Page 15 of Sexting My Ex's Dad

His words keep replaying in my head. If this is his version of a break, I would have preferred the breakup.

At least then, I would have gotten complete closure.

Is she the reason he’d broken up with me?

My fingers tremble as I close the laptop, unable to bear the sight any longer.

“Stella?” Anastasia’s voice floats through the crack in my bedroom door, concern lacing her words. “Is everything okay? I heard you groan.”

“Was I that loud?”

“Yes.”

“Come in,” I sigh, welcoming the distraction from my thoughts. She pushes the door open, her eyes searching mine for any sign of distress.

“Hey,” she says softly, taking a seat beside me on the bed. “What’s going on?”

“Owen,” I choke out, my voice barely audible. “He’s moved on already”

Anastasia’s face contorts into a mixture of sympathy and anger. “Are you serious?”

I gesture to my computer, not even wanting to look at the picture again however Anastasia doesn’t hesitate to throw the screen open and hiss. “What a jerk,” she seethes, wrapping a comforting arm around my shoulders. “You deserve so much better, Stella. I always knew you were too good for him…that fat nose pompous…” I’m hardly listening, as she continues to insult him.

Anastasia plays her role well – as the comforting best friend, but her words do little to make me feel better.

“Maybe,” I murmur, staring blankly at the wall. “But it still hurts, you know? And it doesn’t help that the girl is pretty.”

“No girl is as pretty as you.”

I roll my eyes and fall onto my back on the bed. “I hate him.”

“You should. He’ll regret leaving you,” Anastasia reassures me, giving me a gentle squeeze. “He’ll remember how wonderful you are, and he’ll come crawling back, and when he does, you’ll have moved on.”

She’s right. That’s what I should be focused on…moving on, but I can’t shake the lingering sense of betrayal. We’d been together for years…if he could go leave me for another girl, so could a stranger. Will I ever be able to trust someone again?

Owen was supposed to be a safe choice — maybe not particularly the most attractive or romantic guy — but I’d been confident that he’d stay by my side.

I was wrong.

“Maybe,” I finally say, throwing an arm over my face.

“No, no maybe.” She yanks my arm away. “I know what you need. A girl’s night out. What do you say we head to that new bar downtown? It’s supposed to be really fun, and it’ll get your mind off of Owen.”

I shake my head. “I’m not in the mood.” I’ll move on eventually, but that doesn’t mean it has to be today.

“Well, I’m not going to let you sulk.” She pulls on me until I’m sitting up. “Now, you’re going to get up, get dressed, and go with your best friend to the bar to find another guy.”

“But I…”

“No exceptions!” She cuts me off. “Get up, now!” She gets off the best. “I’ll go get ready myself and when I come back you’d better be ready too or else.”

I would say that her words are just an empty threat, but with Anastasia…I can never be too sure.

She bounds out of the room, and I sigh.

She didn’t give me much of a choice.

Maybe if I go, I can, at least, have a little bit of fun.