"He Did What?
Reine
carefully swept the peanut shells towards the doors of the musky steakhouse tavern and brushed her short red hair behind a slightly pointed ear, while the crowd had dwindled now and the lights were all but off. She glanced up to see her father, Zaül, across the street from the rustic establishment, leaning against the wall and watching her through the window. A customer walked past her, and she lit up in a smile, as she stood aside and spoke with beaming emerald eyes.
"Have a good night, Sir. Hope you enjoyed your meal."
The soldier waived with a drunken grin and said, "It was lovely, Janice - see you later," before he excused himself, as her apron started to ring.
It was Jin's preset ring tone, and Reine quickly ran to the bathroom, locking herself inside. She grabbed the device from her apron and answered. Jin's beautiful sobbing face appeared in a hologram above her device with messy, strawberry blonde hair covering half of it, as she spoke in panic from behind her hands and brushed the hair from her face.
"Reine! Goddess, what am I gonna do? How did I let myself fall for him..."
Her confusion was apparent, as she inquired, "What do you mean - who are we talking about, love?"
Her lover gave her a frustrated expression and huffed, as she spoke, "What man do I love, Reine!"
She was taken aback, "Vance? What did Vance do? You love each other..."
The look in Jin's sky blue eyes became histarical, as she answered fighting back more sobs, "He didn't just break up with me, Reine - he told me he can never speak to me again! He met this girl named Catherine, she's pregnant and told him he has to cut me out completely! He said yes!"
Reine was in shock, as she replied, "He did what?"
She looked up from wiping her face with her palms and shouted, "You frackin' heard me, Reine - don't make me repeat it! Eight years my best friend and lover! He promised me things!"
"Babe, I'm so sorry. I wish I could be there for you right now - I don't know what to say... I never thought he would do that to you either. I'll never look at him the same."
Jin took a deep breath, as she spoke and began to cry again, "me neither, I loved him so much. We promised to always be friends - no matter what. He promised me this very thing would never happen! We grew up together in the orphanage... I've known him my entire life... he is the closest thing I have to family."
She could not help trying to reason with her to lighten the impact, "You know, you both wanted the same things. I'm not defending what he did, but the most important thing has always been having kids - for both of you..."
Jin was furious, as she replied full of emotion, "I know and I hate it, because I can't hate him. I want to just hate him, but I couldn't give him a family and it seems no one can give me one either!"
Reine spoke to comfort her, "You will get pregnant someday, Jin. I promise I'll protect you and be there until you do."
Her engineer looked up flush with a face still covered in tears, "I love you."
She sighed and blew her a kiss, before she answered, "I love you too, now can I finish my shift - I'll call you back?"
Jin sniffled and slowly nodded, as she hung up. Reine sighed and left the room to finish her work. She could not help thinking, '
My lovers do not deserve this fate, I know Vance loves Jin too. Now I can't continue with Vance, it wouldn't be right after what he did.'
