I FOUND MY BEST FRIEND’S LIPSTICK IN MY BOYFRIEND’S GLOVE COMPARTMENT
I was searching for the aux cord when my fingertips brushed against the smooth, cold tube, and my stomach dropped before I even pulled it out. It was that deep plum shade she always wears, the one I’ve complimented a hundred times.
“What’s this?” I asked, holding it up, my voice shaking. He froze, halfway through folding a map, his face draining of color. “It’s just… an old thing,” he stammered, but his hands were trembling now, the paper crinkling loudly in the silence.
“You think lying makes it better?” I snapped, my throat tightening. The car suddenly felt too small, the air too thick, and I could smell her vanilla shampoo lingering in the seat cushions. He sighed, running a hand through his hair, and said, “It’s not what you think,” but his eyes wouldn’t meet mine.
Then I noticed the note tucked under the passenger seat, her handwriting unmistakable.
👇 *Full story continued in the comments…*I snatched the note, my fingers clumsy with anger. It read: “Meet me at the usual spot? Can’t wait.” A small, drawn heart followed her signature. The “usual spot” was a secluded overlook, a place they’d always gone together before we started dating, a place I’d never been.
The silence in the car stretched, taut and suffocating. I didn’t even look at him anymore; my focus was entirely on the crumpled note, its words a physical blow. My vision blurred. I felt a single tear escape and trace a cold path down my cheek.
“I… I need to get out,” I whispered, fumbling for the door handle.
He finally found his voice, a low, defeated murmur. “Wait. Please, let me explain.”
I shook my head, unable to speak, my emotions a tangled mess of betrayal and heartbreak. I just wanted to run, to escape the suffocating confines of that car, to be anywhere but there.
I slammed the door and walked away, my legs moving on autopilot. After a few steps, I turned back and yelled “You know what? Don’t bother.” and then turned and continued on my way.
A few weeks later, I found myself driving alone. I had stopped seeing my friend, and had blocked him out of my life. I felt hurt, confused and a little bit empty.
My phone buzzed. It was a picture. I opened it. It was a picture of them both. Him holding her hand on the overlook. And below the picture a note “we both miss you”.
I smiled sadly as I drove, and turned the music up. I then glanced back at the rear-view mirror, and then saw my reflection. I looked away again and drove on. I would have to start again. I would be ok.