Dana cut her words “Tonya! We need to talk.”

“Right now honey? I’m tired; can’t we talk tomorrow?” she frowned trying to make cute faces but failing miserably.

Dana cleared her throat before she spoke, “I think we should break up!” she said in one breath.

“What?” Tonya panicked. “Dana, sweetie are you ok? What’s wrong with you?” She reached Dana’s temple trying to check if Dana had fever.

“You’re a very good, caring, cheerful person Tonya and you’ll make someone very happy someday. But that someone isn’t me.”

Tonya sat next to Dana, her expression blank. She needed to escape this conversation pretty fast. At least postpone it until next day so that she could come up with manipulating ideas to ease Dana’s sudden negativity.

“I’m not accepting this Dana, I know you’re stressed because of the next tournament but we’ll deal with this. I’ll move in with you, take care of your sponsors and responsibilities, we’ll be fine.” Tonya softened her voice.

For the first time in her life, Dana decided to share her deepest secret even though it felt weird that it was to Tonya. “I’m in love with someone else.”

“What?” Tonya shouted, horrified. “I’m not believing this.” She stood up. “There’s no way! There’s no ***** way! You’re totally making this up. You love me! You’re in love with me! And I’m in love with you too.”

“What color of my eyes Tonya?” Dana asked slowly.

“This is nonsense Dana!” Tonya stupified. “Blue, of course. Is this a joke?”

“Just blue?” Dana smiled with a painful amusement. “You looked me in the eye lots of times. Is that the best you come up with?”

“You want poetry? It’s so cliche; right out of a cheesy movie Dana. What’s this got to do with you wanting a break up?”

“Because I don’t know yours. I never looked you deep enough to read your heart. To read everything that you are.” Somehow she saw the bright face of Alice before her, smiling and her face shining, rainbows formed in her eyes.

Tonya tried to reason: “Honey, is this about the other woman? She can’t make you happy as I could. We can start over; I could describe every inch of your body, please… Think about your career.” She begged.

Dana couldn’t contain the overflowing emotions inside of her. She felt really bad, she finally understood that she let Tonya to drag her into this relationship.  

“Listen Tonya. You really made me happy; you made me happy when I thought I could never smile again. I’m not sure if I’m gonna be loved back. But I know, even if I am rejected, i’ll be better off alone. I can’t do this to you. To us. Sorry.” Tears started to form, not because of the sadness of the break up. Dana was angry with herself for letting this ‘pretend game’ continue this far.

Tonya leaned down, burrying her head in Dana’s legs. “No Dana, please!!! I’m not letting you go. This is a mistake.” She sobbed. “You’re not thinking clearly.”

“For the first time in weeks, Tonya, I think I am.” Dana answered while clearing tear drops on her own cheek.

Tonya’s head stayed on Dana’s lap for minutes. She protested with agony, she kissed Dana’s upper legs without raising her head.

When no gesture of touching or apologizing came, Tonya stood up. Her face red with anger and strangely dry; without tears.

“You think I will beg Dana?” she said, her voice was confident. “You think I will cry? You’re loosing the only security, love you’ll ever have. And God be my witness, I’ll never take you back; you’ll cry, you’ll beg but too late Dana! If you let me walk away tonight, you’ll loose me for good.”

“I’m sorry. It’s better this way Tonya.”

“Well…” Tonya moved slowly out of the living room waiting for Dana to change her mind. She played every card in her hand. She even waited for a while to be called back by the main door and when she wasn’t, she left the house with anger and confusion.

Dana went upstairs to forget everything – including Alice – for that night and get a good night’s sleep first. “What a night!” she thought.

TBC