Weekly Prompt-Past Love

Here is this week's free read. You can check out the original prompt and the other responses here. Enjoy!

A Glimpse from the Past

I was waiting outside of the local Starbucks when I first saw him. He was across the street waiting for the bus stop. He looked a little bit older and had put on a little bit on weight, but I knew in a heartbeat it was him. I would know Lloyd Bennett anywhere.

Lloyd was my first true love. We met in college during our freshmen orientation class. Eight years later, I still maintain that freshmen orientation is one of the most traumatic things a person can go through. Lloyd was just as freaked out as I was and we immediately connected.

But it didn’t stop there. By the end of our first semester, we were best friends. We went everywhere together. All of our meals were planned out so we could meet up by our regular table. We begged our Resident Advisors to let us switch rooms so we could live together. We never went to a party alone. Hell, we even tried to make our trips home on the same weekend so we didn’t have to spend days in the room by ourselves.

By the time that finals rolled around that first semester, I started feeling guilty about hiding my sexuality. We shared everything, so why not this? So I came out. To my great surprise, he was gay too. It didn’t take long before we were officially an item.

For three years, we were like peanut butter and jelly. Meant to be together.

But as graduation neared, things started to fall apart. I wanted to get out of school and start a career. He wanted to go to grad school. I wanted to get a place together. He wanted to live on-campus to save money. We started fighting more and more and having sex less and less. There were no more soft caresses and sudden kisses. Everything was so forced.

By the time we got our degrees, I think that we both knew it was over between us. It hurt so much. I loved Lloyd with everything that I had in me. I still did. The fact that our love was being ripped apart by a difference in life views made me really upset. But even through all the tears and all the pain, I knew the only thing to do was to let him go. Lloyd wanted certain things out of his life. So did I. It wasn’t right that we hold each other back. We both deserved someone who could help us in what we wanted to do, not slow us down.

The first month without Lloyd was the hardest. I think I cried myself to sleep every night. It wasn’t just the loss of my lover. I’d lost my best friend too. There were so many times when I thought about picking up the phone and begging him to take me back. But I never did.

But looking across the street, I felt like a weight was lifted. I hadn’t seen Lloyd since graduation. He looked good, happy. And as much as I hated to admit it then, I’m not sure he would be looking so carefree if we were together. I don’t know if I would be.

I watched as he pulled out his cell phone and smiled as he read a text. I saw the pearly whites of his teeth even from here. Yes, definitely happy.

 I thought about going over there and saying hi, but the thought quickly left my mind. No point in rehashing the past. Because that’s all we have between us now. Besides…

“AJ!”

A huge grin broke onto my face as I turn to see Hal walking towards me. All thoughts of Lloyd left my head as my boyfriend takes me into his strong arms.

We broke apart after a minute not wanting to cause a scene out in public, but as I looked up into his eyes, I could still clearly see the love he had for me.

“Hey, babe,” I said quietly.

“Hey. Sorry, I’m late. Traffic was awful. Should we go get our coffee?”

“Sure.” I took Hal’s hand in mine, but I couldn’t help but spare a quick glance across the street where Lloyd was. But he’s not there anymore.

“Something wrong,” Hal asked, as he sees me turn around.

“Nope,” I said with a grin as I started to lead us into the coffee shop. Lloyd may have been my world once, but now I had Hal. He was my future. And I couldn’t have been happier about that.