Page 3 of No Good Deed

“No. I mean—I don’t know. Maybe.”

I feel my face getting hot as anger boils up inside me. My fists are clenched and my jaw feels like it’s about to snap.

She wants to be with other guys? Seriously? A month ago, we were in her room, in her bed, talking about our future. What type of wedding we wanted. What our house would look like. How many kids we’d have—three, for the record. And now, just a few weeks later, she’s telling me she wants to be with someone else?

“Jake, you know I love you. I always will. And maybe someday we’ll end up together. But right now, I need some time to be on my own. I don’t want to regret not having the experiences I should be having at college, like going to parties and—”

“Going out with other guys. Just say it. You don’t want me anymore.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to be with you. I just…”

“That’s exactly what it is. You don’t want to be with me. You were just using me until you got through high school.”

“Jake, that’s not what I was doing.”

“Then how do you explain this? A month ago, we were talking about getting married, and now you’re saying you want to bewith someone else? Were you just pretending that whole time? Pretending to love me until we were done with school?”

“No. This isn’t about you. It’s about me getting to college and realizing I don’t want to have regrets.”

“And I’m one of those regrets?”

She sighs. “I’m talking about all the things people do in college. The experiences I should be having while I’m here. Jake, if I stay with you, I’ll feel guilty every time I go to a party and am around other guys. I’ll spend Friday nights on the phone with you instead of being out, making friends.”

“If you felt this way, then why did you talk about marrying me? Having a future with me?”

“I got caught up in the moment, imagining something I thought I wanted. But I realized I’m not ready for that. If we were ten years older, then maybe I’d be ready to marry you and have a life with you. But right now, I can’t. I’m too young and have too many things I want to do.”

“We could do them together. And you’re not too young. Dean and Brook were talking about marriage when they were still in high school. And they got engaged their sophomore year of college.”

“Just because it works for them doesn’t mean it works for me.” She pauses. “I’m sorry. I really am. But I know this is the right decision.” Her voice cracks. “I do love you, Jake.” She sniffles. “I have to go.”

“Haley, wait!” I check the screen and see she ended the call.

I almost throw my phone on the ground, but stop myself before I do, knowing I don’t have money for a new one.

Going back to the bench, I sit down and try to understand what just happened. Did Haley really just break up with me? Because she wants to experience college? What the hell does that even mean? I know she tried to explain it, but all I heard is that she wants to date other guys.

My phone rings. Thinking it’s Haley calling back to tell me she didn’t mean it and doesn’t want to break up, I answer without even checking the screen.

“Hey,” I say, my heart pounding.

“Jake?”

I look at the phone. It’s Dean calling.

“Hey, it’s not a good time.”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“I don’t want to get into it.”

“Get intowhat? What happened?”

“I’ll tell you later. You going to be around this afternoon?”

“No, I’ve got a game.”

Dean plays football at his college. He’s the best player on the team. I’m really going to miss seeing him play. When he scores, the whole stadium erupts in cheers and starts chanting his name. He’s like a celebrity on campus. Everyone knows him and wants to hang out with him. But he spends all his time with Brook. A girl he met in high school who actually wants a future with him, unlike my high school girlfriend, who wants nothing to do with me.

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