“I know,” I sigh, leaning my head back and staring up at the ceiling. Fallon slides up next to me, takes my hand in hers and does the same.
“Once you’ve told him to fuck off, I’ll be giving him a piece of my mind too,” and I do not doubt that she would.
Fallon has always been the friend I could fall back on. The one I could call in the middle ofthe night, and she’d be there. My ride or die. The rage radiating from her right now is the polar opposite of what I’m used to. Usually, she is the happiest person in the room. Spreading her joy to everyone she meets.
“I’m putting in an SOS with the sisters as a matter of urgency. I’ll see if they want to meet up for breakfast tomorrow to dissect this full situation.” She says as she grabs a hold of her phone to text the group chat. “After we’ve dealt with him, we’re working on getting your spark back, girl.”
If only she knew I felt some of that spark flare back to life tonight, with her brother. The way I felt for those few hours tonight with Tommy is the best I have felt in a while. Why does it need to be so complicated?
“Maybe let’s leave confronting him, I know I need to deal with him soon, though. I can’t boycott my own home forever.” After all the struggles I had growing up in such a turbulent home, my cabin is a sanctuary to me. That’s bothering me more than losing him. “How bad is it if I do it by text?” I joke.
“I would usually be against the idea of breaking up by text, but under these circumstances, it might be your best bet,” Fallon says. Then laughs at whatever she’s thinking. “I would just send him a text saying fuck off personally.”
“I wish it were that easy,” I chuckle, knowing that it is actually something she would do.
Looking back over the past few months, I can’t believe how much shit I’ve let him get away with. When did I become this girl?
“Maya, we’re going out with my parents tonight, so make sure you wear the outfit I have laid out for you,” Jake demanded, not bothering to look at me.
“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing? We’re only going to their house for dinner,” I ask him, confused. I’m wearing mum jeans and a white shirt. What I’m wearing now feels overdressed for a house visit, in my opinion.
“I can’t have them thinking my girlfriend is common. Just go and change into the dress I’ve left out.” He looks me up and down as he says it. I sigh and go to change to save the aggravation. It would only cause another argument. Not that I bothered to argue back anymore.
“Don’t forget I’m meeting the girls at Harry’s bar after it.”
“No, you’re not,” He mocks.
“Excuse me?” I turn to him, shocked. How dare he?
“We’re going for dinner with my parents, then we're coming back here. You’re not a teenager anymore, Maya. Grow up.”
How did I never see it before?
Am I just so used to being treated badly that it has become normal to me? I always gave in to him and followed along with whatever it was he wanted. If he didn’t want to go out, then Icouldn’t go out. Even sex! If I wasn’t in the mood, he would convince me by guilting me into it and most of the time it was bad. I mean, I had to fake the O almost every time, bad.
I always expected sex to be how they describe it in books. Earth-shattering, stars aligning, mind-blowing.
Nope. Not for me.
Especially not with him.
Why did I waste so much time?
“You know what. Fuck it. I’m ending it now. He wants to threaten me by text, then I can end it that way,” I announce, finally feeling my confidence begin to come back to me. I pick up my phone to do just that and notice the three dots bobbing along at the bottom of the screen, “Shit! He’s typing!”
“Oh my god, let me see!” Fallon leans in closer, our heads touching as we hover over the phone.
Jake– This isn’t a fucking game, Maya. I can see you’ve read my messages. Ring me now.
After about five seconds, before we have even had a chance to finish reading the text. He starts to call me. I whip my head up to look at Fallon, but she has already snatched the phone off me and pressed answer.
Shit!
She holds the phone away from her ear as he roars down the phone, assuming it’s me on the other end.
“Wow. Is this how you usually speak to your girlfriend? It’s Fallon, you wanker. Listen, she isn’t coming back tonight, so I’d get your shit and get the hell out of there.” She pauses to listen to something he says before continuing. “Who the hell do you think you are? Treating someone like this is a form of abuse, you know,” She says in a condescending tone, provoking him more.
He has never hurt me with his touch, but his words can hit just as hard. I feel so weak, sitting here shaking with nerves because of him. Fallon’s eyes are brimming with tears with the anger and frustration she feels on my behalf, and seeing her get so upset over how he treats me makes a switch flip in my brain. I can’t cope with this shit for another moment. I’ve been a doormat for too long, and it’s time I put an end to it.
