Page 3 of Too Good to be True

"Are you kidding?" Francesca sounds bubbly and happy. Very happy. Maybe she didn't hear me?

"Do you hear what I said? Corey broke up with me."

"I heard you loud and clear. Listen, Bailey. King Scum Bucket did you a favor."

I get that she's excited about the trip and her wedding, but I'd expect her to scrape up an ounce of compassion for me. I am her best friend.

"I'm getting married next week, and you're going to be there with me, by my side. At least he had the decency to break up with you now instead of making you miserable the whole time you were away, only to do it when you come home."

"I'm sorry if I don't see it that way."

"All I mean is now you can let your hair down and have a good time. Guilt-free!"

"Good time? Corey pretty much ensured I'll be miserable for the entire trip."

"If you're miserable, that's on you. Not Corey. And sure as shit not on me. We’re going to have a great time!"

"C'mon, Fran, I'm not up for that."

"Well, get up for it. Or the only one you'll be letting down is me. You're my best friend and my maid of honor. It's your job to make sure we live up my last single nights."

"Maybe I shouldn't even go. I don't want to bring you down, and right now, I'm pretty sure that's what I'll be doing."

"Oh no you don't. You're not going to let that dip-shit stop you from standing next to me on the most important day of my life. You're coming. Even if I have to drag you by the hair, you’re not bailing on me. Because guys come and go. You and I, we’re forever."

*

Before I leave, I packall of Corey's shit, all our pictures together, everything that reminds me of him, in a cardboard box and stick it in a corner of the living room. I should dump it in front of his door, but I don't want to risk seeing something I’m not ready to.

Maybe I'll toss the box in the trash. I consider it, but I can’t bring myself to pull the trigger and execute. Yet. Once I toss it, that signifies there's no going back. I'm not sure if I'm at the point where I can say definitively that I won't take him back when he comes begging for another chance.

I squeeze my eyes closed tight. I shouldn't be planning on him coming back, or else I'll never move on. He wants his freedom; he's got it.

*

Thanks to Corey's latecancellation, the window seat to my left is empty. I consider moving over, but I never liked the window seat on a plane. It makes me nervous to look outside and see nothing but clouds and sky.

The large man to my right is popping out of his seat. His arm rests on the divider between us and overflows over onto my side. I shift my weight toward the empty seat, fighting the sadness that comes from knowing who is supposed to be sitting there. The strange man's pudgy arm drops from the armrest onto my thigh.

With a loud huff, I stand and switch to the empty seat. The man shoots me a dirty look. I know I'm coming across like a total bitch, but I really don't care. It's not that I have anything against overweight people. I mean, I'm no waif—a fact Corey used almost daily to convince me to go with a salad for dinner and avoid dessert.

I feel bad. The poor guy with the unfortunate luck to be seated next to me probably thinks I'm a snob. I don't mean to be. I really don't care how the man looks. That's not why I moved. I just don't want to be touched.

Once the seatbelt light turns off, Francesca makes her way over to me. She squeezes past the man in the aisle seat and drops down next to me. Linking her arm through mine, she leans in, invading my personal space. At first, I think she's trying to avoid the overweight man in the connecting seat, but once she starts speaking, I know that's not what's motivating her to get all touchy-feely.

"Do you have any idea how sweet and beautiful you are?" She lays her head on my shoulder.

"What?"

"You really are, Bailey. You’re the sweetest person I know. Always looking out for the people around you. Making sure everyone is happy. You deserve happiness, too."

I'm not sure why I'm getting this lecture, but she continues.

"As much as you don't want to hear this, Corey wasn't the one for you. He didn't make you happy."

Great! She waits until I'm trapped tens of thousands of miles in the air and have absolutely nowhere to escape to have this conversation.

"I don't want to talk about it."

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