Tick Tock Boom

My girlfriend was a police officer.

One day, I got kidnapped, and the explosives on my body were ten minutes away from detonating when the kidnappers ordered me to call her.

Instead of worry, all I got was relentless scorn and a tongue-lashing.

"Caleb, are you seriously doing this right now? How could you be so petty and jealous when a life is on the line?! Lucas' cat is in danger. It has been stuck on a tree for three days, and that cat is as important to him as his own life!

"If I don't save them in time, you'll be the one at fault!"

Over the line, I heard the voice of a young man that sounded, to my ears, anything but genuine. "Thank you Jamie, you're the best!"

That man was my girlfriend's childhood friend, Lucas White.

Before the bomb exploded, I sent her a final message.

[I hope we never see each other again. Not in this life, and not in the next.]

My girlfriend Jamie was a police officer.

One day, I was kidnapped by a criminal that she'd apprehended once, who strapped explosives to my body.

Glaring at me, he said, "You're the boyfriend of that witch Jamie, yeah? Tell her to get over here!"

I had no choice but to call her, and her tone when she picked up was one of immense annoyance, "Didn't I tell you not to call me during work hours? Stop being such a nuisance!"

Immediately, I said, "Jamie, I got kidnapped by people who want to take revenge on you! Don't come over here…"

Before I could even finish, the phone was snatched away by the criminal, but I could still hear her voice clearly from the speakers, "Have you gone mental, Caleb? How could you joke about something like that while I'm at work?

"Don't you know that Lucas' cat has been stuck on a tree for three days, and that it's going to die if I don't save it? Besides, make up a better excuse next time! Maybe say you're going to die or something next time!"

I looked down at the bombs on my body, seeing the time tick down to the last ten minutes. "I…"

"Oh, enough! I don't want to hear any more of your lies! This cat is as important to Lucas as his life itself, so if anything happens to him because I couldn't save it, it's all on you! And I'll never forgive you!"

From the other end of the call came Lucas' voice, "You're the best, Jamie! You really saved my precious baby!"

Immediately, the phone call ended. She hung up.

"Crap, I got unlucky! This man's nothing to that witch, I must've gotten the wrong person!"

After cursing under his breath, the criminal left, leaving me with a bunch of explosives strapped onto my body.

Right then and there, I couldn't help the tears that streamed down my cheeks. Even my kidnapper knew that Jamie didn't love me, yet it took me this long to realize that simple fact.

Now, let's talk about the man Jamie was talking about—Lucas, her childhood friend.

Back when I first started dating Jamie, she told me that Lucas was nothing more to her than a little brother. By the time I realized something wasn't right, I was already in far too deep.

No matter when, no matter where, as long as Lucas called, she would immediately go to his side.

The first time she was supposed to meet my parents, she left the three of us in the dust as soon as Lucas said that he was afraid of the dark. She didn't even bother to give an explanation, only saying that she was busy.

I tried to stop her, begged her to show my parents the slightest modicum of respect, only for her to scoff in my face.

"Lucas and I have been like this for over twenty years, Caleb. If you can't stand it, then don't marry me!"

I comforted myself, saying that Jamie only truly treated him like a little brother, and that she still loved me at the end of the day.

Now, at the brink of death, I finally understood—Jamie never loved me. The only one she held dear was Lucas.

Before the bomb exploded, I sent her a final message.

[I hope we never see each other again. Not in this life, and not in the next.]