“No! I’m a mess because of you! You tore me down Justin, you broke my heart!” I scream at him, the floor digging into my knees uncomfortably. I’m still clutching tightly onto my finger, the wet blood spreading everywhere. I want to stand up but my legs are shaking unsteadily and I feel frozen to the spot. Justin scowls at me, confusion flashing through his eyes.
“I broke your heart? You didn’t even love me Ariana! I love you, so much.” He says, his voice cracking. I blink back tears —
“Just because I didn’t love you doesn’t mean you can cheat on me! My feelings were still there Justin! You were my light when things went so wrong,” I said quietly, my eyes dropping to the floor. I let my hair cover my face protectively as I hide behind it.
“We can try again.”
I snap my head up to look at his in disbelief.
“What?”
“Let’s try again,” he repeats, more louder this time. I watch as he takes a few steps forward, closing the distance between us.
“Are you crazy Justin? You cheated on me. You almost forced yourself onto me! No way.” I protest, holding my hand up to keep him at arms length. I can smell the alcohol lingering on his breath, his body, his clothes. His face looks crumpled in defeat and a small part of me breaks down at the pain in his eyes. It would be the easy option to give in to him, let things go back to how they were.
I can’t do that. I have to be strong.
“You should leave,” I whisper, swallowing the lump in my throat. He slowly places the beer bottle down onto the table be-side him and I think he’s about to turn around and leave.
But he doesn’t.
I can’t do anything as he drops to his knees in front of me, his face full of grief and determination. His hands shakily reach up before they cup my cheeks. I suck in a breath, unable to think or breathe properly. I want to tell him to leave me alone, stop playing with my emotions.
“Justin, leave!” I squeak out, my voice sounding strained instead of confident. He shakes his head immediately, dark hair flying around his forehead.
“One more time.” He says quietly, his warm breath hitting my face. He stinks of alcohol and the smell is making me want to vomit.
“No,” I whimper, dropping my gaze to the floor.
“Kiss me goodbye, one more time.” He repeats and I squeeze my eyes shut, tears rolling down my face.
“I’ve already said my goodbye.”
“No Ari. I need you to do this. Please.” He begs me, his voice cracking vulnerably. His fingers begin to stroke my cheeks and it almost feels like nothing ever went wrong between us. That’s until I remember all the pain he caused me. I reach up and remove his hands from my cheeks, the blood drying up on my hands as the seconds pass.
“You need to leave Justin.” I say firmly, staring into his eyes that are beginning to fill with tears. I force myself to keep eye contact with him, I need him to know I’m serious. He stares back at me for what feels like hours, his lip wobbling un-steadily. I push him away from me gently but he protests, shaking his head. His hands suddenly grip onto my shoulders and he’s pulling me towards him, towards his mouth.
“No, Justin! Stop!” I protest, turning my face and struggling against him.
“One last time.” He mumbles, his hands now cupping my chin forcefully. I begin to fight against him but it’s useless, my body is too weak to fight him. He inches closer until his lips are firmly pressing against mine, invading my trust and priva-cy completely. I feel the bile rise to the back of my throat and I shove him harder this time. He springs off me, his hand reaching up to trace over his lips.
Silently, he stands to his feet and takes his bottle with him before disappearing out the door. I’m left lying on the floor in a crumpled mess, dried blood staining my hands and surrounded by broken glass.
What bothers me the most is that he took my dignity with him.
*****
Alex’s POV –
I’m sprawled out on my new leather couch when my phone rings inside my pocket. Caleb turns to look at me and I groan, hoping it isn’t Papa. It’s a Friday night and my weekend off starts now.
“If you have to carry on working, I will actually cry.” Caleb mutters, taking a swig from his beer.
“I think I’ll join you,” I mutter, pulling it out and answering the phone. On the other end, I can hear a small whimper before the line goes quiet.
“Hello?” I frown, sitting up straighter. Seconds pass, the only sounds filling the silence being jagged breathing.
“Alex?”
“Where are you?” I say firmly, jumping off the couch and looking for my keys. Caleb is giving me a worried look but I ignore him and continue searching for them. My heart starts thumping against my chest repeatedly and I blow out a breath, repeating my question.
“Answer me hermosa. Where are you?”
I know something isn’t right. From the moment I heard her sweet voice sounding broken, I know she’s in trouble. I barely stop to think before ruining my plans and heading out to help her.
“I’m at the coffee shop. I don’t know who to call, I d-don’t know what to do.” She replies, sounding completely defeated. I grit my jaw tightly, my hands wrapping around my keys. I signal at Caleb to follow me and he doesn’t question me before jumping up, ready to head out.
“I’m coming to get you,” I murmur down the line, slamming my apartment door shut and striding down the hallways.
“Oh god, thank you. I’m such a mess right now, I – I can’t think straight. Thank you Alex.”
She continues to thank me over and over again as I keep her on the line, afraid to hang up incase I regret it later on.
*****
I push back the door, the room dimly lit by the few bulbs dangling from the ceiling. My eyes frantically search for her and I find her in the corner, on her knees. She’s surrounded by shattered glass and clutching her hand tightly to her chest.
When she notices me, her eyes begin to fill up and I immediately make my way to her side, dropping to my knees. I hold out my arm, searching her eyes desperately. I can feel my stomach clenching and unclenching, anger building up inside me. I don’t understand why I’m feeling so pained but I ignore it and focus on Ariana instead.
“Can I?” I ask her and she nods slowly, giving me her permission. I instantly scoop her up in my arms, pulling her into my lap. I feel like she’s shrinking away into herself, becoming smaller and smaller. She rests her head against my chest, her breathing jagged and heavy.
“What happened?” I say a little harshly before quickly clearing my throat.
“What happened?” I repeat, softer this time. I push my anger to the side, for her. She tenses up in my arms and that’s when I notice the blood on her hands. I frown deeply and take them in mine, desperately searching for the cut.
“Justin happened,” she murmurs, sniffling before reaching up and wiping her eyes. Her confidence is shattered and I can quickly feel myself growing angrier by the second.
“Where is he?” I ask, gritting my teeth tightly.
“He’s long gone,” Ariana whispers, her beautiful large eyes filled with sadness. I suck in a breath and place my arm under her legs before standing to my feet. She wraps her arms around my neck and I close my eyes for a brief second, wanting to stay like this for a while. The warmth of her pressed against me, using me as her support feels amazing and I never want it to end.
“Alex,” Ariana says quietly, pulling me out of the daze I’m in. I clear my throat and place her down onto a clean table be-fore heading to the back to look for an emergency aid kit.
“Alex,” she repeats, louder this time. I pause and turn around, giving her a small smile.
“Yes hermosa?”
“Can you kiss me?”