Encountering Ex-boyfriend After Hemorrhoid Surgery

boyfriend right after

do yo

boyfriend again. And

scrolling on my phone, when I heard the nurse say, "A

d my pants down, gl

ere in a white lab coat and latex glo

my whole bo

gether through high school and colle

eautiful, our breakup was

eating or third parties. The problem

s, came from a great family, and, to top

en given a spot in a fo

third-rate university, barely scr

o let him go so he wouldn't h

d Nate was destined for grea

lly begging me to "let him go," as though I were some evil temptress stealing his e

e pressure, and my deep-seated

eserve Nate. So,

the dorm supervisor didn't have the heart to tell him to leave. As he finally left, he got into a car acci

my roommate's boyfriend and took a "heart sign

e ice queen," m

change student, and I didn't see

ny ways I might ru

aybe we'd meet at a high school reunion, or mayb

ither glamorously made-up or s

I was going

dreams did I imagine

ess, face pale, and

just had hemor

ame after Nate

is every move with starry eyes. "Um, isn't post-op care usually h

k like I'd just won the lottery

ard that my posterior

the reunion I

octors in your proctology department bef

y choose their ex-boyfrien

be. But I was

Mr. Walsh is an ophthalmologist! He just stepped in

. speec

cream, but I just buri

orrhoid surgery and remember

id I... do anything, uh, e

ng unu

was one sma

to check on me, and every time, I w

l, giving me advice on my diet li

be... maybe he didn't r

ce-gorgeous ex as a worn-out patient

hadn't recognized me, my sp

y, I slowly made m

, but... well, some thin

ards me. I quickly lowered my head and saw

, throwing in a bit of a rough accent just fo

econd. "It's a pati

h.

led back to my room, grab

r, and address. I scribbled each detail, making sure my hand

en

d you chang

Nate, feeling s

random alias I'd come up wi

irl-next-door name every not-so-girly girl s

a deep breath and doubled down on my act, gazing

Harvey, look at your

re, in bold letters, was

My.

. I had just face-planted into a

sed, "you still lie wi

laugh. "Thanks

took out his phone an

, I rattle

dded, "No

I pulled ou

on. "Now, send me your addr

t send. "You're telling me hemorrhoid surgeons' pe

message went through, he p

ea

"Has anyone ever told you? You l

my fists.

al entrance and took out

he art magazine to go freelance, now

y, and my only close friend from scho

n group chats with other illustrators from aro

. I rented a small studio apartment, drawing

pt when I

orrhoid procedure... so maybe a litt

ting? A whole entourage by

in front of me. The window rolled

n," he

diating icy indifferen

, got out, and opened the

ed furth

, "You want to get in yourse

ined s

id into the p

after the hemorrhoid surgery,

nt hint of amusement in hi

he

ed into a temporary parking spot an

n manage," I said firmly,

just want to make sure the add

ry honest

mirked. "You mean

ed sigh and started

pped in front of my door and turne

see you open the door. For all I know, t

d to say he'd believe me if I

hings had

my keys and unlocked the

tepped inside. "Shoes off

getting r

rget he w

ead, but I said, "Well, uh, shoe co

he leaned against the doorframe, lookin

e looked like

pure arrogance, as if to say, "Ha! You're still single,

ldn't be

but happy! I'm free to enjoy the comp

was more than 100, a

g slightly. "Two hundred? What are yo

– the kind where I don't have to answer to anyone, get it

in closer, just enough that every

se years, his skin

t rising in my face an

ys are enough for me; I'm not looking for a 201st.

eally? Because, Norene, I'd say you don't exa

ntly flicked my earlobe. "

shot th

high-achiever, really