Jared was hoping to get his life back on track. He's missed more than a semester or two now since his life behind bars. Not that he was up to give out this information, he was still happy to see his old pal Joon in the student union building.
Of course, as he thought back, maybe they weren't really friends, but Joon's girlfriend used to be friends with Jared's girlfriend.
Soon enough he heard from Joon that he and Natalie were still together, even expecting a baby this summer. But, Jared didn't want to think about that. No, ever since he'd seen Char last weekend, he couldn't get her out of her mind.
"She.she's not like I remember," he told Joon over coffee. "I mean, I even remember the nail polish she would wear. She..she..she looks so tired now. I mean, that guy she's with, he..he must not be taking care of her."
"J, as I recall, you were always leaving Char hanging. Half the time, she never knew where you were. You wouldn't return her calls." Joon didn't come out and say it, but he did make Jared feel he was a bad boyfriend, even back then.
In Jared's head, all he could think of was Char's happy smile. She was like a warm spring day full of sunshine. He never remembered making her feel sad. That couldn't have been him.
He nursed his bottom lip now. Had it all been a dream? He thought he'd made her happy.
"J, you gotta move on," Joon told him. "Nat told me the last time she saw Char, she looked pretty content. Sure, she's working full time now. But, she's grown up. And..she did it without you."
Joon's words hurt Jared. Yet it was a reality check to know he hadn't been the perfect boyfriend.
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