Breakup

The neon lights outside the bar flickered like they always did, casting a hazy glow on the pavement as I made my way to the entrance. I had been looking forward to this all day—a night out with Jake in the same bar where we first met. The place had become kind of "our spot.".

I scanned the bar and saw Jake, as usual, behind it. He was wearing that grin, the one that could light up a room even in a place where every corner was filled with noise and flashing lights. But something felt... off. He wasn't working the crowd like usual, wasn't leaning in to hear the regulars' stories or laughing at someone’s joke. He looked distant.

I weaved through the crowd and made my way to the bar, throwing him a casual wave as I got closer. "Hey, you!"

Jake looked up, and I swear his smile faltered for a split second before it returned—less bright, more polite.

“Hey,” he said, his voice a little too casual. He glanced around nervously, wiping down the counter. “Can we, uh, talk for a second?”

My stomach did a weird flip. Not the good kind. “Sure,” I said, leaning against the bar. “What’s up?”

Jake set down the towel and motioned for one of the other bartenders to take over. He walked around the bar, nodding towards the back, away from the crowd.

We ended up in a quieter corner near the back door. The music was muffled here, though you could still hear the faint thumping of the bass through the walls. Jake was leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets, looking down at his feet.

This wasn’t good.

“Okay,” I started, forcing a smile even though dread was slowly filling every inch of me. “You’re kind of scaring me. What’s going on?”

Jake sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Listen, I’ve been thinking a lot about us. About... this.”

“I care about you; I do,” he continued, his voice soft, almost apologetic. “But I just don’t think this is working out.”

I blinked, my brain struggling to catch up. “Wait, what? You don’t think we’re working out?”

Jake nodded; his expression pained. “Yeah. I’ve been trying to figure out how to say this, and I didn’t want to drag it out any longer. You deserve someone who can give you everything, and I don’t think I’m that person.”

I stared at him.

“Jake, where is this coming from? I thought we were fine.”

“We are fine,” he said quickly. “That’s the problem. We’re just... fine. But I think you want more, and honestly, I don’t know if I can give you more. I think we’re in different places, you know? And it’s not fair to keep pretending like everything’s okay when I’m not sure it is.”

I wanted to argue, to tell him he was wrong, that we could figure this out. But the look in his eyes told me there wasn’t much room for debate. He had already made up his mind.

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my voice steady. “So, that’s it? You’re just... breaking up with me? Here, in this bar?”

Jake winced. “I didn’t want to do it like this. But yeah, I guess I am.”

For a moment, I didn’t know what to say.

“Why now?” I asked quietly. “Why tonight?”

He sighed again, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “Because I’ve been avoiding it for too long. And I didn’t want to hurt you more by dragging this out. You deserve the truth.”

I nodded slowly, biting the inside of my cheek to keep from saying something I’d regret. “Right. The truth.”

Jake reached out like he was going to touch my arm, but stopped short. “I’m sorry.”

I took a deep breath, forcing the lump in my throat to disappear. “Yeah. Me too.”

We stood there for a few more moments, both of us unsure of what to say next. But what was there to say? It was over.

Finally, I nodded towards the door. “I’m gonna go.”

Jake looked like he wanted to say something more but he didn’t. He just nodded, stepping aside to let me pass.

I walked out of the bar, the cool night air hitting me like a slap in the face.

I hadn’t seen this coming. Maybe I should have, but I didn’t. I shoved my hands in my pockets, staring down the street. I didn’t know what to do next, where to go, or how to feel.

Suddenly, I felt someone standing next to me. I turned, and to my surprise, it was Evans.

He was leaning casually against the brick wall of the bar, his perfectly styled hair slightly mussed by the night air. The neon lights reflected off his sharp jawline, casting long shadows on his face.

Evans was the last person I expected to see tonight.