Done

Nadine sat in her parked car watching her boyfriend Steve through the coffee house window.  He sat inside smiling, playing with the hand of his blonde date.  “A blonde.  Why is it always a blonde?”  Nadine groaned.  “They are the bane of my existence.”

Taking a drag off her cigarette, she winced at the burning sensation.  “Fuck.”  She coughed, “I don’t even smoke.  What am I doing?”  She extinguished the cigarette and looked around her car.  There were three full banker’s boxes on her back seat, and three more in the trunk.  Four years and this is what it comes down to, six boxes?  She thought.  At least they hadn’t lived together, then she would have had to move.  There would have been no way to escape the memory of him.

I am going to need a serious drink after this.  Wait, don’t they say it is bad to drink alone?  She thought to herself.  I’ll go borrow the neighbor’s cat.  Then I won’t be alone.  Brilliant!  We have a plan!

Nadine mapped this meeting down to the last detail.  She went over every permutation of which she could think.  If it could go wrong, she had a plan.  So, why was she still nervous?

She leaned her head back against the seat and sighed.  When she closed her eyes, images of the past few weeks played in her mind.  Visions of her wandering around a nervous wreck.  She became suspicious, jealous, angry and scared.  Nadine did not like who she had become, thanks to him.  It had culminated with her, parked near his house. She watched him climb out of his car, walk around to the passenger side, open the door and help the blonde exit.  He gave her a kiss.  Not the friendly, sisterly kind of kiss, but the kind of kiss you reserve just for your girlfriend, and only your girlfriend.  The happy couple walked hand in hand into his house.

Nadine opened her eyes and took out her cell phone.  She dialed his number and watched as he smiled at Blondie, and looked at the caller id.  He mouthed “Just a minute,” and put the phone to his ear.  “Hello?”

“Hi.  How are you?” her voice light a jovial.

“I’m ok.  I’m kinda in the middle of something; can I call you back later?”

“This will only take a minute.”

“OK.”  He said, “Hold on.” 

Nadine heard him cover the mouthpiece of the phone and then watched him tell Blondie he had to take this call, and would be just a minute.

Steve walked out of the front entrance to the establishment, “Ok, so what’s up?”

“Can you meet me at your car?”

“What?” he asked confused, but then the realization hit him.  He stood paralyzed with fear. “What?” he asked again.

“At your car.  Can you meet me at your car?”

Silence greeted her.

Matter-of-factly she said, “I have your things.  Either you can come get them, I can leave them on your car, which I am pretty sure you don’t want me to do because your laptop is in one of these boxes, or I can take them into the coffee shop and leave them at your table.  It’s up to you.”

Steve whipped around and saw she spoke the truth.  He walked around to the side parking lot to find Nadine pulling boxes out of the back seat.  He closed his phone, his mind reeling.  By the time he reached her, she had pulled the last of the boxes from the trunk.  She turned to face him.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“I packed up all your belongings.  If you find there is something missing let me know, I’ll look for it.  I tried to get everything.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Because it’s over.”

“You’re breaking up with me?  No warning, no nothing?”

“I think you did that when you took that girl home.”  Her voice remained calm.

The colour drained from his face.  “What?” he murmured. This isn’t happening.  This isn’t happening, he repeatedly recited in his head.

“You heard me.  Now, can I get my key back, please?”

Weakly, he tried, “Nothing happened.”

“Right.  I didn’t see you kiss her.  I didn’t see you two walk hand in hand into your house.  I am not looking at her inside that building.” She said pointing to Blondie.  “Please, give me some credit.”

“You were spying on me?”  He asked indignantly.

Nadine laughed.  “Really?  You want to turn me into the bad guy?  I’m not the one cheating.  Key, please?”

Steve stood silently looking at her, shaking his head.

“No, what?  You won’t give me back my key?”  She sighed, “Fine, I didn’t want to have to change all the locks but, if I have to…”

“No, wait, we can work through this.  It was only once.” Panic rising in his voice.

“You only slept with her once or she was the only woman you cheated on me with?”

Again, silence greeted her.

“Well?”

“She was the only one.”

Nadine nodded.  He was being honest.  Four years of togetherness, taught you about your partner and she always knew when he was lying.  “Well that is the first straightforward thing you’ve said to me in weeks.”

“I’m sorry, Nadine.  She means nothing to me.”  Now there was panic and desperation in his voice.

“You know, I never understood that statement.  I think it’s really the other way around.  I meant nothing to you, and she meant everything.  Otherwise you wouldn’t have jeopardized our relationship.” Call her butter, she was on a roll.  “The other thing I don’t understand, is if you were unhappy, why didn’t you man up, say so and get out?”

“I wasn’t unhappy.”

“Clearly you were, or we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.”

“Nadine, I’m so sorry.  Please, can we talk about this?” he begged.

“Sure we can.  Did you use a condom?”

“What?”

She was tired of repeating herself and she was fighting the anger in her voice.  Her words came out strained and louder than she would have liked, “Did you use a condom?”

He didn’t answer again.

“Steve!  My health is at risk here.  Just tell me, when you fucked her, did you use a condom!” She yelled.  Her anger and hurt shone clearly in her eyes.

“Yes.” he whispered.

“Thank God.”  Nadine said, relieved. She looked down at her feet and kicked a leaf around. Her was voice was soft and sad when she asked again, “Are you going to give me my key back?”  She didn’t meet his gaze. The outburst took most of her strength and resolve.

Steve pulled his keys out of his pocket, removing hers and handed it to her.

She nodded, “Thank you.”  She reached into her own pocket and pulled out the key to his house and her engagement ring.  She looked at them in her hand.  They seemed so small and alone.  Remembering how happy and in love she had been when he had given these to her, made her chest tight.  Her aching heart pumped rapidly and she slowly drew in a trembling breath.  Looking up at him, she couldn’t stop the welling tears in her eyes.  Nadine tipped the items into the palm of his hand. 

He grabbed her wrist, “Please don’t do this,” tears threatening his own eyes.

She shook her head and the tears spilled down her cheeks.  “I didn’t do this.  You did.”  Her voice was quiet and frail.  “We’re done.  Goodbye.”  She took back her hand. 

Steve stood alone watching as she got into her car and drove off.