2. We Are Done

I made my way up the stairs, carrying a box filled with my things from the publishing house, lost in my own world. A suspension meant a pay cut, how was I supposed to cover the bills?

Pushing the thought aside, I entered the passcode to the door and walked in with a bright smile on my face, eager of what would happen next. Though I was feeling down, I was sure Derek would find a way of cheering me up.

But my smile faltered as I took in the disarray of the living room. It was strange, Derek had always been the neat type. Clothes were scattered across the floor, and two used wine glasses were on the table.

"Does he have a guest? Why would he invite someone into such a messy apartment?" I wondered to myself as I made my way to the bedroom.

My eyes narrowed when I spotted a pair of red lace panties. I bent down to pick them up, a frown slowly spreading across my face. They weren’t mine.

"My God!" I gasped, covering my mouth with my hand. My mind raced with a lot of possibilities as I approached the door, which was slightly ajar. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but... I hoped it wouldn't be what I was thinking.

Muffled whimpers. Groans. Moans. I wasn’t naive enough not to recognize those sounds. My legs gave way, and I leaned against the wall for support. A tear slipped down my cheek as I grasped the door handle with trembling hands.

I hesitated, wondering if I should just leave quietly. But, I was his girlfriend, I had every right to confront him.

Regaining a new found courage, I pushed the door open and as I feared, Derek was on the bed with..... Bella, riding and grinding her.

Someone shoot me!

I blinked rapidly, trying to process what I was seeing, or was my mind playing tricks on me? My limbs felt like jelly as I slowly stepped further into the room.

"Derek!" I screamed, and that was enough to startle them both. He quickly rolled over, his eyes wide with shock. Bella scrambled to cover herself with the duvet as I shot her a disgusted look.

"Ellie... how did you get in?" he asked, fumbling with his shorts as he hurriedly tried to put them on. "I didn’t expect you to be here. Shouldn’t you be at work?" He began to move closer to me.

I felt like I had been punched in the gut. That was what he was going to ask? Not even a 'sorry'? Or a look of remorse?

"Don't come closer, Derek," I warned, my eyes flashing with anger. He stopped immediately, frozen in his tracks.

He turned to face Bella, who was hurriedly trying to get dressed. "You told me you locked the door!" He raised his voice at her. "Damn it!" He cursed, running a hand through his hair.

"Look, Ellie, I can explain. Just hear me out, I’m sure you’ll understand," he said, his voice pleading and placating.

I shut my eyes momentarily, still trying to wrap my head around everything. It was three years of my life going down the drain. Three wasted years. "What do you take me for, Derek?" I asked, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me.

"Bella came over for a few things, and somehow... we ended up... on the bed," he muttered the last part in a low voice. He quickly added, "It's actually the first time."

Shameless. Unbelievable. Despicable. Those words echoed in my mind like a mantra.

"Whether it's the first time or hundredth, does it makes any difference?" I snapped, getting pissed off by his words.

I averted my gaze to Bella, letting out a bitter chuckle. Standing before me, I couldn't recognize the person I once called a friend. "Is this staying with your mom at the hospital? Does this place look like a hospital?" I asked, my voice rising.

My eyes suddenly widened as something flashed in my mind. "Wait a minute... Those times you talked about going to the hospital and leaving me to finish the rest of your work, have you been having sex with my boyfr-" I paused, turning to Derek with a harsh glare. I would be a fool to call him my boyfriend. "With this asshole?" I continued.

"No!"

"You are right!"

Derek and Bella said almost at the same time.

"How could you do this to me? Were my feelings a joke to you? Were the times we spent together nothing to you?" I questioned, blinking rapidly, forcing back the tears that threatened to spill. The last thing I wanted was to show any form of weakness, especially in front of him. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing my tears.

"He was going to tell you, but since you found out this way," Bella said with a nonchalant shrug. "Derek is sick of you, and he chose me instead." There was a hint of pride in her voice. Was dating Derek really that big of an achievement? At one point, it was to me... but now, this was just so messed up.

I turned to face Derek, waiting for him to say something, just anything.

"You were always busy, Ellie. You never had time for me and treated me like a second option. The revenge on your father's death was your priority, not me. I am your boyfriend and you should give me every moment of your time!"

I stared at him in disbelief, like he was spewing trash. Everything he said sounded foreign in my ears. Taking a deep breath, I corrected him, "Was."

He clearly didn’t get get. "Huh?"

"You were my boyfriend, Derek," I said, picking on my words slowly making sure they sank in. I was done. Love, relationships, even friendship, they were all fucked up.

His expression turned grim. "Are you...."

"Hell yeah!" I interrupted him. I took a few steps towards him. The tears were still there, just under the surface though, I wasn’t going to let them fall. "I am breaking up with you, Derek. We. Are. Done."

"We can fix things between us. We've come a long way to just break up over some misunderstanding," he said.

Could he just stop talking?! I clearly caught him cheating on me, and he was calling it a misunderstanding?

"The only thing you need to fix is your fucked up life," I said, a smirk forming at the corner of my mouth. "And you'll need a lot of good luck with that."

I gave Bella one final stare before turning to leave, but Derek's next words made me stop.

"You won't regret this?" he asked.

I slowly turned to face him. "I would. Probably for a long time," I said with a nod, like I was trying to confirm my own words. I noticed his expression brighten, not too soon.

"Every single day of my life, I will regret the time I spent with you, Derek. That's my only regret," I added, watching his face flush with anger as he clenched his fists.