Alice stared in the mirror. A plain white t-shirt, a pair of light-wash jeans, and white sneakers seemed like an appropriate breakup outfit. Lectures were over and, with Peter’s graduation looming over them, Alice wanted to end their story before finals week. Peter had been a whirlwind of excitement in her life, but their relationship wasn’t forever and ever. It had never been.
In the past month and a half, Alice had kept appearances up. It had been easier to pretend everything was fine than to face up to her real feelings. Now it was time to grab the Chicago Bull by the horns. It was only a matter of time before he moved to Illinois, anyway; his agent had been super positive about the Bulls making an offer. There was no point in staying together. It was only a matter of who said it first.
Now that she thought about it, this would be the first time Alice was doing the dumping. In all her previous relationships, even when she’d known things weren’t going well, she’d always allowed the other person to call the shots. Not this time. Strangely, the prospect of being single didn’t make her feel insecure. Alice wasn’t scared of being alone anymore. Was this what growing up meant?
She knew calling it off with Peter was the right thing to do. That fact didn’t help her lack of experience in breaking the news, however. She’d done an extensive Google search on the dos and don’ts of the process. After being on the receiving end so many times, Alice should’ve been much more of an expert, but right now her mind felt blank. Honestly, there had never been a breakup modus operandi that had made her feel better about what was happening. She did a mental recap of the Internet’s advice all the same. The main dos were to tell him before anyone else (Madison didn’t count), to be one-hundred percent sure and honest—but not brutal—and to do it in person. She had that covered. The don’ts included not using empty clichés, not asking for a “break,” and, apparently, public spaces were a huge no-no. That’s why Alice had asked Peter if she could drop by his house later, yes, and if his roommate was going to be there, no.
Peter opened the door to his house with a smile so dashing, a little something fluttered in Alice’s belly. A million doubts immediately attacked her brain, and she tried to chase them away. A strong physical attraction wasn’t enough to stay with a guy.
“Hey.” He pulled her into a crushing hug.
“Hey, yourself.”
Peter let her inside the house, whistling a happy tune.
“You’re in a good mood?” Alice asked guiltily; she was about to ruin that for him.
“Oh, baby, you’ve no idea. I just got the call.” He stared at the ceiling. “I’m in.”
Alice could tell his mind was a million miles away.
“In…?”
“The NBA.” He cupped her face and stamped a kiss on her lips. “A two-year contract.”
“That’s great.” And also the perfect excuse. “Where, Chicago?”
Peter did a stupid, hip-hop victory dance. “Yep.”
“Amazing.” Alice’s smile tensed. This was the perfect moment to tell him.
“What’s up, baby? You look so serious.”
Alice sat on the couch. “Can we talk for a minute?”
Peter looked at her warily. “All right.” He sat next to her.
“This year with you has been… the most exciting of my life, and I’m glad I’ve gotten to know you…”
Peter’s face darkened. “But?”
“But you’re moving to Chicago. You’ll have this electrifying new life and I’m super happy for you, I am, but I’m staying here. You’ll be traveling a lot, meeting so many people. I’m not going to fit in that life, and I guess we’ve always known this—us—wasn’t forever.”
Peter remained silent for a second, then said, “Be honest, Alice. We’d be having this conversation even if Chicago wasn’t in the picture, right?”
“True,” Alice admitted. Peter was so sharp sometimes. “Listen.” The next part was the hard one. “I love spending time with you, and we have a great chemistry, but…” She paused. “I’m not in love with you. And you aren’t with me, either, are you?”
The L-word had not made an appearance in the six months they’d dated.
“I’m not sure.” Peter looked crestfallen. “You’re the first girl I really liked.”
“That’s because I’m super awesome,” Alice tried to joke, but she felt choked. Saying goodbye wasn’t easy, no matter how sure she was. “If you were in love with me, you’d be sure. It isn’t something you can half-feel.”
“I’ve never been in love, so I wouldn’t know. Have you?”
Yes, with Jack. I still am. Alice blushed. “Only once, and it sucked.” It still sucks.
“This sucks,” Peter complained. “I didn’t think we would say goodbye today.”
“But you knew we would, eventually?”
“Yes, I guess I did.” Peter opened his arms. “Come here.” He pulled her onto his lap, and she nestled her chin on his shoulder. “I know you’re right, baby,” he said, stroking her hair. “It’s just that I’ll miss you.”
“Me too.” Alice sniffed. “But it’s not like we’re breaking up because we hate each other. We can always keep in touch.” She pulled back to look at him.
He seemed to consider but shook his head. “Nah, we both know it wouldn’t work.”
“No, probably not. I have no past experiences to relate to. You’re the first ex I’d like to keep in touch with.” Alice fought back tears. “But you’ll be too busy fending off cheerleaders and fans, anyway.”
Peter’s eyes were so blue, and his face so gorgeous. He wasn’t making this easy on her.
“Can’t we keep seeing each other until we’re both in Boston?” he asked.
For a moment, Alice was tempted to say yes. What difference would a month make? But it’d only be a slower death—what was the point?
“I couldn’t stand it.” She shook her head. “It’d be like going around with a stick of dynamite and a ticking clock attached to our backs. It’d be horrible.”
“You’re right. A clean cut is best.” Peter stood up, scooping her into his arms and carrying her with him. “But don’t think for a minute I won’t see to you one last time.”
Alice giggled and let him take her to his room. Ah well, give it to Peter to know how to say goodbye in style. Best. Breakup. Ever.