Lies

Alex’s stomach is in knots as he walks into the coffee shop. He’s about to have a conversation he REALLY doesn’t want to have. But he knows he has to do it; the lie has continued long enough.

He spots Samantha sitting at the large communal table. She waves to him, and he waves back. They hug. Alex orders his coffee and sits down in front of her.

"Hi, Alex! So glad you wanted to get coffee," says Samantha.
"Hi, sorry but let’s skip the pleasantries. I’m here to get something off my chest."
"What?"
"I have to spit it out."
"Spit what out?"
"It. You'll know soon enough."

Samantha flashes a mercurial look on her face. Now she is nervous as well, but even more confused.

"Well...."

Alex looks off into the distance.

"Alex!"
"Okay, okay. I want to start by saying you look so pretty today, like actually stunning. Have you been working out?"
"Really?! I do? Well, I have been hitting the Peloton....wait no! Tell me what you have to tell me!"
"Nothing gets past you. You are so smart too. Just a total catch."
"I know. Out with it."

Alex pauses again and darts his eyes off into the distance.

"So being the absolute scum of the Earth that we all know that I am, I did it again."
"Did what?"
"You know how I like to lie to get out of uncomfortable conversations, or any negative situations, or any time where I can be made out to be a bad guy?"
"Yeah...."
"You remember when we were going through the throes of our breakup, and I started seeing other people?"
"Yeah...."

Alex takes another deep breath, gathering his strength. Every fiber in his being is telling him not to keep talking.

"So, you remember how I started seeing that girl April while we were still breaking up?"
"Yeah."
"Well after we broke it off for good and ended all friendly communication I started talking to her again."
"So?"
"You know Chloe?"
"The girl you’re dating right now?"
"Yeah. Well, Chole is April. Surprise!"
"What?!"

Samantha furrows her brow, and Alex has flashbacks to a series of conversations that ended quite poorly. He starts to talk fast and ramble.

"Okay before you get angry, just let me finish. Also, you're still so pretty. Like you look like a model. I digress. You have to see this from my point of view. When we stopped speaking altogether I was certain, that with time, and I can't emphasize this enough.....that we would never, ever, speak to each other again. I was sure you would be out of my life. As all good exes must."
"So?"
"So, when we ran into each other on the street, and you asked me if I was dating someone, I told you the truth that I was. But no way in hell was I going to tell you that I was seeing April. I still have PTSD over how you reacted to her in the past. I wasn't going through that again. I would rather walk into traffic, right after flinging you into it."

Samantha is quiet, her brow still furrowed.

"That was a joke," Alex tries to break the silence.
"So why are you telling me now?"

"Well...because you're really not the evil fire-breathing monster that I made you out to be. And we've started to make amends for all the stuff that we put each other through. And the truth would have come out eventually, and I wanted it to be me that told you."

Samantha looks straight into his eyes.

"I forgive you."
"What?"
"I forgive you. I was awful back then. You were no model citizen either, but I did a lot of things wrong, and I am not that person anymore. So, I forgive you."
"Wow."
"And clearly this chica is good for you if she's got you coming clean on your lies, I'm happy for you."

Now it was Alex's turn to have a mercurial look.

"Really?"
"Yes. Now can we be real friends again?"

"Ugh, can men and women ever truly be friends?"