Book 5: Chapter 8 (1/2)

I ended up spending most of Friday talking with Mary. She was surprisingly easy to get along with. She was beautiful, had a cute side and a mischievous side, and she had a beautiful laugh. Deep into the evening, we ended up walking along the beach. As for what we talked about, it was all kinds of things. Where did we see our future? What were our interests? These were things I didn’t even know about my own girlfriend. Yet, Mary had a fascinating life.

“Do you have a boyfriend of your own?” I found myself asking as we continued to walk, listening to the waves hit the shore.

She lowered her head, a weak smile on her face. “I do.”

I felt my heart drop a bit. I knew it wasn’t fair. I had two girls I was fighting over, and I talked about them a lot of the night. She hadn’t mentioned her own dating at all, though. I didn’t have the right to feel angry about it, but a part of me wanted to monopolize her.

“You haven’t mentioned him.”

“He hasn’t been around much in my life.” She said, a frown forming on her face.

“I’m sorry if you don’t want to talk about it…”

“No, it’s fine.” She reached out and grabbed my arm. “I don’t want to keep anything from you. You’ve been so honest with me.”

“Ah…” I smiled awkwardly, knowing even with her I wasn’t completely honest.

“When my relationship with him started, I thought it would last forever, you know? But his eyes always wandered toward other women. One, in particular, she was a vindictive girl who liked to steal guys from other women.”

“S-seriously?”

She nodded seriously. “Yeah, she didn’t even like the men. She had no desire to keep them. She just wanted to play. After she was done playing, she’d runoff. Relationships are hard, Hakaru. They require effort. She was easy… and flighty… and that appeals to a lot of men.”

“Wow… that sounds really bad.”

“I’m not beyond guilt either. I… used my popularity to suppress her, and I clung to my boyfriend too hard, afraid to let him leave. However, recently, I’ve started to realize that it was wrong. Nothing lasts forever, and people change.”

“What are you saying?”

She stopped and turned to me. I realized that my hands were in hers. I felt my heart beating faster as she looked at me with a smile.

“I don’t love him anymore.”

I started to feel a glimmer of hope. “Then, shouldn’t you break it off with him?”

She gave a weak smile. “I’m… afraid. I don’t want to be alone.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

She reached up and wiped a tear from her cheek, taking a breath. “Ah… sorry… I just wanted you to understand me. You’re cute, and I like you.”

“I… like you too.”

With her eyes just faintly teary, and having just told me personal things about herself, Mary was coming off as extremely appealing. She looked beautiful in the light of the sunset, and she was looking at me with a lost look that made me want to hold her and make all of her worries go away. I found my arms wrapping around her delicate form. Mary leaned against me, her head falling to my chest. After holding each other like that for a few moments, she looked up, her lips full of color and inviting.

We started moving toward each other, about to kiss, but just at the last second, she turned away. “I’m sorry, I can’t…”

“That’s… I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have pushed.” I apologized back.

“No… it’s fine. It’s okay to push a little.” She laughed nervously. “I do mean it… I really like you, Hakaru.”

“I have a girlfriend… and even that’s a mess. You have a boyfriend.”

“We… could leave them. We could just have each other…” She suggested quietly.

“I don’t know what I want in life. What if I cheat?”

“If you cheat… then I’ll do better.” She responded, her hands tightening on my arms. “I’ll make you happy where I couldn’t manage with him.”

I lifted an arm and stroked a strand of hair out of her eyes. “Come on. It’s getting late.”

We headed to the road and took a bus, holding hands the entire way. Every time I looked back at her, she’d blush cutely. She really was a fun and interesting girl.