Rebecca

Thankfully, Nikki wound up not working at the restaurant much longer, so I didn't have to see her anymore.

Out of sight, out of mind.

I was becoming better friends with Bailey, and learned about a month after they started dating, she and Nikki broke up.

"What happened?" I asked Bailey as we stood at the host stand together.

"She broke up with me," Bailey responded, "She gave some lame excuse about her ex breaking her heart and that she wasn't ready for another relationship. Even though she literally asked me to be her girlfriend."

Huh. Sounds familiar.

"I'm sorry," I said to Bailey, "You'll find someone better."

"So will you," Bailey responded, giving me a knowing look.

A few days later, a new girl started at the restaurant. She seemed to be on the quiet side. Her name was Rebecca Kline, and she was a bit taller than me, had a stockier build, and light brown hair that she wore in a ponytail. There was something about her that I found really pretty. I wasn't sure if it was her light green eyes or her smile, but she was cute.

At first I couldn't quite tell her sexuality...until I saw her wear a bracelet that was made of braided rainbow string.

Hell yes.

I didn't talk to her much the first few days she started, until she trained with me one day. We immediately clicked. She was a bit shy and reserved, but she was really sweet as well.

"I like your bracelet," I said to her as we sorted silverware together.

She looked at me for a moment and then said, "Thanks. I got it at Philly pride last year."

"I missed out on that. I actually haven't been to a pride parade, but I want to go."

"You should, it's a good time," Rebecca said, and then she started to ask me, "Are you...?"

"Gay? Yes," I nodded.

The corner of her mouth tugged up into a smile, and she nodded as well and replied, "Cool."

I got to know Rebecca at work, and there was something growing between us, it was obvious. I had a feeling that it could grow into something more than just hooking up, like with Steph and Nikki.

I was right about this. One night at work, Rebecca was telling me that she was having trouble with an English paper she had to write. I learned that she commuted to a college around the area. She was 19, a year younger than me, and a freshman.

"I suck at creative writing," she said to me, "It's like my brain just chooses to not work when I have to put pen to paper."

"I'm not the best writer, but I can help out if you want."

Rebecca paused before saying, "You're more than welcome to come over after our shift to help me out."

My heart skipped a beat, and I nodded, "Sounds great."

That night at Rebecca's house, in her room, we shared our first kiss. I wasn't sure if it was going to turn into more that night, but we didn't go further.

I had a good feeling about what was to come.

What happened in the next months was exactly what I had always wanted. A relationship. Rebecca slowly but surely started to fully take over my everyday life. We hung out all the time, and she occupied my mind constantly.

The relationship was all consuming. She became my everything, and I became hers. The way she made me feel was almost overwhelming, I'd never had someone become so important to me so quickly.

I was at Rebecca's house a lot. Her mom was really sweet; however she was always at work, she was a nurse.

The only part that I didn't love about going to Rebecca's was seeing her dad. He didn't seem happy to see me when I would come over and hardly spoke. Something about his presence made me uncomfortable.

One night Rebecca told me that growing up, he wasn't very kind to her and her two brothers, to put it lightly. She detailed the physical abuse she endured from him, and detested being around him.

"To top it all off, he's homophobic," she said, "He knows I'm gay, and he hates it."

Rebecca knew that my dad was homophobic as well. My dad was your classic MAGA conservative man, and the LGBTQ community made him uncomfortable.

"Your dad does make me uncomfortable to be around, I won't lie," I said to Rebecca.

She put her hand on mine, "I promise, I won't let him say a word to you."

I knew Rebecca wanted to keep that promise, but it didn't quite happen.

One night about five months after we started dating, I slept at her house. We were up late having sex and talking, and I wound up falling asleep.

I had class the next morning at 10 AM. Rebecca didn't have class that day, and she slept in. I gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek before leaving.

I walked out of Rebecca's house, and when I saw her dad was out front gardening, I tensed immediately. Her dad was always in and out of having a job, and at this point, he was unemployed.

He looked at me and I quickly said, "Have a good day."

Her dad then stood up, "May, a word?"

My heart started to pound as he walked over to me.

Oh no. What is about to happen here?

I nodded, as he walked over.

He then shocked me by saying, "You should stop dating my daughter. You're an attractive young woman; you need to go be with a man."

I froze, unsure of what to say.

Rebecca, please come outside and save me.

I swallowed nervously, and he then said, "Think about what I just said. Have a good day."

He walked off, and I got into my car right away.

As I drove off I called Rebecca and told her what happened.

"Fuck," she said, "He's such a prick. I'm so sorry for leaving you in that situation with him."

I was able to move past it, however I was still uncomfortable when I went to Rebecca's house and had to be around her family.

However, the love I had for her surpassed that. I loved Rebecca endlessly, and I knew she felt the same for me. Of course, we had issues in our relationship. There were times where she was immature, and times when I was stubborn and headstrong. When we were together for about 8 months, Rebecca stopped working at the restaurant with me, and I was still there as I started my second year at community college.

I was looking forward to my relationship progressing with Rebecca. I thought I had found my person.

At the start of her sophomore year of college, she started to make friends at school. She became friends with a girl in one of her classes who lived on campus named Violet, and Violet introduced Rebecca to her group of friends.

I was happy for Rebecca that she was making friends at college, genuinely. However, jealousy crept up at times when she would want to spend time with them instead of me. I hated myself for it, and I tried to never show it to her.

There were a couple of times that Rebecca invited me to hang out with her and her friends at college.

Violet immediately gave me a funny feeling. I couldn't explain it. It was one of those gut feelings that I was having trouble pushing away. Violet was openly pansexual, and that wasn't the problem. Maybe it was the way she smiled at Rebecca for just a moment too long.

Around Thanksgiving break, I wound up bringing it up to Rebecca. She was having a Friendsgiving with her college friends, and I couldn't help but be hurt that she didn't invite me.

I blurted out over the phone, "Is Violet into you or something?"

"May, what are you talking about?" Rebecca responded.

"I don't know. I might be wrong, but I have a gut feeling that she's into you."

"She's not," Rebecca insisted, "That's crazy to think."

"Okay," I responded, trying to let it go, "I believe you."

I shouldn't have believed her.

Rebecca and I came up on our year anniversary right after I turned 21. As Rebecca was still 20, I went up to my old college and went to the bars with Josie for my 21st.

Being with Rebecca for a year was a really nice feeling. Sure, there were things I was unsettled with, but I could get past it.

Or so I thought.

One night when I was home, I had worked a tiring shift and was in my room. I was home alone; my mom and stepdad were away for the weekend.

At around 1 AM, Rebecca called me unexpectedly.

"Hey," I answered, "Is everything okay?"

Rebecca sighed, and my heart dropped as she said, "No."

"What is it?" I asked urgently.

"Violet kissed me."

"What?"

"We were talking...and she kissed me."

"Did you kiss her back?"

There was a pause before Rebecca said, "Yes."

At that moment, my world shattered. Everything that I had known for a year crumbled right before my very eyes. It was the worst gut punch yet.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I exclaimed.

Rebecca tried to defend it; by saying it was just a kiss, and it meant nothing.

"No," I responded, "It's not nothing. You kissed her back."

"Are you going to let this ruin everything?"

The conversation went on for a while, and there was a lot of shouting and tears on my end.

I knew it was over with Rebecca. There was no going back from this in my eyes.

By the end of the conversation, Rebecca admitted she had "some" feelings for Violet.

"How dare you?" I cried, "After all we've been through?"

"I'm sorry," Rebecca sighed.

How in the world am I going to recover from this one?

A/N: This was interesting to write, to say the least, and parts of it were completely true to my life. The conversation that happened between May and Rebecca's dad is something that happened in my real life. If you've faced homophobia as well, I'm so sorry.