Heartbreak 1

*Riiiinnnggg*

Slamming my hand on my blaring alarm, I lazily stood up from the bed and I felt a pain shoot through my body but seeing that if I didn't stand up that time I'd be late for work. Dragging my feet, I went into the bathroom to do my morning business. By the time I came out, I heard my phone ringing. Walking over to the table near my bed where I had placed it, I saw a strange number and acting according to my subconscious I answered but no one answered.

"Hello. Who is this?" I asked but still no response. "Hey, if you aren't going to talk, I'm hanging up in three," I said already getting annoyed. "One, two, the...."

"Hi, Lottie." a familiar cheery male's voice came in.

"Xavier? Is that you?" I asked unsurely.

"You sure have a retentive memory," he said.

"Xavier!" I screamed with joy.

"Yeah." he chuckled over the phone.

"It's been a long time. How have you been?"

"Great. I'm so happy to hear your voice."

"I'm also very excited. I can't stop to think that you'll ever stop to give me a call."

"Don't be like that. I've always wanted to but......"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. You've been busy." I started as I placed the phone on the loudspeaker and began dressing for work. "But still this is your first time calling since you traveled for how many years?"

"Char, don't be harsh....."

"Ow...For two years and six months, if my calculations are right."

"I'm sorry, I know I haven't had the time for you guys."

"Now you know." I pointed out.

"And I also know work can never be an excuse between friends. I'll make sure to make it up to you."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"You are forgiven," I said and he laughed lightly.

"So how's Diane?"

"Oh, oh, oh." I laughed. "I see that feeling that you have for her is still ignited within you."

"Lottie, don't take the words from my mouth. I only asked after her," he said and even though we were miles away from each other I could sense him beaming.

"Oh, ok. My sincere apologies. Diane is equally doing great."

"Just great?"

"Yeah?" I was confused and realization dawned on me. "I'm sorry, when I say she's doing great, it means she is doing better than I am."

"Lottie, I don't understand you."

"Well...Diane traveled."

"Travelled? To where?"

"Why are you so worried when I am the one who is meant to be because my best friends aren't here with me." I pouted as I picked up my phone and went out of the room to the kitchen.

"I'm sorry but when did she travel and to where?"

"Calm down lover boy. It is not like she is gone forever it is for a year and she left just last week." I chuckled as I took out the peanut butter and dropped the phone on the kitchen table.

"A year? Where on earth did she travel to?"

"London."

"What? London?"

"Hey, enough of the questions what's the problem?"

"Nothing, I'm just surprised."

"Wait....." I paused as I placed the sandwich on the table. "Aren't you also in London? Oh my. You could get to see her anytime, a phone call will do."

"Lottie. I'm not in London. I traveled to Africa a month back for an important business that would take my time." he said, regret lacing his cheerful tone.

"You have no other choice but to wait till you finish your work." I giggled grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge before settling to eat.

"Is she over with the girlfriend agency thingy?"

"Yeah." I nodded while munching my food and he sighed in relief. "Wait a minute, don't tell me you were thinking that she went over there for it?"

"No." hints of sadness and despair showed in his voice as he spoke.

"Okay." I giggled and got back to my food.

"Anyway, how's Dave?" he asked and I forced the half-chewed sandwich down my throat.

"I don't know," I said feeling a bit sad at the turn of events between Dave and me.

"What do you mean by 'I don't know.'"

"Well, we are no longer together."

"No longer together? I thought you both were blinded with love."

"I had also thought so but how can't he believe me this last time? I thought trust existed in our relationship?" I ranted angrily.

"Woah, babe. Calm down."

"I'm sorry." I bent my head as tears threatened to fall.

"You need not be. Even though I don't know what happened between you two but.....it must be for the best, it isn't like I ever liked him," he said and I smiled. "It is true, when I was still around he was often disappointing you in one way or another, and when he looks at you...Oh...I could puke remembering his disgusting face. How I wish I was around to kick his ass." he said and I burst out into laughter. " That's what I want to hear."

"What?" I asked confused.

"To hear you laugh. Surely I'm missing a lot. I wish I were with you just to see you smile."

"Awwwwnnnn. It seems like I'm speaking to a completely different guy, not the one who cries with me whenever I'm sad. I must say I am touched and thanks to the opportunity you got."

"Keep rambling. I won't try to calm you down again. Never." he said stubbornly.

"I guess I was wrong after all, you are still the same immature guy I've known all my life."

"What... You call me immature?

"Have you ever checked yourself, you are worse than a child's immaturity?"

"Seriously? When have I ever acted like a child?"

"Oh....Do you want me to remind you? That's what I'll do but are you ready for the bomb," he said dramatically.

"Bomb? What bomb?"

"Did you think I did not know how Aunt Penny's expensive shoes got to Clover's mouth?" he said and my jaw dropped.

"What?" I asked him in awe.

"You sound surprised. You should know that anything I put my mind to, I would find out sooner or later, Just imagine, she would be so excited if I give her a phone call but when she hears about how her shoe or who got her shoe ruined, ohhhh....she would be so mad. I'm sure she wouldn't have forgotten, it seems to be a very precious one to her even if it was when we were young."

"Xavier...."

"Let's say I've got my ways of finding out truths. Don't you think I should become a detective? Detective Xavier. Did you feel that? You can call me DX for short."

"Shut the fuck up."

"You still have that sharp tongue but remember you can only use it but can't raise your fists at me." he laughed. "It was nice talking to you and I won't forget my promise. I have to go now. Ciao, Muah." he said before dropping the call and I smiled before packing my plates to the sink after losing my appetite.

Xavier and I had been childhood friends since I was six. We've had various scuffles while growing up people began to say that we were behaving like a couple and that we would make a very good pair so whenever we fought our parents would rather leave us to settle than have them interfering but we weren't interested in each other and would often say we would prefer eating trash that being together. Even though we had our fights, we were partners in exhibiting tyranny wherever we went.

I smiled when I remembered how we had humiliated a lady at one of the get together we often had in the neighborhood. Xavier and I had always regarded her as a zombie because of the heavy makeup she always had on. That fateful day after discussing her Xavier had dared me to move over to her and call her a zombie. She was so enraged when I called her, that she had to leave the function in embarrassment but unfortunately for Xavier and I were given the trashing of our lives.

Chuckling, I made my way out of my apartment but stopped abruptly.

"He moved in already?" I thought aloud, listening to an acoustic guitar playing from inside the door next to mine. The thought of my first encounter with him alone made me flush in embarrassment. Sighing I left for work but there was a thought going through my head all along.

𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑚𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑐 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑓𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑟 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒? I couldn't place it and I thought for a moment that it was a guitar someone gave me in the past. At work, the pain got worse and I couldn't get the strumming of the guitar out of my mind which unfortunately, led to a migraine.

"What's up with you today? You look like you are lost in a jungle of thoughts." Alex voiced during lunch.

"Me?" I looked up to see him squinting his eyes at me.

"Yeah, you. Is something wrong?"

"Hm, no."

"Then something must be wrong with you? Are you ill?" he asked, placing the back of his palm on my neck. "Wha....." he shouted removing his hand. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't know how to tell you."

"Why? Are you crazy? why? why didn't you know how?"

"I was scared that you would tell me to go to the hospital and give me a break thereby leaving you all alone here without me to help," I said and he laughed.

"You are a drama queen, you know? You don't want to visit the hospital, why?"

"Well, the smell of the disinfectant makes my stomach turn, and seeing all the sick people I would feel worse." I cringed remembering the smell.

"Still, you have to go. It might be contagious and I don't want to fall sick because of your fear." he paused to glare at me. "Since the boss isn't around yet, you can take a week off to treat yourself."

"What? A week? No, I can't." I shook my head.

"Don't be stubborn, Charlotte."

"I'm not stubborn. I just think that a week is too much. I know by the day after tomorrow I'll be fine."

"You said you're not stubborn when that's how you are behaving. Charlotte you can't change my mind a week or you'll regret it."

"But who's gonna help you."

"I was doing fine before you came along so I'll manage."

"But..."

"Miss, you don't wish to see how angry I can be so to prevent it listen to me. When you are through with your lunch you can go."

"Okay." I replied. "What? After lunch?"

"Yeah and you should go to the hospital first before going home" he ordered.

"Okay," I said defeated as I finished my meal.

I had tried to convince Alex that it wasn't a problem for me to stay till we were done for the day but it fell on deaf ears feeling how weak I was, I became too lazy to go to the hospital but groaned when I remembered I still had to go to the grocery store.

While picking out stuff, my eye caught someone on the other side of the room.

He stood at the snack column looking through the snack, dressed in blue jeans and a white shirt that hugged the muscles looking hotter than the time I saw him last but when I looked to his side my heart shattered all over again.

Beside him stood a lady, who I remembered he had introduced to me once in the past as his high school friend, who he had once had a crush on, wearing matching outfits with him and they looked perfect for each other.

"Idiot." I mumbled as I wiped a stray tear from my cheeks and turned back so they wouldn't notice me but either I was too slow or they were too fast.

"Charlotte." I heard her but acted like I didn't as I continued to walk to another section of the store. "Charlotte." she called again but this time she was behind me.

Breathing in sharply, I turned to face her and I was relieved to see that he wasn't beside her.

"Hey, Zoe." I said as I put on a pretentious happy face.

"How have you been?" she beamed at me.

Zoe was a nice and gentle person so I knew her question was random and not to hurt my feelings.

"Great."

"I saw you from over there." she pointed to where he stood and he smiled at me before he began approaching where Zoe and I stood. "And I couldn't help but approach you." she continued.

"Oh." I began to feel uncomfortable.

"Hey, Charlotte." He said on getting in front of me and his sweet voice rang in my ears.

"Hi.....Hi Dave." I stuttered and immediately felt like a fool.

Embarrassed, I looked down and my eye caught something on his finger.

"You......" I looked up to look at both their faces, stunned.

"You must be surprised but Dave and I are about to get married," Zoe said without the intention of hurting me which it did badly.

"You are engaged?" I asked for confirmation as I looked at her.

"Yep, we are getting married this weekend and we are inviting you over." she said and I looked from her to Dave.

"Me?" I asked, my gaze still on Dave.

"Yes," he said softly and I began to shake my head in disapproval.

"Charlotte," Zoe called as she reached for my hand. "I know it must be hard for you since you and Dave had a past." she paused as she looked at me. "But it would mean so much to me......to us if you can be there..."

"As what?" I snapped at Zoe and I immediately regretted it as I felt like a jealous past girlfriend, which I was. "I'm sorry but you must know that I would ......." I paused for some seconds to draw air into my lungs. "I don't want to ruin your special moment so I'm sorry I can't." I said as I began to move away but a grip on my wrist stopped me.

"You won't" Dave said and I looked from his hand on my wrist to his face. "We are friends and I can't .....I can't help but feel bad if you aren't there."

"Yes, Charlotte. Please." Zoe pouted.

"Zoe, I can't, you..."

"You can please, please, please." she continued pleading with me and soon Dave joined her.

"Okay, I'll come but...."

"It is concluded then, make sure to come early. I'll text you the venue and the time. Thanks, Char." she said before she pecked my cheeks.

"Make sure to treat yourself, you look sick." She said.

"Zoe..."

"She is?" Dave asked her before reaching to touch my forehead.

"I'm alright." I tried reassuring them.

"You're sure?"He asked arching his eyebrow.

"Yeah," I said putting on a faint smile.

"Okay then, we'll have to get ongoing. Bye." she said as she took a hold of a smiling Dave's hand before I could say anything they had gone from my sight.

Sighing, I finished my shopping and went home.