Love and Ambition

11 - Coffee Toss

Every single part of my being dreads watching his face. How he clenches his jaw and cross his brows because 'how dare I defy him'. Things aren't going his way and he doesn't know how to handle it. I was no longer under his boot, he is under mine, and it's driving him insane thinking that I have this much control over him. Like my hand is finally on his throat.

"Here's your vanilla latte," Jason's voice takes Sean's attention, setting my coffee down in front of me. He takes the space beside me, staring directly at Sean. "Here's my mocha. And if I knew we had a third, I would have ordered an Americano."

Sean's eyes turn red. 

"It's you again!" Sean points at finger at him, his nose flaring. Heaving. "I fucking knew it! You're sleeping with him, aren't you?"

I raise a brow. "And if I am? It's none of your business."

He leans back in his seat in disbelief. "I can't believe it. The nerve of you—"

"Of me doing whatever I want? Because I'm finally single? Because I'm no longer held in your palm? You can save your anger, Sean, because I honestly have no more energy explaining myself to you!" My heart pounds in my ears; my fingers tingling and losing sensation. This is what it must feel like to lose your temper after holding it in for so long. 

As I stare at Sean, the red in his eyes glow brighter. I relax my shoulders, feeling a victory that I've said my piece; hoping that he will leave me alone. 

But he always needs to have the last word. He reaches over the table and slap me across the face. Without hesitation, I take my steaming hot coffee and throw it at him; watching my damn coffee drip down his shirt. Jason takes Sean by the collar, dragging him out of the booth and into the street.

The world spins like I'm tipsy. The adrenaline rushes through my body; the sting on my cheek grows. 

He hit me.

The most he's ever done is have a tight hold on my arm, dragging me to have sex with him even when I've already said 'no'.

The world blurs; tears form in my eyes, dropping slowly down my cheeks. My chest tightens and I can't breathe. 

"Brooke!" Jason shakes me back, a small crowd formed behind him—all of them staring at me with sympathy.

"Are you okay?" His calming eyes stare into mine and for the first time...

...I don't know what to say.

* * *

The wind that blows past the hut would normally make me shiver, but I feel numb to the cold when all I could think of was what happened in the cafe.

"I need air," was all I told Jason. He nodded his head and brought us to our spot on the hill, texting Jennifer on the way. 

With the sun at its highest, its warmth fails to seep through the trees. But I will never get tired of the view we have of the town. The sparkle from the sea takes my attention and I stare, wishing I could get away from here.

From Sean's reach.

Footsteps approach the hut and Jenn appears in front of us, a worried look on her face. When we lock eyes, she gives me a smile and hands me a to-go cup.

"It's vanilla latte. Y'know, since you threw your drink at that dirtbag."

I take it from her, my lips still unmoved. Jenn glances over at Jason, who nods and walks out of the hut—his footsteps receding.

"Brookie," Jenn pulls her hair behind an ear, sitting beside me. The name made me smile. She hasn't called me that since we started high school. "Do you remember that big fight you had with Sean?" She waits for a response, but once she knew that I didn't want to talk, she continues. "You called me and you were crying—downright hyperventilating—asking me to pick you up. When I did, he held you by the door so you wouldn't go. Do you remember what I did?"

I nodded.

"Every day I regretted not going through with that call, just because he manipulated us that he was 'the good guy'," she looks away from me, biting the inside of her cheek. "But I was there for you to make sure he didn't lock you in, remember?"

I nodded again.

"And I'll be there still." 

The signs were there all along. Jennifer pointed them out, but all I did was ignore them. Just because I believed that I loved Sean. If she wasn't there, constantly checking up on me, Sean would have hit me sooner. Keep me locked in his cage.

Then I would have to fight to escape his hold.

The tears that I was trying so hard to keep in finally poured out, dripping down to the lid of the cup. "I'm so sorry," I sniffle.

"What for?" Jenn looks at me with her eyebrows furrowed upwards. 

"I feel like a shitty friend for pushing you away when you were always there for me," I look at her, my bottom lip quivering. 

All Jenn does is smile as a reply, enveloping me into a hug; kissing my temple and hugging me even tighter. 

I want to re-pay her back the favor. All this time, my relationship and my struggle to be a film maker fogged and occupied my brain that I've completely forgotten what it was like to be a best friend. 

My phone buzzes in my pocket. I pick it up to see a notification.

Sean sent a photo.

Sean: You asked for this.