CHAPTER 10: Breaking Up

"You what?" Alonzo looked at her incredulously.

"Am breaking up with you," Bombalurina repeated.

"Are you trying to break my heart like she did?"

"No! No, Alonzo!" Bombalurina exclaimed, genuinely shocked and hurt by the accusation.

"Because if you are, then you can just –"

"Alonzo!" The scarlet queen said sharply. "Do you seriously think I would go that low? Because if you do, then there really is no point in us staying together. You obviously don't trust me."

As she turned to go, Alonzo caught her arm. "No, Bombie – I'm sorry." He pulled around her to face him and searched her countenance. "You don't love me anymore, is that it?"

"Yes," Bombalurina whispered, "that's it. I'm sorry, Alonzo." She reached up to caress his face. "I'm so sorry. But I can't help how I feel."

"Did you ever love me?" Alonzo asked, bracing himself for the answer.

"Yes. At least, I thought I did. Maybe I was fooling myself after what he did to me. I don't know. But you're a very special tom."

"You still love him, though."

Bombalurina was curious as to how Alonzo knew, but she refrained from saying anything about it. "Yes, I still love him. And I think you still love her. So maybe I'm doing us both a favour." She tenderly kissed his cheek. "Thanks for everything, Alonzo. I'll always keep a place for you in my heart." And then she was gone.

Alonzo stared after her. Maybe she's right…

"I thought you loved me."

"So did I."

"But you don't."

"No."

"So you're leaving me."

"Yes."

"Why don't you love me?" Cassandra crossed her arms and pouted.

"I…don't know," Tugger lied. The truth was, he had a fair idea of the reason, but he wouldn't admit it – not even to himself.

"Well, if you're leaving, then leave." Cassandra turned her head away.

"I'm sorry, Cass." No reply. "Well…goodbye, then."

As Tugger exited the den, Cassandra felt tears pricking her eyes. Why didn't she seem to be able to maintain relationships?

At that moment, Alonzo was asking himself the same thing. He had been in two relationships within the last six weeks, and, both times, it had been the queen who broke up with him, leading Alonzo to ask himself another, the inevitable, question: What's wrong with me? His thoughts continued. Okay, so I flirt. I can't help it – it's just a part of who I am. But I haven't been flirting anywhere near as much since I've been with Bombie, except for when I'm with her. Actually, I can't recall flirting with anyone other than her at all! And the same goes for when I was with Cass. Yet I've still managed to lose them both. "What is wrong with me?"

"Deme…"

"Hmmm…"

"You'll never believe what I just heard."

"What did you just hear?"

"Tugger broke up with Cassandra."

"Really?"

"Uh-huh."

"That's interesting." Maybe I was right about Tugger missing Bombie.

"And then I heard something you'll believe even less."

"Oh?"

"It's about your sister."

"What about my sister?"

"She broke up with Alonzo."

Demeter's eyes snapped open and latched onto Munkustrap's handsome face as she sat up. "She what?" Demeter screeched.

Munkustrap nodded soberly. "I think you were right about them, Dem. At least, so far," he added.

"Finally, she's seen sense," Demeter blurted out, conveniently forgetting that this would never have happened had it not been for her 'jealousy' techniques. "Poor Alonzo, though." She made for the door.

"Where are you going?" Munkustrap asked in surprise.

"There's something I have to do." If she hadn't have said it so absently, she would have sounded mysterious.

"Well…I'll…see you later, then?" But Demeter had disappeared.