I can’t stop my eyes from zooming in, catching Dominic nibble on Miguel’s bottom lip like he always used to do with mine. Miguel’s mouth bursts into a smile as he laughs into Dominic’s. They look like the perfect movie couple. My eyes pan down to see D is up on his tiptoes to reach Miguel, and it’s so fucking cute it makes my heart feel like it’s getting slashed into pieces. I can’t decide if it’s better that Dominic dumped me for someone completely different from me, or if that’s what hurts the most. Either he discovered the quiet, sturdy type that I am isn’t his thing and there’s nothing I could have done to keep him (which feels horrible), or he was so repulsed by me that he had to go for a guy who’s my complete boisterous, popular opposite (which also feels horrible).

Any residual good vibes from watching videos with Ross last night completely leave my body. What kind of person dumps their boyfriend, then goes to the swim practice they know their ex will be at to make out with their new guy? A heartless bag of dicks, that’s who. Kavya’s completely right about him.

I can’t stop that echo of Dominic saying “I’m just not feeling it anymore,” and tears threaten to pour over at any second. I can’t let them see me lose it; I can’t have them giving me pitying looks. I need to get out of here ASAP. But of course, they’re that couple who are planted right in the middle of the walkway.

“MIGUEL! Stop sucking face and get your ass over here!”

Coach’s yell carries around the entire pool, and everyone whips their head in Miguel and Dominic’s direction, with me just a few feet behind them. The face suckers snap apart, the distance between them enough now for Miguel to lock eyes with me.

“Oh, mierda,” Miguel mumbles. “Sean, hi. I didn’t mean for you to see that. I thought you’d already be here. You’re usually first in the locker room.”

And there it is. The pitying look that says I feel so sorry for you that you’re such a loser that your boyfriend dumped you at the drop of a hat.

Well, no, that’s not entirely true. He actually seems a little more empathetic than that. The frown on his face, the tender look in his eyes does say he feels sorry for me, but I don’t think he’s adding the loser part. He genuinely looks like he wanted to spare my feelings, which somehow makes this harder. It would be so much easier if he’d somehow become a massive jerk and let all that popularity go to his head. But instead, he’s actually nice. Just like he always was. No wonder everyone likes him.