I run to the kitchen, coming back with menus for various take out places, “So what’ll it be Ms.Fairbanks? Chinese, Tai, Chinese orChinese? I really need to get a little variety in my life.” I try to joke, but she continues to sit in a stupor on my couch.

“Ok, Dane now you’re scaring me. Is everything ok? Did you get a traffic ticket?”

“No.”

“Ok, did you have problems at the club?”

She simply shakes her head no.

“Uhoh no did you tell your parents Howe’s *****?”

She grabs my hands, pulling me to sit next to her, “No Alice, none of that happened. I justwell I need to talk to you.”

I can tell by her eyes whatever she needs to tell me can’t be good, but I’m in denial, “Sure, baby what is it?”

She swallows hard, biting her lip, “Well, uhm, you know the other night at the Heart concert when we talk about how much it sucked that we couldn’t talk to our best friend anymore?”

I don’t like where this is going, “Yea”

She places our hands in her lap, “Andyou remember the night I went out on a date with Lara and you gotwell you were really worried about where I was.”

I push the tears forming in my eyes down, “Uhmmyeah, well you were suppose to meet me and you were late. You’re never late. Wellactually you were late today, but I mean in a typical, average day you’re never late”

She cuts me off, “Alice, I want my best friend back.”

I play dumb, “What? What do you mean, Dane? I’m right here. You know that.”

She sighs, “No, uh, Alice I think it would be bestthat is I think we should just be friends.”

I pull my hands away from her.

“Alice, listen. I’m not doing this to hurt you. I just really thinkI feel that maybe we made a mistake. I don’t want to completely lose you.”

I stand up, turning so she can’t see the tears running down my face. She doesn’t deserve to see the power she has over me, “Please leave.”

“Alice,” she walks behind my trying to spin me around, “Please, let’s talk about this.”

Let’s talk about this? What the ***** is there to talk about?

I pull away from her, “Dana, please leave. I have nothing to talk to you about.”

I hear her sigh, “Al, I never wanted to hurt you.”

I can’t believe she said that. I turn around, bringing myself inches from her, “You have seen so many people hurt me. My mother, my failed relationships and you promised meI made you promise me that you would never hurt me.”

 I try to wipe the tears from my face, “Well guess what Dana, you have hurt me deeper than anyone ever has and ever could. You promised Dana, you ***** promised” I shake my head.

She tries to pull me into her embrace, “No, Dana. Leave”

“Let me explain. I know I promised and that’s why I’m doing this now, before we are beyond repair.”

Is she ***** delusional? I laugh, “You’re kidding me right? You actually believe we can come back from this? From you, the love of my life, telling me that you don’t love me and you want to leave me?”

“Alice, I never said”

I cut her off, screaming at her, “Just ***** leave Dana.”

A few moments later I hear my door shut. I fall to the ground, a puddle of disappointment and heartache.