Coffee Cup Confessions - Trish Williford Page 0,24
about it. He and I broke up about a year ago, and they’ve been dating about six months. And the thing is, she doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with it since I don’t have feelings for him anymore. And I don’t, but it still doesn’t make it okay … does it?”
Jake’s eyes are still as round as saucers. “Back up a second. You have how many sisters?”
“One. Her name is Mandy.”
“And she thinks it’s okay that she’s dating your ex-boyfriend because you don’t have feelings for him anymore?”
“Yes,” I confirm.
He gasps. “What the actual fuck?”
“Right? I’ve been beating my head against the wall for the last two weeks, trying to figure out if I’m overreacting like she thinks I am, but I’m pretty sure I’m justified in feeling the way I do.”
Jake’s hand turns to a fist, and he’s squeezing so hard that his skin turns pale. “If I saw your ex-boyfriend, I would kick the living shit out of him. He’s as much to blame as she is.”
“I know,” I agree quietly. I put my hand over his fist and rub my thumb in circles in an attempt to calm him down. “You shouldn’t be angry.”
“I’m angry that your sister could treat you like this.”
“It’s not the first time. I’m sure it won’t be the last either.”
“You two aren’t close?” he questions.
I want to laugh, but I’m too tired. “We used to be as kids, but something changed when we were teenagers. When we were in trouble, my mom would call us by our first and middle names. It was always Amanda Elizabeth or Misha Lynn. Mandy took it upon herself to mash together my first and middle names and call me the Mishalynn Girl. The nickname mocked the Michelin Man, Michelin’s mascot who is a giant, chubby white guy made of tires. At home, I let it roll off my shoulders. She had said much worse to me before that.
“One day, after a huge fight at home, which she got grounded for, I walked into the lunchroom with Drew and picked up my lunch. Mandy was sitting with her friends, most of whom were considered the popular kids in school. I walked past her table, and she called out for me.
“She stood up and looked down at my tray of food. She twisted her nose in disgust and said, ‘You’re so fat because you eat crap like this and don’t exercise. Pizza and soda? You should choose salads and water instead. Maybe then you would lose one of those tires around your waist, Mishalynn Girl.’
“Of course, her friends thought it was hysterical. The nickname stuck, and I was called Mishalynn Girl until the day I graduated.”
He flexes his jaw and shakes his head. It takes him a few moments to respond, but when he does, his voice is full of sympathy. “I’m so sorry, Misha. You don’t deserve this. You’re incredible, and I mean that.” He lets his fingers fall free from the fist and slides them through mine.
Jake and I sit in silence for several minutes, listening to the bustling of the busy coffee shop below us.
“I know how much it hurts—your ex being with your sister. I’ve experienced something similar. It’s embarrassing, and the betrayal cuts like a knife.”
To be honest, I’m not sure I believe him. What woman in their right mind would treat him poorly? “This bad?”
He chuckles hard. “Yeah. My best friend and my wife had an affair for years. I found out a year after we were married.”
Whoa … hold the hell up. Married?
Jake must notice the color draining from my face because he quickly amends the sentence. “She’s my ex-wife now. I’ve been officially divorced for three years. Split for four.”
Oh, thank you, sweet baby Jesus in a wicker basket. Way to give me a heart attack.
“My best friend, he was the closest thing to a brother I had. He came to me and told me about the affair because he felt guilty. She denied it at first, but he had so much proof that she couldn’t any longer. She eventually blamed me for the infidelity, saying that I put too much time into the coffee shop and not enough with her. So, needless to say, I filed for divorce. I have a really hard time trusting people in general now. If my best friend and wife betrayed my trust, then anyone would.”
Okay, I was wrong; that is worse than my situation. Just the thought alone makes me feel like I’ve