“It’s not our apartment, it belongs to the firm,” Lee started to explain, “My assistant already has my replacement taking over the flat. All of your stuff is going to be shipped back home to your mom’s place. I have an overnight bag here for you and I need your keys. The new tenants are going to be moving in on Monday. This is going to make or break my career and I have to be completely focused on that. I can’t be worried about a relationship right now.”
“I can’t believe you’re going to break up with me after everything we have been through. Wait not even breakup with me, leave me homeless in a city I never wanted to move to in the first place on top of all of this bullshit.” I threw my hands in the air as I fought back the tears that were swelling in my eyes.
“Look, you’re twenty-two. I’m almost thirty. I can’t be with some kid that is a joke bar singer forever. We were young and having a good time in college. This should have never gotten as far as it did.” The callousness of his tone shot daggers into me.
“I’m a joke?” the yell shot out of me as I scrambled to my feet.
Reaching out a hand, Lee tried to get me to sit again. “Etta, please. Don’t make a scene. You must have seen this coming.”
“No. I love you. But apparently I am just garbage that you can throw away. A dirty old rag that you’re finished with, just tossed aside.” Fumbling for my keyring, I pulled the gold key to my former home off, setting it on the table in front of him.
“This is going to be the best for both of us. Now you can finally follow your dreams.” I hated how relieved he looked. I hated everything that was happening.
Grabbing the water glass in front of him, I threw the contents into his face. “You can go fuck yourself. Have a nice life, dickface.”
He leapt to his feet, yelling after me as I rushed to the lady’s room. “Etta! This is so typical of you. Drama queen!”
What a fucking asshat.
I locked the tiny washroom door and leaned up against it.
Just breathe.
I was hysterical and only had ten minutes before I was supposed to get back up on that damn stage.
In my mind, Lee Lybrink was the end all be all.How fucking stupid could I have been?
I had never felt so naïve in my entire life.
Grasping the porcelain sink, I stared at myself in the mirror trying to think of what my mom would say if she was there.
“Etta?”My mom called through my cracked bedroom door.
“Go away,” I sobbed into my tear-soaked pillow.
Walking in, she sank onto the foot of my bed. “Honey, you know that I can’t do that. Talk to me.”
“There’s nothing to talk about.” I scooted further away from her.
“Etta, what’s got you so upset?”
“Nothing!” I whined, tossing a throw pillow over my shoulder at her.
Laughing, she put her hand on my leg. “Now I am really not going anywhere. Spill.”
Sitting up, I huffed, “Fine. Julius broke up with me in front of the entire school in the cafeteria today.”
My mother looked relieved as she mustered an understanding smile. “If you have to beg someone to be in your life then they don’t belong there.”
“My life is over. I can never show my face at that school again. You have to homeschool me.”
“Don’t be overly dramatic, Etta. You’re fourteen for crying out loud. Men will come and go in your life. Just remember one bad chapter doesn’t mean the story is over.”
“Can’t you just be a normal mom and say that he’s a jerk for doing it? I can’t stand the canned quotes of wisdom.”
“Fine. He is a jerk. He’s a fucking good-for-nothing piece of donkey-shit.” She pursed her lips in a tightknit grin before we both burst out laughing.
“Thanks,” I mumbled. “Sorry I threw a pillow at you.”
