“I want you to come, Blake. But I’m not asking for your permission for me to go. I’m going to Calla Bay for New Year’s Eve, with or without you,” I told him.
So much for hoping he’d be in a good mood. Blake dropped his fork on his plate with a loud clank.
“I said you weren’t going. They don’t really want you there, Lydia. If they cared, they would have come up here to see you anytime in the last year. They haven’t. I’m the one who’s been here for you every fucking day. Listening to you whine about having the life of luxury. Eating your shit cooking.” He threw his plate on the floor, shattering it instantly. “Don’t think for one second that those people are your real family.They don’t give a shit about you. I do.”
It was true that they hadn’t tried to come up to visit. But what Blake didn’t understand was that when I first moved to the city, I didn’t want my family to visit. I shut them down every time they tried and would always go to them. Ten years was a long time to have that routine in place. Them coming to me was just not the way we did things.
But that didn’t mean that my family didn’t love me. I knew they did. More than anything, I knew that my dad and my brothers loved me. And they wanted me home for this holiday for whatever reason.
Maybe just because they missed me.
“Blake,” I said, my frustration turning to anger. “I’m going to Calla Bay. And you need to clean up that mess because I’m not doing it.”
I pushed my chair back and stood from the table.
“You don’t make the rules, Lydia. I do. Get the broom before I make you clean it up with your teeth.”
“No.”
I threw the rest of my uneaten food in the trash and dropped my plate in the sink. I hadn’t even heard Blake get up from the table, but suddenly, he was behind me. He wrapped his hand around my neck, his other arm pinning my hands to my side. I couldn’t breathe, Blake’s fist closing around my windpipe. I tried to free my arms, kick my legs, but Blake was too strong, and we were too close to get any momentum on my side.
“Know your fucking place, Lydia. Clean this dogshit you call dinner off the floor. You’re not going anywhere without me, and I’m not going to some family shindig for New Year’s Eve. Do you understand?” he snarled.
My eyes watered, blood rushing through my ears, blocking out all other sounds. I tried to pull in a breath, but I couldn’t. I felt dizzy. My vision started to dim from the outer edges. My limbs were heavy, completely powerless as Blake held them tightly to my sides.
Just as quickly as he grabbed me, he released me, pushing me forward into the counter, bouncing my hip off one of the drawer handle. I sucked in a barbed-wire breath, my throat burning in protest. I coughed, and choked, and sputtered for what felt like hours but was actually only minutes. By the time I could breathe again, Blake was gone. Probably to his friend Anthony’s place to get high. The broken plate with remnants of steak, potatoes, and cauliflower was still scattered on the floor.
I lowered myself to the floor, leaning my back against the cabinets, and let myself cry.
Who was this person I had become? When did I let it get this bad? How did I let it go this far?
I couldn’t keep doing this. I couldn’t pretend that I didn’t see what this really was. I was in an abusive relationship, and I needed to get out.
* * *
Present Day
“Are you sure you don’t want to talk to him?” Reid asked, glancing at my phone as Sebastian’s name lit up the screen.
“No,” I sighed, clicking the Decline button on the side andsending him to voicemail.
“No, you’re not sure? Or no, you don’t want to talk to him?” he chuckled.
Thank God my little brother had the space and willingness to take me in when I just up and left the other night. I really did appreciate it. I did not appreciate him laughing at my utter confusion at what to do next though. I shot him some serious side-eye, which just had him upping his slight chuckle to full-on laughter.
“Okay. It’s your call. I’ve got your back regardless.”
“Thanks, Reid,” I said.
“Me too,” Claire called from behind me as she came in from the kitchen with fresh-popped popcorn—and not even the microwaved kind.
“Thanks, guys. Do you think I may have, um, overreacted?” I asked quietly.
“You? Never!” Reid exclaimed sarcastically.
“Shut up.” I pushed his shoulder, causing him to throw himself back like I had even the slightest strength to move him like that.
“Ugh. Jeez, someone’s touchy.”
