AllFreeNovel
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Stepping off the elevator, a trail of candles and a carpet of pink roses greeted me. I knew I should’ve stayed home. I wasn’t in the mood for acting for the camera. Making sure the heel of my boots dug deep into each flower, I marched down to this apartment and sighed, seeing more roses. I won’t lie. The man had all the perfect romantic ideas to make any girl swoon and pine over him. I just wasn’t that girl anymore.
“Simon, what’s going on? I thought we were supposed to be keeping it light with a movie and dinner.” Kicking these stupid flowers as I walked further into his place, I was breaking my neck trying to find the speaker responsible for the nauseating slow jams playing.“Simon.” I knew he heard me calling his name.
“Ugh.” Slamming my purse on the dining table, I walked to his bedroom and there he was on the balcony with more candles, a man playing the saxophone, a camera crew, and large light up letters spelling out Will You Marry Me?
Ain’t no way.
Ain’t no way in the hell he was doing this.
There, standing cheesing hard and tight, stood Simon Davis. The man the whole world thought I was madly in love with and wanted to spend my life with. Procreate with and live old with. No. Hell no. This wasn’t happening. We’ve never talked marriage. Never talked about our future outside of whatever moment we were in.
“Baby, come here.” Simon was a very handsome man. The typical California dream boy. Beautiful, sun-kissed bronze skin. Gold head of curly coils. Perfect white teeth and a body that made me blush and drool more times than I cared to admit.
To any woman crushing from the screen of their phone, he was the guy you wanted to bring home to mama. In real life, he was a narcissist and egotistical.
“No, Simon.”
The saxophonist hit a hick upon hearing my response and the cameraman looked like he wanted to stop before this got even more awkward. “Sunnie.” He cleared his throat, gesturing them to continue being a part of this circus. “Babe, there’s no need to be nervous.”
I hated the word babe. It made me cringe. “I’m not nervous, Simon. I’m annoyed. Why are you doing this? We are nowhere near entering the stage of marriage. We barely even know each other like that.”
Surprised at my outburst, he looked behind him and chuckled nervously. “I know this is out of the blue but we are ready for this next step.” He tried to reach for my hands but I stepped back.
“How is this the next step? If you know me enough to want marriage, then what college did I graduate from? Where do I love to vacation? What’s my favorite holiday? Better yet what’s my favorite home cooked meal?” I hadn’t realized I was yelling until the defining silence shocked us all.
“We can…”
I grew more annoyed that he didn’t have one answer to any of the questions that I asked. Annoyed that he didn’t know I was an actual human being outside of the facade I fed people every day.
He didn’t love me.
He loved the idea and image of me.
The value my name added to his life.
“I’m leaving.” Turning on the balls of my heels, I marched right out in search of my purse.
“Sunnie, please wait.”
“No, Simon. I’m tired of doing this.” I waved a hand between us. “I’m tired of putting on this act. I’m just tired. Let’s end this amicably, okay?”
Scratching his ear, I was worried he’d channel his inner lover boy Drake era and start crying, but he surprised me by shrugging. “Yeah, you’re right. Um, can I be the one who announces we broke up? I promise to do it tastefully.”
Disgusted.
“Fine. Do what you want.” I had enough and needed to leave. This night couldn’t get any worse than this shit show.
“Have a good night, Ms. Austin.” Hector flagged a cab down for me.
“You too.” This night called for alcohol and comfort food.
I had the cab drop me off two blocks from my apartment so I could grab a bunch of tacos and wine from my favorite bodega. I called Hillary to see if she wanted anything in particular, but her phone went straight to voicemail. On my walk back home, I called Ezekiel to tell him about my night and was met with another voicemail.
“Ugh.” I wanted to throw my phone at the ground.
Why wasn’t anyone answering their phone?
In the elevator up to my place, my phone started vibrating like crazy. I opened Instagram and wanted to fight air. “Are you fucking kidding me?” Simon wasted no time making up the perfect post. A picture of the stomped on roses and him holding the ring box with a sad caption. Never thought my heart could break this bad. Two years of giving my love away to being rejected. I guess some careers are worth more than a happily ever after with the man who’d given you the stars and the moon.
