Forsaken by Keary Taylor

glare
that was on her face literally made me jump.
    “ Emily…” I stuttered.
“What…what’s the matter?”
    It took a moment for Emily to speak
and I saw the blood build up under her skin as her face turned a
bright color of red and purple.
    “ It’s not fair!” she
finally exploded. I took a step back. “It’s not fair!” she screamed
again.
    “ What?” I said as I took
another step back. “Emily, what’s going on?”
    “ It’s not fair that you
get to be so happy and have mister perfection fawning all over you!
It’s not fair that you get the two most flawless looking men in all
the history of the world chasing after you with their tongues
hanging out of their mouths.
    “ Why can’t I find someone
who is so ridiculously in love with me that he would give his life
for me? You guys might be fighting lately but you’re still gushing
with so much love it almost makes me sick.”
    “ Emily, I…” I tried to
stop what I knew was only the tip of whatever iceberg had been
turning Emily cold the past two months or so.
    “ He’s so perfect,
Jessica,” Emily interrupted me and I saw her eyes turn red and
moisture pooled in them. “Alex is not at all my type but with a
face like that how can you not drool over him? You have to see the
way other women look at him when you go out. And he’s with you.
He’s yours. There’s no question about that, about how much he loves
you. Even if you didn’t know what he did for you. All you have to
do is see the way he looks at you! It’s enough to drive any woman
insane! You have a literal angel who loves you I think more than any of us can
comprehend!”
    She paused for a moment and took a few
sobbing breaths even though the tears had not broken from her eyes
yet. I was in too much of a stunned shock to say
anything.
    “ And I’m all alone. All
these guys I’ve gone out with lately, they’re nothing. I’m just a
body to them. I don’t even have someone who has a school boy crush
on me. I don’t have some way beyond ‘trophy’ boyfriend to tote
around and drive other women crazy. I don’t have anyone to kiss me
like Alex just did you, to tell me that he loves me. I’m all by
myself.”
    When Emily fell silent I could only
stand there in stunned silence. I hadn’t had anyone blow up at me
like that since Jason.
    It took me a moment before I could
make my brain work somewhat and move to the couch. I sat a foot
away from Emily, debating whether to hit her or hug her. I still
wasn’t sure how to take everything she had said.
    “ I’m not going to step
away from Alex,” I said in a low voice, keeping my eyes on Emily’s
face as she stared straight ahead. “I plan on staying with him for
as long as he will allow, perhaps even longer than that if I have
to.”
    To my shock, Emily gave a
barking laugh, wiping tears from her eyes. “Oh my heck, Jessica,”
she said with a half-smile, finally looking me in the eye. She
suddenly looked very tired. “Believe me; I’m not looking to steal
Alex from you. Like I said, he is not my type. I’m just…”
    “ What?” I encouraged,
suddenly relieved Emily wasn’t looking to steal the love of my life
away. I didn’t think I could compete with her; Emily was one of the
prettiest and most congenial women I knew.
    “ I’m jealous! And I know
it’s shallow and for mostly superficial reasons but that’s the way
it is. I want my own mister perfection that makes every woman
around jealous of me because of the fact that he chose to be with
me and not any of them! I know that sounds terrible but,” she
paused for a moment here and I could tell she was choking back
those tears. “I’m so tired of being alone.”
    She was quiet after that and I could
tell the worst of it was over. I cautiously wrapped an arm around
her and when she didn’t jerk away I wrapped the other around her
and pulled her into a firm embrace.
    “ There’s someone out there
for you too, Emily,” I said softly. “Any man would be lucky to