"I'm not saying that I have a bad life, but if you were to write a story with me in the lead role, it would certainly be a tragedy."
When I said that there was no way that my life could possibly get any worse, I was kidding. I didn't actually expect...
"I, too, remember that feeling. You are caught between all that was and all that must be. You feel lost."
—Haruki Murakami, Hard-Boiled Wonderland And The End of The World
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I peered at Jamie from my hideaway behind the last bookshelf and felt the familiar tug of war in my heart. Part of me wanted to hate him and the other part longed for the friendship that we once shared.
Once upon a time Jamie and I were inseparable and now I could barely stand the sight of him. The memories just kept on replaying in my head and a sad smile made its way to my face when I thought about the things that had made us...well, us.
"Love you," he'd whisper.
"Love you more," I'd whisper back and wait for the reply that always followed.
"Never!"
And then we'd laugh it off and pretend that it wasn't more than that, but slowly it had stopped being just a joke and the lines of our friendship became blurred, complicating an already complicated situation.
"Taylor, can you come here for a sec?"
I craned my neck and spotted Millie at the counter sorting through some files. "What's up?" I asked, walking towards her.
"I need to ask you a huge favor," she said.
"I'm listening."
"I'll be out of town for a few days, a week at most and I'm going to need you to hold down the fort," she stated. "I hate to put you on the spot like this, but I cannot miss this trip."
I mulled it over and decided that maybe the added responsibility would keep me so busy I'd have no time to drown in my sorrows.
"Please," she added.
"I'll do it," I shrugged. "No biggie."
She breathed a sigh of relief and offered me a feeble "thank you," before disappearing into the lounge.
"The ice queen has a heart after all," Connie teased from her post behind the cash register.
I glared at her but it morphed into a smile when she rolled her eyes. "I asked Jamie to dinner," she said, giving me a sad smile. "Now I know why girls aren't supposed to be the ones to initiate the date."
"I really don't care—"
"He turned me down," she continued as though I hadn't spoken.
"Mhmm," I nodded.
"He said that his heart was already taken," Connie sighed.
I arched my brow. "He said what now?"
"That's what I said, too," she sulked.
I shook my head and went back to my hideaway. Jamie in love? Unlikely.
