Chapter 89: Three Things
Vivian’s POV
When going about life, some people were able to pick out the patterns in their lives. Vivian was one of those people, but she was not proud of the particular pattern that she had noticed.
For some reason, whenever something really bad happened in Vivian’s life, it did not just happen on its own. It always brought along friends and as a result Vivian had come to the realization that for her, bad things happened in threes.
The current situation with Ryan Terrell was no different. First she had found that gorgeous woman in Ryan’s penthouse, and the pain had hurt so bad she had thought she might die on the spot. Then after that, she had called Ryan to get the truth out of him. For him to at least confess that it was not just him and Vivian. That there was someone else in the picture, a person who was eons above Vivian.
But he had talked to her like it was all smooth sailings, like he had not turned her into the other woman. Ryan casually crushing her heart through the phone had been the second bad thing to happen to Vivian.
The third awful thing, because Vivian just could not catch a break, was currently happening to have right at that very moment, and it was happening right in the middle of a store aisle.
" I would have thought that with the two of us being broken up. You would at least be trying to do better for yourself health-wise. Aren’t women supposed to get into better shape when they’re single:" Looking at the tub of ice cream in her hands, Vivian briefly thought about putting it back in the freezer.
But then she very carefully put it in her cart amongst her other purchases.
"Go away Bryce. I do not wish to speak to you," Ignoring her the same way that he had often done when they were still a couple. Bryce instead parked his shopping cart right in front of hers blocking Vivian’s way.
***
Observing as though it were happening to someone else and not to her. Vivian watched as Bryce began going through her cart, making discouraging noises whenever he came across something he did not like.
"Why on earth are you using sunflower oil? Olive oil is the best. And why is your peanut butter not sugar free? Vivian seriously, you should take better care of yourself. This is why you need me as your boyfriend," Blinking at him, Vivian began to move her cart back. But Bryce gripped it, preventing her from leaving.
"Now you are walking away while I am talking to you. Seriously Vivian, grow up. When are you going to stop with this ridiculous game of yours and just get back together with me?" Looking around the aisle, Vivian was a little glad to be saved from embarrassment thanks to the fact that they were the only two people currently in that section.
"Leave me alone Bryce. I do not want to get back together with you," At her words Bryce’s expression instantly twisted. He pointed a finger at her.
"You see, that attitude right there is why I am the only guy you can get," The words were a blow that she did not need.
Her hands shaking, Vivian gripped the handlebars of her cart tight, hoping that the man would just leave her alone. But Bryce was not done.
"How can you continue to refuse me when I am the only one willing to keep giving you chances?"
He was the one giving her chances? What on earth was he smoking?!
"Vivian, you do not take care of your weight. You do not care about your health. You have bad fashion sense. And now you have gone and gotten yourself a foul temper as well. Do you want to spend the rest of your life alone?" Each and every single one of those words hit their mark and they hurt bad.
Gripping her cart even tighter, Vivian jerked it back and forth. The sudden movement causing Bryce to let go. Without another word Vivian turned around again and began moving in the opposite direction. Lucky for her, her ex did not follow, but he could not resist throwing a parting shot her way.
""At the end of the day, I am the only man on earth who can stand you. You will come back to me Vivian Rose. You always do,"
***
Back in her apartment with the groceries on the table and not yet unpacked. Vivian sat on one of the little wooden chairs that she had in her kitchen. Her entire body aching, her head suffering the worst of it as Bryce’s words replayed in her mind over and over again. Taking the quality of nails on chalkboard the longer they continued to tear her down.
Once upon a time whenever dark thoughts used to invade her mind. Vivian used to chase them away by thinking of all of the lovely things that Ryan Terrell called her. Clinging to all of the beautiful things that he said she was. But now Vivian could not draw strength from that. How could she, when she now knew that Ryan had been lying to her the entire time? But even though Ryan had been proven to be a liar, Vivian was also a liar in her own right.
One so accomplished, she told herself untruths all the time, and actually liked the way they sounded. Reaching for her phone with trembling fingers. Vivian began listening to the voice messages that Ryan had left her over the past few days. Messages that made it sound like he was desperate to hear from her, all of them lies. But as she held the phone against her ear and listened to Ryan speak, Vivian told herself the biggest lie of all.
And that was that she actually believed all of the sweet things that Ryan was saying to her in his messages.
