“Babe, didn’t you want to make a little effort tonight?”
“Are you sure you should be eating that?”
“Don’t you think it’s a little childish hanging out at bars at your age?”
“Who are you texting? It better not be another man.”
“Maybe if you exercised more, you’d be better in bed.”
And that’s not even the worst of it; it’s like he is forcing himself to be with me in bed now. Isn’t it every woman’s dream to be desired? I want a man who sets me on fire, not one who puts me down.
Jake is a good-looking man, with dirty blonde hair and abs for days. Any woman would fancy him, but the longer I’ve been with him, the nastier he has become.
“Yes, girl!” Gracie cheers. “It’s about time you stood up to him. There’s something about him, I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s like you’re not you anymore.”
“Really? Is it that obvious? I thought you all liked him.” From the looks they are giving me, I was clearly wrong.
“It’s not that we don’t like him…” Gracie starts, but Fallon interrupts.
“Yes, it is. I can’t lie to you, Maymay. He’s changed you. We never get to see you anymore, you’ve stopped doing the things you enjoy, and to be completely honest, you seem… sad.”
They do have a point. I had already noticed it for myself, this overbearing need to ask his permission to do anything that didn’t involve him. The anxiety of doing something that I wanted to do was sickening. It was wreaking havoc on my everyday life. Even being at work with my girls around had me feeling on edge. There have been times I have completely zoned out mid-conversation, fretting over the thought of doing something wrong or saying the wrong thing.
I didn’t have a comeback for Fallon.
Because everything she is telling me is true.
Blair reaches her hand across the table, giving mine a gentle squeeze. When I look up into hercaring eyes, my own begin to water. “It’s time you choose you.”
I scrunch up my nose, begging the sting to go away. This is meant to be girls' night after all.
Fallon slams her hands down on the table unexpectedly, making us all jump and stare at her in shock.
What the fuck, I think I almost had heart failure.
“Shots!” she exclaims. “Let’s get blind drunk, dance until we can no longer feel our toes, and just live our best lives!” She waves over to Harry across the bar. “Five shots of tequila please, Hazza!”
“Anything for you, my girl,” he replies with that cheeky smile of his. God, that boy has got it bad for Fallon. Automatically knowing that the fifth shot is for him, he gets busy pouring them.
Whilst the shots are in progress, I decide now is the best time to nip to the bathroom to freshen up. I let the girls know and head toward the back of the room. The bar had become crowded as we had our emotional outburst, and as I manoeuvred through the crowd, I noticed a large group of people chatting and dancing. Recognising a few faces from school, I smile and wave as I pass them.
Once I’m in the bathroom, I take in my reflection in the mirror for the first time today. I look absolutely knackered. My makeup is barely intact after such a long day and mini meltdownwith the girls. At least my hair still looks good. It hangs just past my shoulders in light brown glossy waves. One of the perks of being a hairdresser is being able to get your hair done whenever you need it.
I touch up my makeup the best I can with the limited supplies I have on me, check over myself once more and head back out. As I am making my way over to the table, I see something, or should I say someone, who causes my steps to falter and my heart to begin to race. Someone I hadn’t seen in a very long time,
Tommy.
