Into your arms

Boyfriend

Emilias Pov

I get out of the house and a sign of relief goes through my body. It's weird to be scared of my own house but here I am. I let him make me scared of it. I don't even realise it when I'm in there but just as I close the door, I feel a lot better.

I make my way to the little coffee shop down the street where I always meet up with Leah. Our weekly coffee date is the only thing that makes me happy. I always look forward to it. If it's over I wish it would start again. It's the only time I don't have to think twice about every I do or say. It's pretty warm but I have to wear long sleeves because of him. I don't want Leah to know. I don't want to drag her down with me even though I know she would let me.

Leah and I have been friends since we were 18. We met in a project after school and we immediately clicked. She is my best friend and I trust her. I want to protect her because she means so much to me. That is why I don't tell her about what Mark is like. I don't want her to meet him but she keeps asking me which makes sense. I would also want to meet her girlfriend if she would have any. She never really had a long relationship but used to have a few little things going on with some girls. They were all lovely so she is definitely better at picking than I am.

My first boyfriend cheated on me, the next one left during the night and now I have Mark. He basically is a complete psycho. He drinks a lot of alcohol and smokes which I hate. At the start everything was perfect with him and he treated me so well. He made me feel like I'm finally loved but it's not like that anymore. He gets angry and aggressive when he drinks which is most of the time. It doesn't matter what I do, it's always wrong. He always finds a reason to shout at me. He doesn't let me leave the house most of the time, just for me to go to work or sometimes meet Leah. She is the only one who I'm allowed to meet up with. He got fired from his job recently which just makes everything worse. I try to work late to avoid going home. I feel like I'm in a prison whenever I'm home. This coffee shop date is the only time I can escape from that prison.

I arrive at the coffee shop and see Leah already waiting outside. I get happy as soon as I see her. I wish I could do this more often and feel like that. She always looks so unbothered and comfortable that I wish I had her life. I want to feel like that as well.

"Hi." She does a step up to me before I even reach her. She hugs me. It's the only contact with a human that I get that isn't hurting me. Every other touch that I get is something that hurts me.

"Hello." I give her a smile. A true smile. I don't give that to Mark. Never.

We go to our usual spot and get our usual drinks. The owner knows Leah which is why we don't even have to order.

"How are you?" She asks me. A question that no one apart from her asks me. She is the only one who seems to care.

"I'm good." I answer.

"I feel like you are not feeling good lately." She says. She just knows me too well. I wish she wouldn't.

"No I'm really fine." I say again. I won't tell her. I can't do this to her. It's hard enough for me. She doesn't have to go through it as well. I'm used to it. I get through it.

"Okay." She nods and takes a sip of her drink.

"How is it going at Arsenal?" I ask to change the subject. I always try to watch her games. I can't go there because Mark wouldn't let me outside at that times but I try to keep up with it. I love watching Leah play football. I know how much she loves to do it.

"Great. Beth and Viv made their relationship public yesterday." She says.

"We always knew it." I laugh.