Page 2 of Ready or Not
It was hard to avoid him living in the same city; he had his friends and places he liked to frequent, and they always seemed to collide with my friends’.
“Seriously?” Naomi exclaimed, her light brown eyes widening in disbelief as she followed Penelope’s gaze. “Is that asshole seriously here? Out of all places?”
“I thought this was an event solely for well-known creatives,” Elizabeth said, tucking a strand of her brown curls behind her ear. “So how in the hell did his finance bro ass get in?”
I shrugged nonchalantly, trying to play it off like it was no big deal, but the sight of him stung more than I cared to admit.
How can he move on so quickly after… Well, everything?
Naomi leaned in closer, pushing aside the Senegalese twists that shielded her face. “Can I go be petty?”
I shook my head, trying to push down the surge of emotions threatening to rise up. “It’s been nine months and I shouldn’t be caring. Let him have his fun.”
“And you guys were together for eight years.” Penelope squeezed my hand gently. “You’re allowed to feel a way about it, Sol. Y’all were just talking about finally considering couples therapy last month, and then he ghosted you. Now he's trying to move on to the next one, as if it's nothing. It’s messed up.”
“I know, but—” I cut myself off, the lump forming in my throat making it hard to speak. My heart hammered in my chest as I watched him let the woman he was with grind against him without a care in the world.
“I hate that I still feel something for him,” I admitted, my voice drowned out by the music. “It’s been nine months since we’ve broken up, but every time I get over it, he slips in and tries to undo the work I've done.”
Elizabeth wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me in for a comforting side hug. “It’s okay to still have feelings, Sol. Healing isn’t a linear process.”
“Well, it should be.” I sighed. “I want to move on. I want to try dating for the first time in my life, especially since he was my first. I want something new for myself. Not constant reminders of him.”
“You know what…” Naomi said, an evil smirk appearing across her face as she flicked her red coffin acrylics against the rim of her drink. “Just say the word. I haven’t acted out in a week, and I’m down to stir the petty pot.”
I chuckled at Naomi’s offer, the corners of my lips curling up slightly despite the heaviness in my heart. “He’s not worth it and never was. Besides, we’re here to have a good time. Don’t let him ruin it.”
Naomi nodded, a mischievous glint in her brown eyes that made me slightly nervous as she chugged her cocktail, her gaze flickering back to my ex-boyfriend. “Okay, but…”
“But?” I glared.
She bit her lip. “I’m in the mood to dance and cause some chaos.”
“Naomi.” Penelope glared at her. “You better not?—”
Too late.
Dusting off her cheetah tube dress, Naomi sprang to her feet, her Senegalese twists bouncing with each sway of her hips as she danced towards the makeshift dance floor.
“Oh lord…” I watched in mock horror as she slid her way between my ex and his new fling, breaking apart their intimate moment. The shock on my ex's face was priceless, quickly morphing into recognition, then annoyance, as Naomi continued to gyrate provocatively around them with another man, without missing a beat. Penelope buried her face in her hands as she murmured something about not being responsible for her actions, while Elizabeth burst into a fit of giggles.
“I can’t believe this.” I joined in on the laughter as my friend continued to annoy my ex.
“I—You know what?” Penelope threw her hands in the air, standing up as well. “Might as well have fun with her before shit hits the fan and she does something that gets us kicked out.”
Elizabeth shook her head, laughing, accepting Penelope’s extended hand and rose gracefully to her feet.
“You coming?” she turned to me, and I smiled at her, shaking my headno.
"I’m good.” I gathered my swirl-printed silk long dress so I wouldn’t accidentally trip over it while standing up. Throwing my empty cup into a nearby trash, I turned back to my friends. “I’m gonna go to the bar for another drink.”
“And then you better join us,” Penelope teased, flashing her dimpled smile as she pulled Elizabeth to the dance floor.
“Maybe!” I yelled after them, my voice lost in the thumping music. As I made my way towards the bar, I couldn’t help but steal a glance back at my ex and his new fling, trying to pretend like nothing had happened—the smiles on their faces strained and forced. A pang of satisfaction fluttered in my chest at the sight of them feeling a fraction of the discomfort I had experienced moments before.
But as quickly as it came, it dissipated, leaving behind a hollowness that reminded me of the heartache still lingering. Seeing him move on with someone new after the wayhetookour break-up stirred negative emotions inside of me, threatening to drag me back into a place I had healed from.
It was unfair that my emotions were still at his mercy even after all this time.
