A Decade Between Us

A Decade Between Us

When Julie strikes up a conversation with a stranger in an online chat room, she never expects it to become part of her daily routine. A year of messages and the occasional late-night call deepen their connection, and she finally convinces him to meet in person. But what begins as an innocent romance, quickly sours- her secret threatening everything, and his devotion to the law won't let him ignore it. A decade later, fate brings them face-to-face once again. Will their shared past be too much to overcome, or can they let go of old wounds and find a way forward together?

I want to be normal. I want to be able to hear my own thoughts like everyone else without being confused. I want to stop cutting myself. I want to have better coping mechanisms. I want to get away from everything bad. I want to smile because I'm happy and at peace. I don't want a label. I don't want to be remembered as that girl. I want to love life. I don't want to be the girl who can't stomach food. I don't want to be the girl who can't look at a guy without getting nervous on whether or not he'll attack me. I just want to be normal.

"Where were you going?" my mother probed as I trampled through the front door. I had my hand to my chest as I fought to breathe then eventually held up my finger requesting a second. Finally, once my pulse slowed to a normal rate and my lungs stopped burning, I pointed towards the front door.

"Running," I moaned. My hands rushed to my knees as I forced away the nausea that was inching up from my belly into my throat. I had pushed myself too hard today.

"You're going to be late," she growled. I straightened my body and cleared my throat. She was hunched over the kitchen table, her light brown, stringy hair cascading down her thin face and her small frame was wrapped in an old, torn bathrobe. I rolled my eyes then stomped towards my room to get ready for school. It was all I could do not to just run away and if my Aunt Theresa would have ever agreed to it, I would be living with her instead of this hell hole. I knew that if I ever asked her seriously that she would let me, but it would be a fight from hell from my mother. Not because she wanted me here out of love, but the need for protection from other people. But I only had two months left of high school then I'd be gone forever. There would be no looking back, regardless of who needed me. I needed to keep myself safe too.

I took a quick shower, then slid my jeans over my sun kissed hips and pulled on a tank top then headed towards the door. "Are you working tonight?" my mother shrieked from the kitchen table. I sauntered just close enough to her to smell the lit cigarette burning from the ash tray directly in front of her. I could tell she hadn't been asleep yet because she was never awake this early unless he had pulled an all-nighter.

"I get off at ten. See you then," I said. She cleared her throat and I knew what was coming next. The same thing that came every morning that she was awake when I left for school. She stood to her feet and tried to force a quick smile. I turned around to force a smile at her then grabbed my purse that was hanging loosely off my shoulder.

"We aren't going to make the mortgage this month. Just short two hundred dollars," she said. There was a small part of me that wondered if it hurt her pride to ask her teenage daughter for money, but I knew it mustn't since she could still afford her alcohol, cigarettes and drugs. I reached into my purse and started counting money.

"Here," I said handing her the money. It was the least I could do, since I lived here as well. "Nick could help out too. He has a job," I reminded her. She started folding the money but her expression changed from gratitude to anger. She'd never ask my brother for a thing. I knew that and I'm not sure why I brought it up. "Nevermind," I quickly said.