Changing Seasons

Sixty-Five

****

"Atira, if you ever need to talk or vent, I'm here for you." Cami had told her as she headed to the door.

Atira smiled, tears welling, "Thank you, Cami. And thank you so much for letting me cry on your shoulder today," Atira replied.

With a trace of sadness, Cami watched her new friend get into the car with Krist and drive away. She hoped Atira would remember everything she had been told that afternoon and stay firm with her boundaries. Any hope of that had gone out the door as soon as Krist had walked in and pulled his victim card. He'd managed to guilt Atira into apologizing for standing her ground earlier.

"Was telling her all that shit necessary?" Jeordie asked her.

"Absolutely it was. If it were me, those are things I'd want to know," Cami stated firmly.

"Dude, he did those things because he was tweaked out. You know he isn't like that now," Jeordie told her, always quick to defend his friend.

"Do we know that? Krist hasn't had an actual relationship since he's been clean, and I'm sorry, but just because someone is on drugs doesn't excuse shitty behavior. That's a fucking cop-out, Jeordie, and you know that. How many people have we known who were addicts who didn't beat the shit out of their partners? My god, when you were using, did you ever put your hands on me?"

Jeordie was silent.

"Look at how he's acting towards her already," Cami said.

"What's wrong with how he acts to her? I haven't seen him do anything bad."

"Okay," Cami said slowly, "Let's see, the tattoo for starters. Not to mention, Krist has her moving in with him here in March."

"That was her idea. She wanted to move down, too!" Jeordie pointed out.

"Fine, whatever, but did you know he is already trying to get her pregnant?"

Jeordie scoffed, "No, he is not."

"Then why did Atira tell me that he asked her to take her birth control out?"

"He probably meant in the future, not anytime soon."

Cami scowled, "Really? Have you ever known Krist to do any long-term planning?"

"I think you just need to stay out of his relationship. If he and Atira want to move in together and have kids, let them."

"I feel like you think that because you're his friend, you have to overlook anything shitty he does. Someone needs to call him on it. And I'm sorry, Atira should know exactly who she is with. I don't want to have to help another one of Krist's girlfriends look for her teeth because he fucking knocked them out."

****

"I'm so glad you're back, baby," Krist held his in his arms as they lay in post-coital afterglow. "Don't ever leave me again," he told her in a joking but not joking way.

Atira wrapped her leg around his, "I have no plan on it, ever."

"Even when you go back to Seattle?" He asked, brushing a stray hair from her eyes.

"Krist, the next time I go to Seattle is to pack up my things to move down here," she assured him.

He caressed her bare skin, "Is that right?" He smiled, feeling relieved she still envisioned herself moving in with him. Atira nodded. Krist kissed her forehead, "In March still or...?"

Atira peered up at him, her soft brown eyes shining, "What if I did it sooner?"

A slow smile spread across Krist's handsome face, "Sooner?" He repeated.