chapter 1

“Am I even happy?”

I stared up at the ceiling from my bed, my hands behind my head. I didn’t know who I was even talking to, this wasn’t the first lonely night. It had been two weeks since Broden had broken up with me. He was growing distant, and wouldn't answer my calls most days. And when he would take the rare occasion to take me out, I could swear he was lusting after other women.

“Bro, what is up with you?” I tapped his forearm as his head and eyes followed our slim, “obviously you’re an athlete, you look amazing!” waitress as she was serving her second table after taking our order. “I haven’t seen you distracted in the longest time, what's up? Why have you been so distant lately?” I attempted to keep my voice in a hushed tone, but failed to hide the quivering.

He sighed, turning his head toward me, but averting his gaze away from mine.

“I don’t…I don’t want to have this discussion here, I wanted to wait until after lunch.”

“After lunch!?” I spoke a little louder, not realizing it until the woman at the next table sharply turned her head at me. I started whispering again, cupping the side of my mouth, “What discussion?”

The bottom of his palm pressed into his forehead as he looked down at the table, “I…”

“Dammit, Broden, look at me!” I no longer cared about the volume of my voice. Both of my hands were pressing hard into the table.

“Fine!” He looked at me, growing angry. “I can’t be seen with a f*cking... PIG like you… you fucking FATTY!” He clapped his hands to his mouth, either not expecting to be so loud or to be so honest. Despite this, he seemed to grow bolder. “Look at me” he put his palms to his chest, flexing both his, not impressive, but definitely present pecs and arms, “I take care of myself, Sarah. We’ve dated, what, two, two-and-a-half years? I didn’t care when you were around one-forty,” he put his hands down onto his lap, speaking now at a normal volume. “Hell, I loved those curves. But in those two years, you have gained a hundred pounds.”

‘Hundred-and-twelve.’ I thought to myself, angry that I was remembering that detail at a time like this.

He continued, almost squirming as he looked straight into my eyes, “We’re done.”