Ben’s yellow emoji sticks out among the red hearts and love eyes—a sore-loser’s thumb.
We were a Molotov cocktail. Forever holding matches to already scorched skin, craving the relief of explosion. Intoxicated by the ride.
His fuse fizzled out two years ago. Leaving me with nothing but heartbreak and a college football jersey to fuel my lonely nights.
A month later, I flung my battered heart at an uncomplicated hometown boy.
My sun-speckled engagement photo was Ben’s chosen moment of resurrection. I slide my mouse across his name, finger twitching with the chaos one click could ignite.
Christy Hartman is a Canadian short fiction writer based on stunning Vancouver Island. She is published in Elegant Literature, Bright Flash Literary Review, and Fairfield Scribes among others. When not writing, Christy can be found floating in the Pacific Ocean or in her kitchen experimenting with creative vegan meals and trying to convince her husband they taste like chicken.
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