You’re breaking your own dishes. Do you think he cares about that?”
“ Get him out of here, Mia! Get him out of here right now!”
Frustrated, I threw my hands out. When did he become my problem? Knowing this would only escalate if no one put a stop to it, I walked to my room and found him leaned against my doorframe. His arms were crossed over his chest and he was wearing a cocky grin.
“ What are you smiling about?” He started to answer, but I cut him off. “Nevermind,” I said. “Just leave.”
“ Why? She’s the one who needs to calm the fuck down.”
“ I’m not calming down shit, you asshole!” Fiona yelled from the kitchen.
“ Why don’t you watch your language?” Fontenot said, egging her on. “Mamma Mia doesn’t talk like that and look how pretty her mouth is.”
“ Shut up,” I said through gritted teeth. He was only trying to rile her up.
It worked.
She stormed into our tiny hallway and began berating him. Calling him names. Insulting his manhood. Not to be outdone, Fontenot joined in, yelling right back, and not holding back either. I cringed at some of his choicer comments. Fiona was caught up in the drama and used me as a shield to smack and hit him. Fontenot let her, but was losing his patience.
Suddenly, Paul was beside me, pulling me out of their way.
“ That’s enough,” Paul said, putting me behind him. “If you’re not gonna leave,” he said to Fontenot, “maybe you should go into another room until this calms down.”
“ Fine by me,” he said and walked right into mine.
“ Not there!” I said. “Go to Fiona’s.”
She was about to protest, but Paul put a hand on her shoulder. “Take a breath. Talk this out with Mia.”
Tears came and she hugged him. Closing my eyes, I took an annoyed breath. Poor, little Fiona . She was in this horrible situation of her own making and needed my boyfriend to help her.
Paul patted her back, but put her in my arms. I gave her a reluctant squeeze and led her to my bed. “I’ll be right back,” I told her and walked with Paul to the living room.
“ You’ve got your hands full,” he said.
“ Yeah. It’ll blow over in an hour or so. Thank you though.”
“ Do I need to stay?” he asked.
“ Not if you need to go. I think the worst is over.”
“ Are you sure? I don’t mind.”
“ It’s fine.” I kissed him lightly on the lips. “See you soon?”
“ Definitely,” he said.
In my room, Fiona sat cross legged on my bed, fiddling with the pattern of my comforter. I shut the door and joined her.
“ Okay,” I said. “What happened?”
“ This,” she said and handed me her phone.
On the screen was a picture of Fontenot and Nicole. It was taken with a photo-sharing app I didn’t use. Wherever they were, it was daylight. Nicole was mid-laugh, her smile bright and genuine. Fontenot had his arm around her neck pulling her towards him. While she laughed, he assaulted her cheek with kisses. The caption read, Don’t get much prettier than this chick.
I handed the phone back to her. “Where’d you get this?”
“ My friend found it and sent it to me. I didn’t even know he used this app, and it was taken today. Who the hell is she?”
I hesitated. Did I tell her? I knew Fiona. If she found out that I knew Nicole, she’d demand I call her or take her by Nicole’s house. She’d want some type of altercation.
“ He was supposed to be working today,” she said. “He’s a lying piece of shit.”
“ What did he say when you asked him?”
“ That it isn’t any of my business. That she’s his friend and I need to butt out.”
I wasn’t going to say I told you so. Even though I wanted to. Our friendship was on the rocks, but I could remember the good times. The nights we laughed on one of our beds, dreaming and wishing for our futures. The road trips and late night study sessions. There was a time I would have wanted nothing more than to console her. Filled with the memories, I grabbed her
“ Get him out of here, Mia! Get him out of here right now!”
Frustrated, I threw my hands out. When did he become my problem? Knowing this would only escalate if no one put a stop to it, I walked to my room and found him leaned against my doorframe. His arms were crossed over his chest and he was wearing a cocky grin.
“ What are you smiling about?” He started to answer, but I cut him off. “Nevermind,” I said. “Just leave.”
“ Why? She’s the one who needs to calm the fuck down.”
“ I’m not calming down shit, you asshole!” Fiona yelled from the kitchen.
“ Why don’t you watch your language?” Fontenot said, egging her on. “Mamma Mia doesn’t talk like that and look how pretty her mouth is.”
“ Shut up,” I said through gritted teeth. He was only trying to rile her up.
It worked.
She stormed into our tiny hallway and began berating him. Calling him names. Insulting his manhood. Not to be outdone, Fontenot joined in, yelling right back, and not holding back either. I cringed at some of his choicer comments. Fiona was caught up in the drama and used me as a shield to smack and hit him. Fontenot let her, but was losing his patience.
Suddenly, Paul was beside me, pulling me out of their way.
“ That’s enough,” Paul said, putting me behind him. “If you’re not gonna leave,” he said to Fontenot, “maybe you should go into another room until this calms down.”
“ Fine by me,” he said and walked right into mine.
“ Not there!” I said. “Go to Fiona’s.”
She was about to protest, but Paul put a hand on her shoulder. “Take a breath. Talk this out with Mia.”
Tears came and she hugged him. Closing my eyes, I took an annoyed breath. Poor, little Fiona . She was in this horrible situation of her own making and needed my boyfriend to help her.
Paul patted her back, but put her in my arms. I gave her a reluctant squeeze and led her to my bed. “I’ll be right back,” I told her and walked with Paul to the living room.
“ You’ve got your hands full,” he said.
“ Yeah. It’ll blow over in an hour or so. Thank you though.”
“ Do I need to stay?” he asked.
“ Not if you need to go. I think the worst is over.”
“ Are you sure? I don’t mind.”
“ It’s fine.” I kissed him lightly on the lips. “See you soon?”
“ Definitely,” he said.
In my room, Fiona sat cross legged on my bed, fiddling with the pattern of my comforter. I shut the door and joined her.
“ Okay,” I said. “What happened?”
“ This,” she said and handed me her phone.
On the screen was a picture of Fontenot and Nicole. It was taken with a photo-sharing app I didn’t use. Wherever they were, it was daylight. Nicole was mid-laugh, her smile bright and genuine. Fontenot had his arm around her neck pulling her towards him. While she laughed, he assaulted her cheek with kisses. The caption read, Don’t get much prettier than this chick.
I handed the phone back to her. “Where’d you get this?”
“ My friend found it and sent it to me. I didn’t even know he used this app, and it was taken today. Who the hell is she?”
I hesitated. Did I tell her? I knew Fiona. If she found out that I knew Nicole, she’d demand I call her or take her by Nicole’s house. She’d want some type of altercation.
“ He was supposed to be working today,” she said. “He’s a lying piece of shit.”
“ What did he say when you asked him?”
“ That it isn’t any of my business. That she’s his friend and I need to butt out.”
I wasn’t going to say I told you so. Even though I wanted to. Our friendship was on the rocks, but I could remember the good times. The nights we laughed on one of our beds, dreaming and wishing for our futures. The road trips and late night study sessions. There was a time I would have wanted nothing more than to console her. Filled with the memories, I grabbed her
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