The Bad Boys

There is something to be said for the bad boys. Ladies, you know what I’m talking about, and if you don’t, go find one. These guys are brooding and dangerous. They aren’t the star quarterback, but probably his best friend. The underdog. The one who makes the entire class laugh but nobody takes serious. They are the ones who show you passion and heartache. They make you take risks and make you see things the nice boys won’t. They can either make you or break you. Mine broke me.

I was 14. He was the cousin of one of my best friends. The first time I seen him, I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest. He was cute but forbidding. He rarely smiled, but when he did angels sang. He had the walk of a tough guy and the attitude to match. I found myself liking him more and more with each interaction we had and that wasn’t much, because he made me nervous.

We started dating just a few short months later and it was... exhilarating. He made me try new things and introduced me to the world of “making out.” We were constantly trying to find a way to see each other. When we were together, we couldn’t keep our hands off each other. We would sneak out to the woods or make out on the porch steps of the church my family maintained. I just couldn’t get to the next point. I was scared and so nervous.

My dad hated him. He knew exactly what my bad boy was after and let’s face it, who could blame him? I was, after all his daughter and I was his baby girl. My dad was my hero and my best friend. So when a boy tries intervening on that, my dad instantly has an issue. Make it a bad boy, and the feeling escalates. I remember my dad saying he would like to take him fishing and only one would come back! My dad is a funny man!

One day during the summer, my sister had a big party with a bunch of friends from school. It was a great day. We had water balloon fights and blindfolded feeding games and played volleyball in the yard. Too bad I wasn’t paying attention to what was happening right under my nose. The next morning he showed up at my parents' house and I was so excited to see him. I ran outside to give him a big hug and he was so distant. He never did say “hi” or even try and give me a kiss. I asked him what was wrong. He said he wasn’t there to see me... he was there for my sister’s best friend. That’s how he broke me.

To this day I have trust issues and I try not to get too close. I’m currently in a relationship where I have managed to fall in love again. I’ve recently discovered that my boyfriend has cheated on me and while it has hurt me deeply, I find myself unable to let him go. He says he still wants to be with me. I’m trying to believe him and we are working things out.

And that bad boy? Currently married. He’s friends with my dad now too haha! But ya know what? Some of my favorite memories are the amazing times we had and how he made me feel. Everyone needs a little of that excitement in their lives. Just tread with caution, or you could get broken too.