treated me the other night. I knew Caleb didn’t give a rat’s ass about me. Slowly I turned away and headed back to the bar—I didn’t need to watch Josh drag Caleb out.
Emily came up behind me. “Are you okay?”
I looked down at my arm before I answered her. There were a few red marks on my arm where Caleb’s fingers had dug in when he tried to pull me with him. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
I could feel the tears starting to form in my eyes. “I’ll be right back.” I grabbed my purse and headed for the bathroom. As soon as I was through the door, I ran into one of the stalls. It was easy to keep it together when the anger was there, but once that was gone the memories came rushing back.
“You stupid whore, why isn’t dinner ready?” he yells stalking me through the kitchen.
He’s never hit me, so I’m not sure why I am running from him. Maybe I’m running from the words.
“S…so…sorry,” I stutter.
He forces me into the corner of the kitchen, the fury pouring off of him. “I really shouldn’t be surprised. Probably had your legs spread open for half of the senior class this afternoon.”
I feel the tears in my eyes and they begin to run down my cheeks.
“How many STD’s did we spread around town today,” he asks and I can smell the alcohol on his breath. I know he’s drunk at least a six-pack, plus a bottle of Jack, by now.
“Sorry Dad, I’ll have…dinner done… in a few…minutes,” I sniff.
“Fine, but the least you could do is start charging for their time. This way you could help me with the bills.” He says walking back into the living room.
I turn to get back to making dinner. I haven’t done anything even close to what he accuses me of doing.
A knock on the stall door pulled me from my thoughts. I started to dry my eyes and fix my makeup with the compact in my purse. “Hold on Em, I’ll be right out.”
To my surprise, a male voice answered me, “It’s Nick. I made Emily stay out there.”
Oh shit, what was he doing in here? I had to get it together before I opened the door. “Nick, you do realize that this is the ladies room?” I asked, surprised my voice came out steady.
“Yeah, I locked the door. I wanted to talk to you and I didn’t think you’d want an audience,” Nick replied sadly.
“I’m fine, I’ll be out in a minute,” I said as continued to hastily fix my makeup.
I heard him come and stand next to the stall door, “Angie, please come out here. I know you’re not fine. Please stop trying to pretend that you are.”
I sighed as I opened the door, knowing by the tone of his voice that if I didn’t come out he would wait all night. “I told you I was fine.”
He took one look at me and pulled me to him. “I can tell you’ve been crying,” he whispered in my ear. “I’m so sorry about what happened out there. I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did.”
It felt comfortable being in his arms, but there was no excitement. “It’s not your fault. I just haven’t felt that way in a long time.”
He put his fingers under my chin and pulled my face up until I was looking him in the eye. “Can I take you somewhere so that we can talk?”
I shook my head, “Not tonight, I should get back to my friends.”
His face fell, but he wasn’t done, “Are we still on for Tuesday then? Angie, I like you and I don’t want what happened tonight to ruin that.”
He looked so sincere as he said it that I felt a small smile start to pull at my lips, “Yeah Nick, we’re still on for Tuesday. For tonight though, can we just drop it?”
He looked relieved. “Absolutely. Come on, I think there’s a stool out there with your name on it.”
I laughed as he led me out of the bathroom and back out to the bar.
“You ran from her last night, what did you expect to happen?” Josh whispered as he held me back, stopping me from beating the fucking shit out of Nick.
All of the fight left me in an instant. I had created this situation
Emily came up behind me. “Are you okay?”
I looked down at my arm before I answered her. There were a few red marks on my arm where Caleb’s fingers had dug in when he tried to pull me with him. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
I could feel the tears starting to form in my eyes. “I’ll be right back.” I grabbed my purse and headed for the bathroom. As soon as I was through the door, I ran into one of the stalls. It was easy to keep it together when the anger was there, but once that was gone the memories came rushing back.
“You stupid whore, why isn’t dinner ready?” he yells stalking me through the kitchen.
He’s never hit me, so I’m not sure why I am running from him. Maybe I’m running from the words.
“S…so…sorry,” I stutter.
He forces me into the corner of the kitchen, the fury pouring off of him. “I really shouldn’t be surprised. Probably had your legs spread open for half of the senior class this afternoon.”
I feel the tears in my eyes and they begin to run down my cheeks.
“How many STD’s did we spread around town today,” he asks and I can smell the alcohol on his breath. I know he’s drunk at least a six-pack, plus a bottle of Jack, by now.
“Sorry Dad, I’ll have…dinner done… in a few…minutes,” I sniff.
“Fine, but the least you could do is start charging for their time. This way you could help me with the bills.” He says walking back into the living room.
I turn to get back to making dinner. I haven’t done anything even close to what he accuses me of doing.
A knock on the stall door pulled me from my thoughts. I started to dry my eyes and fix my makeup with the compact in my purse. “Hold on Em, I’ll be right out.”
To my surprise, a male voice answered me, “It’s Nick. I made Emily stay out there.”
Oh shit, what was he doing in here? I had to get it together before I opened the door. “Nick, you do realize that this is the ladies room?” I asked, surprised my voice came out steady.
“Yeah, I locked the door. I wanted to talk to you and I didn’t think you’d want an audience,” Nick replied sadly.
“I’m fine, I’ll be out in a minute,” I said as continued to hastily fix my makeup.
I heard him come and stand next to the stall door, “Angie, please come out here. I know you’re not fine. Please stop trying to pretend that you are.”
I sighed as I opened the door, knowing by the tone of his voice that if I didn’t come out he would wait all night. “I told you I was fine.”
He took one look at me and pulled me to him. “I can tell you’ve been crying,” he whispered in my ear. “I’m so sorry about what happened out there. I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did.”
It felt comfortable being in his arms, but there was no excitement. “It’s not your fault. I just haven’t felt that way in a long time.”
He put his fingers under my chin and pulled my face up until I was looking him in the eye. “Can I take you somewhere so that we can talk?”
I shook my head, “Not tonight, I should get back to my friends.”
His face fell, but he wasn’t done, “Are we still on for Tuesday then? Angie, I like you and I don’t want what happened tonight to ruin that.”
He looked so sincere as he said it that I felt a small smile start to pull at my lips, “Yeah Nick, we’re still on for Tuesday. For tonight though, can we just drop it?”
He looked relieved. “Absolutely. Come on, I think there’s a stool out there with your name on it.”
I laughed as he led me out of the bathroom and back out to the bar.
“You ran from her last night, what did you expect to happen?” Josh whispered as he held me back, stopping me from beating the fucking shit out of Nick.
All of the fight left me in an instant. I had created this situation
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