy with your classes and your part time job. We had to go months without seeing each other and?—”

“Weak,” my sister intervenes. “If it isn’t typical Dipshit behavior to twist your betrayal to make it Lakyn’s fault for being too busy.”

The grief stricken expression on Jon’s face disappears as he snaps at Bay. “Stay out of this, Bay. I’ve never understood what’s your fucking problem with me.”

Oh, God.

Jon should know Bay enough not to ask her any questions if he isn’t ready for a honest answer.

“My problem with you,” Bay bites out, her arms crossed over her chest. “Aside from the fact that you cheated on my sister and you broke her heart, is that you didn’t make Lake happy.”

He rears back as if Bay had physically slapped him. “You know nothing about our relationship, Bay.”

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