Page 6 of Charming
Thinking of her holding me while I lost my shit, being there for me today, offering to help me get the hell out of dodge, and everything after that, my heart warms. “Thank you for being my best friend,” I blurt.
Her brows lower into a frown, “You never have to thank me for that.”
“Of course I do. I don’t ever want you to think I take our friendship for granted.”
“I don’t think that. Ever.”
“I’m lucky that you were there for me today.”
“I’ll always be here for you. Always. Never doubt that.”
“Until we’re old and gray?” I ask her. An old promise we always ask one another.
“Until we are old and gray,” she confirms.
Looking around at my apartment again, replaying the day’s events in my mind, I feel at a loss. “What the hell do I do now?” I ask Katie, not really expecting her to have an answer any more than I have one for myself.
“Well. You could start by getting some actual clothes on.”
At her reply I look down at my white lacy strapless bra and thong. I was so desperate to get my dress off, it didn’t occur to me that I’m practically naked now. Suddenly, the fact I’m sitting at the kitchen table bare assed well on my way to getting drunk strikes me as funny and I start to giggle. “Not exactly what I expected to be doing right now in this get up,” I confess.
Katie’s laugh joins mine, “I’d imagine not. But hey, at least you don’t have to worry about faking an orgasm on your wedding night.” And then we begin to laugh at her comment. The ridiculousness of the situation combined with the alcohol coursing through our systems makes tears fall from our eyes.
Our laughs are immediately cut off when we hear banging at the front door. Our eyes cut to each other in surprise. Our looks clearly asking the other if they heard that too. We remain frozen our heads slightly cocked to the side and I almost laugh at how we must look. When it remains quiet, our bodies visibly relax until there’s another pounding on the front door, and this time there’s a voice to go along with it. “Ella! Ella, open up the door! Let’s talk about this.”
A sick heat made up of dread and disbelief runs through my body, twisting in my gut, making me wretch. My eyes, no doubt big as saucers look at Katie and she stares back at me. By silent agreement, neither of us makes a sound, hoping he’ll assume we aren’t home and will leave.
“I know you’re in there, dammit. Both of your cars are here. Answer the door. I’m not leaving until you answer the door. Talk to me. Please. Please talk to me,” he says, his demands turning to pleading. He sounds desperate to speak to me, but all it does is make me angry. What is he thinking? That I’ll forgive him? That I’ll be okay with the fact he got my stepsister pregnant, and what? We can work it out and I’ll be a stepmom to his kid? Um no. I can’t believe he even has the balls to be at my door right now.
Walking to the door, ready to yell at him, I stop when Katie grabs my arm. “No! Don’t you dare open that door,” she whispers harshly.
“I’m not,” I shake my head. She holds onto me for a moment longer, but then nods and lets me go. Walking to the door, I keep it closed but yell loud enough to be heard through it, “Go away, Jeremy. I have nothing to say to you. I can’t believe you would even come here. Leave.”
“Ella, please I’m begging you. Open the door. Let’s talk about this. It isn’t what you think.”
“Are you serious? Oh thank god! So you mean your dick just accidentally found its way inside of Jackie? How stupid do you think I am?”
“Just hear me out.”
“No way in hell. How could we possibly work this out? Go away. You made a mistake coming here.”
“Fine,” he growls. “I will give you tonight, but I will be back here every single day until you talk to me. I’m not giving up on us.”
“It’s not going to work. Just go away. We’re done. The fact that you could even think anything differently is ridiculous. Leave,” I say sternly, “And don’t come back.”
“We’ll see. I’ll get you to talk to me eventually.”
His words make anger rush through me fast and furious and I have my hand on the doorknob ready to open it and scream in his face, but once again Katie is there. She places her hand on my shoulder and the small act is like ice water on a burn, I instantly calm down and am able to realize that the last thing I want to do is talk to him, look at him, hear anything he has to say.
Dropping my head between my shoulders, I take some deep breaths calming myself. Then I sink to the floor once again. This is becoming a really shitty habit. “What am I going to do?” I ask not really expecting an answer.
“We should leave,” Katie says.
My eyes whip to hers, “Wouldn’t that also be known as running away from my problems?”
“No, I prefer to call it problem avoidance – at least for a little while. Getting some distance so you can think and breathe without having to worry about him breaking down the door will be a good thing.”
I think about it for a minute then look at her again, “Just leave?”
