Another update! Enjoy!

Joe's P.O.V.

The second I stepped out of the library and into the world outside, sunshine glaring down in my face, I looked around, having no idea where to go. I turned to the left and blindly started making my way down the blocks, forgetting about my truck but desperate to get away from the chaos I had caused just moments before. My mind was running frantically; I couldn't think straight even if I had tried. It was a miracle I even made it across the streets alive, completely oblivious to the oncoming traffic.

I just let my feet take me wherever they went, and about 20 minutes later, I found myself facing the vast, beautiful green park Katy and I often frequented when we were kids.

I walked over to an old rusted swing set, passing dozens of happy families and children along the way. This place seemed so peaceful, everyone full of joy and seeming utterly carefree. I sat in my favorite swing, observing the people around me in an attempt to clear my head. But I cringed when I saw a little boy and girl laughing together, running hand in hand over to the sandbox with their toys. It reminded me of when Katy and I would come, and we would spend hours upon hours playing together. We would push each other on the swing set, slide down the slides, and chase each other around until we would fall on the ground in a fit of giggles until we just couldn't laugh anymore.

I looked away and put my head in my hands. Everything was so messed up. I had just made my best friend cry. Cry. As I replayed the look on her face as I shouted at her over and over in my mind, I couldn't help the nagging feeling on my conscience. Had I overreacted?

Yes was the answer that immediately popped into my head. Yes, of course you did, you idiot! It was just one stupid text from some guy, and she said so herself she hardly knows him. And you made her cry! God, you're such a jerk.

It was true. It hit me as soon as I the thought came; I really was a jerk. One that didn't deserve someone like Katy as a best friend.

But the main thing I still couldn't understand was why I had reacted so strongly to the whole situation. Why did it infuriate me so much the second I found out that she was talking to someone else besides me? Why did I intentionally mean to hurt her feelings and make her feel sorry for what she had done? And most importantly, why was I feeling the sudden urge of panic as I slowly began to realize that Katy was now moving on from me? Sure, I was still her best friend, but I never really expected her to take notice of all the other guys and actually think about wanting to date them.

I really should've known this day was coming, I suppose, but I guess I had secretly hoped it would never happen. Before I knew it, she would be leaving me, coming to tell me one day that she was about to run off and marry some rich, handsome doctor that I knew was a thousand times better than me.

Not that she doesn't deserve that, it's just that she's…She's…Ugh, I don't know.

My feelings were running so amok I didn't know how to handle them anymore. I had never felt anything like this, and I wanted it to stop. But my heart only pounded faster and a lump formed in my throat until I began shaking with remorse. I couldn't hold it in anymore, so I just let it all go. I let it all out in front of the happy families, in front of the young boys who were probably already twice the man I was, and I let myself cry.

I cried until I was sure there were no tears left, finally leaning my head to rest on the long chain-link rope in exhaustion.

"Joe?"

I looked up, surprised at the sound of someone calling my name, to see Melissa approaching me. I turned away and tried to hide my face as best I could, not wanting her to see my puffy red cheeks and swollen eyes from all of the crying.

"Oh, hey" I said, trying to sound casual.

"Hey" she said with a sigh. "I was looking all over for you. You didn't take your truck, so I figured you had to be somewhere relatively close." She looked around. "But, why here?"

I shrugged and continued to look away from her. I really had no idea why. It was just where I ended up.

She walked up closer and sat down in the seat next to me, shuffling her feet in the sand before she looked back up slowly.

"Joe, we need to talk" she began firmly.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Joe."

"No, I know I overreacted. I didn't mean to scare you or make…her upset."

"No, really. It's okay. She and I both forgive you. But, I think we still need to talk about something pretty important."

There was a slight pause.

"You're breaking up with me, aren't you?" I asked bluntly. I knew what was about to happen, and I wanted to feel bad about it, I truly did. I wanted to feel like begging on my knees and asking for her forgiveness, but for some odd reason, I just couldn't bring myself to care. Not right now. I liked Melissa, but I supposed with all my pent up feelings finally rising to the surface, my relationship with her just wasn't at the very top of the list.

I could feel her gaze set intently on the side of my face until I finally turned my head and looked over to meet her stare.

"Joe, that isn't really what's bothering you, is it?"

I didn't even have to say anything; we both already knew it was true.

We sat in silence for a few moments, both of us now keeping our gaze downward and making patterns in the sand with our feet.

Suddenly, Melissa stood up and walked straight up to me, only inches away from my face. For a second I expected her to be angry, but in her expression I could only see honest compassion. "Listen. I know you can both work this out" she said. "But I just wanted to let you know—as if you didn't know it already—that I'm no longer involved. Just…be good to her, okay? She deserves the best, and so do you."

And with that, she quickly pecked my cheek, muttered a feeble "I'll miss you" and walked off in the direction she came.