It Feels Good To Love You

It was obvious from the corner of his eyes that he wasn't happy.

Leo was asking her the exact same question for the third time. People always said the third time was a charm, but apparently, that didn't apply to him.

He and his girlfriend, Liliana, had been together for five years. They met back in college and had been inseparable ever since. But lately, every single time he brought up marriage and popped the question, her answer was always a flat, firm no.

Heartbroken, Leo sat in silence. He held his breath for a second, closed his eyes, and let out a slow, heavy sigh.

"Why?" He asked, keeping his voice as calm as he could. "At least give me a real reason."

Liliana gave a small, awkward grin and looked down at her hands. She couldn't think of anything to say. The truth was, she just wasn't ready to marry him. Deep down, she didn't even think Leo was the right person for her to settle down with.

"Is there something I'm missing?" Leo asked, searching her face. "Am I wrong for wanting to marry the girl I love?"

"No, Leo, it's not like that," Liliana said quickly.

"Then why do you keep saying no? Is something wrong with me?"

"There is nothing wrong with you. I just..."

"Or do you just not want to marry me?"

Liliana groaned and finally looked him dead in the eye. "Why can't we talk about this another time? I'm so stressed out right now." She stood up, adjusting the strap of her purse on her shoulder. "I'll call you, Leo."

She turned and walked away before he could say another word.

Leo felt a sharp ache in his chest as he watched her leave the restaurant.

Right then, his phone started vibrating in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw his mother’s name on the screen. He groaned before pressing answer.

"Mom?"

"Oh, honey! How did it go? Are we celebrating?" Her voice practically echoed with excitement through the speaker.

Hearing how happy she was only made Leo feel worse. His mother loved Liliana. She treated her like a daughter.

"I'm sorry, Mom," Leo said quietly.

The excitement instantly left his mother's voice. "Oh... what are you sorry for? It's okay, honey. She must have her reasons for saying no, even if it's the third time."

"Leo, listen to me," His mom continued. "Instead of just trying again next year, why don't you two sit down for a real, serious talk? Ask her exactly why she keeps turning you down."

"Okay, Mom. I will... I will talk to her and let you know how it goes."

"Alright. Bye, honey."

She hung up, and Leo sighed again, staring at his blank screen.

His mom was right. There was no point in avoiding the elephant in the room anymore. Every year he asked, she rejected him without a proper explanation.

They needed to talk.

But as he really thought about it, he realized their relationship hadn't been deep for the last three years. She had been pulling away from him for a long time, and he had just stayed quiet about it.

He was always terrified of arguing with her or hurting her feelings. She was his very first girlfriend, and he had desperately hoped she would be his last. He wanted the happy ending.

Back in high school, Leo was never the popular or good-looking guy. He was invisible. He used to have a big crush on a blonde girl in his class, but she ended up getting pregnant by someone else before graduation.

After that heartbreak, Leo had promised himself he would live alone rather than risk giving his heart to the wrong person again.

But college changed things. He let his guard down for the first time, met Liliana, and ended up here.

The first year of their relationship was perfect. Even when they were drowning in schoolwork, they made time for each other and spent every weekend together. Back then, Leo used to worry that he didn't love her enough because her love for him was so loud and genuine.

Now, everything was flipped. When he asked her to spend the weekend with him, she always had an excuse.

Leo stood up from the table, took a deep breath, and walked out.

*** *** ***

Leo's mother sighed heavily as she sat across from a young woman.

Mrs. Levine knew exactly what was coming for her son. It was obvious to her, but she worried that Leo was completely blind to it.

Liliana was the only woman her son had ever loved. She couldn't help but wonder what would happen to him when it all fell apart.

"Don't tell me she said no again, Mom," Mira said, leaning forward.

Mira was Leo’s younger sister. She had never trusted Liliana. She always knew the girl would break Leo’s heart, and it looked like that day was coming fast.

Mrs. Levine sighed again. "It's the same as before. She must have a good reason."

Mira frowned deeply. "We both know the truth, Mom. Just admit it. My brother is going to get completely crushed in the end. I warned you about her!"

"What were we supposed to do? Leo was so deeply in love with her. The best thing we could do was just let them be," Mrs. Levine said defensively.

Mira let out a frustrated sigh. "That idiot Liliana!"

"Hey! Watch your mouth," Mrs. Levine scolded.

"But Mom, she’s terrible! She is completely stringing Leo's feelings along. I’m sure she already has someone else she wants to be with."

"If she wants to break up with Leo, that's her choice," Mrs. Levine said. "You can't force someone to stay with you, no matter how much you love them."

"That is exactly my point!" Mira said, throwing her hands up. "She never had any intention of marrying Leo. He isn't the guy she wants. So why hold him down? Why stay in the relationship? Why can't she just be honest so my brother can move on with his life?"

"Do you really think breaking up is that easy?"

"No, but isn't it better to have your heart broken and start over than spend your life with someone who will never make you happy?" Mira argued.

Mrs. Levine closed her eyes, exhausted by the conversation. She decided to change the subject. "Putting Leo aside for a second... What are you even doing here today? Are your divorce papers ready?"

Mira sighed and rolled her eyes, looking away. She had come over to her mom's house specifically to get her mind off her own mess. "I'm still dealing with it," she mumbled.

"Who told you to get married so young anyway?" Mrs. Levine asked, shaking her head. "I don't even know whose situation is worse, yours or Leo's. I'm going to take a nap."

Mrs. Levine stood up and walked toward her bedroom. At fifty-two years old, she was still a beautiful, radiant woman. She wore a simple blue dress, her blonde hair tied up in a neat bun.

Mira watched her leave and let out one last sigh.

Her mother was right. Who on earth told her to get married so young? Their marriage hadn't even lasted a single year, and now the divorce papers were sitting on a desk, waiting to be signed.

*** *** ***

The next morning, as soon as Leo opened his eyes, he grabbed his phone from the nightstand, and immediately typed a text to Liliana,

*Please, let's meet at our usual bar tonight.*

Then he climbed out of bed and walked toward the bathroom. Passing the mirror, his reflection showed a tall, built physique... the kind of athletic build that naturally drew admiring looks from people on the street. The face visual was on a whole different level, almost like he had just walked out of the most handsome man on earth magazine.

As he washed his face, he wondered how he was going to kill time until the evening when he finally had to face Liliana. He didn't have any office to go to today, since he did all of his work from home.

*** *** ***

At the local college, a professor walked into a loud lecture hall. The moment he stepped through the door, the noisy students instantly fell completely silent.

"Okay. Let's get started," His voice boomed across the room. "I'll start with the attendance sheet."

The students all let out a collective groan.

"I told you all last week that I will not tolerate lateness today," The professor warned, looking over his glasses. "You need to learn responsibility in this college."

The class grumbled again. Near the back of the room, a female student leaned over to her classmate. "Has Jamal still not shown up yet?"

The guy shook his head, his eyes glued to the classroom door. Both of them looked so stressed out.

"I don't understand why he has to work part-time shifts so early in the morning," Tara whispered, her voice full of worry. "He can't keep missing these classes."

Darnell nodded in agreement.

The professor, Mr. Brown, started calling out names from his list. Darnell took a deep breath, praying their friend would walk through the door.

"Jamal Garcia?" Mr. Brown called out.

Tara and Darnell looked at each other, panicking. Right then, the door swung open. "Present!" Jamal called out.

Mr. Brown stopped and looked up. "Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to join us."

"I'm really sorry, Mr. Brown," Jamal said, trying to catch his breath.

"That is exactly what you always say," Mr. Brown replied. "Go on, take your seat."

"Thank you, sir," Jamal murmured. He hurried down the aisle and sat down. Tara and Darnell kept staring at him, so he gave them a little wave to show he was fine.

"Don't get too comfortable," Mr. Brown added, not looking up from his podium. "You need to stay behind after class."

Jamal’s smile faded a bit, and he nodded. "Okay, Sir."

Once the lecture finally ended, the students packed up their things. Tara, Darnell, and Jamal walked out together like they always did. The three of them had been best friends for a long time.

"We'll wait for you in the cafeteria," Tara said with an encouraging smile. She and Darnell walked ahead, leaving Jamal behind to deal with the professor.

Jamal let out a heavy sigh and walked back into the classroom.

"Hello, Mr. Garcia," Mr. Brown said from his desk, motioning toward an empty chair. "Have a seat."

Jamal sat down.

"I don't like getting involved in my students' personal lives," Mr. Brown began, "but you are late to my class almost every time. I need to know what's going on."

Jamal just nodded. He knew exactly where this conversation was going.

"Alright, Jamal. Exactly how many part-time jobs do you have right now?" Mr. Brown asked, looking concerned.

Jamal let out a small, breathless laugh. "Fifteen, sir."

Mr. Brown completely froze. He stared at Jamal for a few seconds, utterly shocked. Finally, the professor leaned back and let out a long sigh. "You're free to go."

Jamal blinked, confused. "Is that all?"

Mr. Brown nodded. "Yes. I think that tells me everything I need to know."

"Okay. Thank you, sir." Jamal stood up and walked out of the office.

When he reached the crowded cafeteria, Tara and Darnell waved him over to their table.

"Well? What did he say?" Darnell asked the second Jamal sat down.

"He just asked how many part-time jobs I have," Jamal explained, grabbing a drink.

Both of his friends sighed in relief.

Tara leaned in closer. "But seriously, Jamal, can't you drop the early morning shifts? It's burning you out."

Jamal raised his head and forced a bright smile onto his face. "It's totally fine, guys. Really. I can handle it."

They all sighed, knowing he was stubborn.

"So, how are things with Mary?" Darnell asked.

Jamal faked a smile. "We're doing fine."

"Wait... does she know that you know?" Darnell asked.

Darnell was talking about the secret Jamal had been carrying.

A month ago, Jamal had gone to surprise his girlfriend at her apartment. He knew her door code, so he let himself in, only to find her in bed with a popular college senior.

Jamal had quietly closed the door and left without making a scene. He hadn't said a single word to her about it for an entire month.

Tara sighed, shaking her head. "Jamal, she's obviously going to break up with you eventually. Why waste your time waiting around?"

Before Jamal could answer, his phone lit up on the table.

"It's Mary," Jamal said, reading the screen. "She wants to meet up at our usual bar tonight."

Later that evening, Jamal was sitting at a booth in the dimly lit bar.

"I'm so sorry I'm late," Mary walked in, sliding into the seat across from him.

"Don't worry about it." Jamal replied.

Mary let out a nervous sigh. "So... have you thought about it? Can I still be with you ?"

Jamal looked at her gently. "I don't think it's fair for me to keep doing this to you, Mary. I'm really sorry, but we need to end this. You deserve better.”

Mary’s eyes instantly welled up with tears. She quickly wiped them away with the back of her hand and forced a shaky laugh. "What is wrong with me?"

"Mary..."

"Jamal, it's fine," She said, nodding quickly to convince herself. "It'll take some time, but I'll be fine."

Jamal nodded with little relief.

Mary leaned in a little closer and lowered her voice. "Do Tara and Darnell know... that you're gay?"

Jamal slowly shook his head, looking down at the table. "No. I'm… I’m scared. I have no idea how they're going to react."

Mary gave him a warm smile. "It's not like you to be afraid, Jamal. The sooner you tell them, the better. If they are truly your best friends, they will support you no matter what."

Jamal smiled faintly. "Yeah. You're right."

"I should get going," Mary said, sl