Heartbreak

Kylie was nervous, this was her first date in about six months since she'd broken up with Dylan after she caught him with another woman. She was wearing a red dress and heels, but was fretting with her curls that seemed to keep coming loose. She'd been waiting in her car now for half an hour, worrying and worrying. Two years she'd been with Dylan, and for the last three months of their relationship had he been with other people. She figured six months was enough time to sulk and hopped onto a dating site. It seemed to be more of a hookup site which she wasn't entirely opposed to, but mostly she was just looking for connection. There, she had met Alex. They'd hit it off right away. He made her feel pretty, witty, intelligent, and not to get her hopes up too early, but she really was starting to like him. From photos she'd seen, he had light brown hair, green eyes, and seemed to be fairly tall. He worked at a bar downtown and offered to make her anything she wanted which she'd promised to take him up on. He had a certain kindness about him that she felt drawn to. She took a deep breath and opened her car door...

Alex was nervous. His girlfriend had suggested they try an open relationship because she'd met someone but still loved him. He had felt heartbroken for a long time and in all honestly it didn't feel like a real relationship to him anymore. Not that he was judging polygamists, but anytime he went on a date it just ended in a one night stand and those weren't the same types of relationships Veronica had been having in the past few months. He was dressed in a black button down and some nice slacks. His stomach turned, he was oddly excited. This girl seemed promising. She was gorgeous, firstly, and he felt like they had a genuine connection. She was funny and was even kind enough to laugh at his dumb jokes, and she was just overall very sweet. He needed some kindness lately, he was sick of seeing Veronica blow off their plans for her other boyfriends. Alex checked his phone one more time to make sure he was at the right place, and opened the restaurant door...

"Hey, Kylie?" Alex saw her sitting at a table in a red dress, her hair was piled up so elegantly on her head, and she was sipping some water.

"Hi! You must be Alex! I hope you don't mind, I ordered you a glass of water so I wouldn't be the only one drinking something when you came in." She smiled brightly. He was much cuter in person and was dressed in all black. He looked very nice and she hoped he didn't take the water order as rude or controlling. Dylan had said she was controlling.

"Yeah! And you're so considerate, thank you so much. I hope you haven't been waiting long." Wow, he thought, that's so nice.

"Oh no, not at all. I've just been scanning the menu."

"Oh good. You look stunning, by the way."

Kylie blushed and they exchanged more pleasantries and jokes until the waiter came back and they ordered.

Throughout their meal, they got on the topic of family and pets.

"Ok so I actually have an entire album of Daffy, here, let me show you." Kylie handed her date her phone as he scrolled through the photos of her golden retriever.

"Daffy? Like the duck?" Alex smiled as he flipped through the various photos.

"Yeah exactly! Isn't he a sweetheart?"

"Oh he definitely looks like he'd be pals with my Skip- hey, sorry I know this is weird, but um, who's this?" Alex's heart dropped a bit at the familiar face on the screen wrestling with the pup.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry. I thought I deleted all of his photos. That's my ex, Dylan. Sorry, we broke up like six months ago because I caught him cheating on me." Kylie felt her face flush.

"No no, don't apologize. It's your phone after all, I just, you said his name is Dylan? I know him." Everything suddenly felt very surreal to Alex.

"Really? How?" Kylie asked, now more curious than embarrassed.

"Uh, well, my girlfriend, sorry I don't know what else to call her right now, everything is so weird, anyway, she suggested an open relationship. Dylan's the guy she's been seeing when she's not with me for a while now." Now it was Alex who was flushing.

"Oh...that is complicated. Her name isn't Veronica by any chance is it? That's the girl I caught him with is all."

"Yep, that's her."

"Huh, small world."

A sadness hung in the air now.

"Yeah, I guess so." Alex chuckled dryly.

Things had been going so well. As sad as things were, Kylie felt like this commonality actually gave them more to bond over. She really felt like Alex could be someone good for her, he had a similar understanding of what she was going through. Not quite the same, but similar, he was clearly uncomfortable with Dylan.

Things had been going so well. As sad as things were, Alex felt like this wasn't something he could continue on with. He was already uncomfortable with Dylan and Veronica being together, but knowing Dylan had been with Kylie? It stung a bit. And he thought for sure that had to hurt Kylie a bit knowing he'd also been with Veronica and didn't have the guts to just break it off. He still loved her, he couldn't do it no matter how many times he tried. Not fully anyway.

"Well," Kylie cleared her throat a bit, "that's unfortunate, but hey, if a small world means I can be having dinner with you then I don't mind nearly as much." She smiled warmly.

Damn it. Alex thought. But he couldn't do this to Kylie. And he couldn't do this to himself anymore. This was it, he'd break it off with Veronica. He couldn't let his emotions hold him back from great people like Kylie. And yet, he felt sick to his stomach knowing Dylan had also dated her. In all honesty, he was a bit jealous that Kylie was stronger for breaking up with Dylan, maybe if he could have done that with Veronica he wouldn't be in this dilemma now.

He sighed . "Kylie, tonight has been so wonderful, and please know that I think you're great, I just, I kind of realize now that what I need is to just be completely single. I'm going to break up with Veronica, I'm tired of being held back. You're so great, and I hope you don't take this to heart, I just can't right now and I don't want to string you along more than I already have. I hope you can understand."

Kylie was silent.

"Kylie?"

"I get it. I get it, you have to do what you need to do for you. Tonight was great. But in case I don't see you again, dessert?"

Alex laughed.