I am a chatterbox and some days that gets me into trouble. On one such day, I ended up telling my boyfriend that I was missing my ex. My boyfriend had come over for the weekend and we were both sitting and scrolling through our Facebook feeds when I came across a Facebook memory of me and my ex celebrating his birthday. I was staring at it and didn’t actually realize that Rishabh (my boyfriend) was actually looking at me.
Rishabh: What are you looking at?
Me: Erm… Just a Facebook memory.
Rishabh: You’ve been staring at it for quite some time. What memory is this?
I obviously had to show him my phone because I didn’t want him to think I was hiding something from him.
Rishabh: That’s… Your ex. Right?
Me: Yes… But… I mean. (My stammering was at an all time high)
Rishabh: Have you been talking to him?
Me: What? No! You know we haven’t talked for a really long time. And I would have told you if I had… You know that.
And you would think, I will stop at that. But noooo, I had to keep talking.
Me: I mean I would have liked to end things on a better note and I kinda miss him at times, but…
Rishabh: Excuse me? You miss him? You are telling me you miss your ex? Then what the hell am I doing here? I am sitting in front of you and you are staring at your ex’s picture and telling me you miss him?
Me: Oh my God, that’s not how I meant it.
Rishabh: I think I’m going to leave.
Me: WHAT?! Over this? I broke up with him 4 years ago, Rishabh, and you and I have been together for 2 years. Why is this such a big deal?
Rishabh: Listen, I know it’s not. But I want to leave right now. I’ll come back later.
He left. I tried calling him once or twice but he didn’t take my call. By that evening, I was furious. Suddenly, my doorbell rang and I opened the door to find him at my doorstep.
Rishabh: I’m sorry. I probably overreacted.
Me: Yes, you did. Rishabh, do you still talk to your college friends?
Rishabh: Yes… Why?
Me: Well, he and 4 other people were my group of friends from college. He was my best friend in college. When we broke up I lost my best friend and my boyfriend. And even though I wasn’t the bad guy in the whole situation, I ended up losing all of my friends to him. They sided with him. They don’t hate me but I am not the one hanging out with them anymore… He is. I miss him not as my boyfriend but as a friend. I miss all of them but most of all him because all of my college memories are with him… He was my best friend.
Rishabh: I didn’t think about it that way… Sorry.
Me: Well, if you would have stayed long enough to listen I would have told you this.
He put his arm around me, kissed me on my forehead and said…
Rishabh: I got ice-cream. Can we order pizza?
* Names changed to protect privacy
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