Chapter 13: Stuck on Replay

The night we got back together, my heart was calm as still water. I opened that breakup post for the first time in ages.

Scrolled from start to finish.

Besides the insults, I saw snapshots of my old self.

[Did Caleb Brooks and Aubrey Shea break up today, day six.]

[No, they even went to see a movie. Why does that try-hard deserve it?]

Why? That was our first movie together. I begged him to go—he didn’t even like movies, especially comedies. So I bought tickets for a three-hour documentary. Even though I hated documentaries, even though I was cramping and exhausted, I watched the whole thing with him.

[Did Caleb Brooks and Aubrey Shea break up today]

[No, I heard someone saw that girl hug the campus king.]

[Did Caleb Brooks and Aubrey Shea break up today]

[No. Look how silly she is, lining up to buy cold brew for the campus king. What kind of girlfriend is this? Just a try-hard.]

[Did Caleb Brooks and Aubrey Shea break up today]

[No, but the campus king was so handsome at the programming competition. I heard the girlfriend couldn’t even get a ticket. So funny—was she really the girlfriend?]

Looking at the photos, seeing my awkward, eager self in each one, my eyes stung.

These people weren’t wrong. Everything I did—wasn’t I just a try-hard?

All these years, what was I even doing?

Suddenly, I woke up.

I realized something. I can’t forgive him anymore.

Even if he deleted Erin, I still have to break up with him.

I stared at my reflection in the laptop screen, my outline blurred by blue light. Maybe it was time to be the main character of my own story—not just a supporting act in his.