Imagine If....

The Abuse came to Light... {Pt 1}

You subconsciously smoothed out the skirt of your peach-colored sundress as you waited outside the bistro. You normally weren't the type of person to get nervous but today was a special occasion. Today was the day that You, your best friend Mark, and your boyfriend Matthew were going to have lunch together. Even though Matthew and Mark had conversations on more than several occasions, they really didn't spend quality time together. You wanted to change that. After all, your best friend should know your boyfriend right?

There were many complications that came up when you were trying to plan this lunch, all coming from Mark's end. It all began with, "I have a ton of videos I have to record in preparation of Comic Con", then it was "Chica's got some major vet appointments she can't miss". Eventually, it got to the point where you thought Mark was trying to avoid it because he didn't want to go on this. When you brought this thought up to him, Mark's schedule had magically cleared up. 

Just as you started to let your mind wander to other topics, you saw Mark's hybrid pull into the parking lot. Knowing that Mark could read you like an open book, you tried to hide the nerves with a smile. 

You watched as Mark climbed out of his car, the smile on your face growing. Even though you were with Matthew, you had to admit that Mark looked good in the light blue t-shirt he was wearing. It contrasted really well against the golden tan of his skin. 

A grin spread on his face when he finally reached you. "Wow, you look beautiful Y/N." Mark reached down to quickly give you a hug.

"You say that like I never am."

"Well, I didn't want to say anything, but since you brought it up.." You smacked his upper arm playfully.

"Now we're just waiting for Matthew to get here." You announced, glancing at the watch on your wrist with a nervous expression.

"Where is he anyways? After all, he's the one that's all for punctuality." Mark scoffed.

"He said that he'd be here after he was done with court." Matthew was an attorney who recently graduated from Law school.

"If I had to attend something with my girlfriend that was important to her, I'd do everything in power to be there early, but that's just me..." You glanced at Mark from the corner of your eye. What was up with him this afternoon? He was normally a lover not a fighter, but today he just seemed to want to poke at Matthew for whatever reason.

"If he knows what's good for him, he'll be here." You muttered under your breath. As you finished that sentence, you recognized Matthew's black SUV start to pull into the lot. Once again, you tried to hide the nerves with a small smile. With Mark, your smile came with ease. With Matthew, there was a lot more resistance. 

When Matthew had reached the two of you, his eyes immediately started scanning your body. You thought an appreciative look would appear in his eyes, but instead a look you couldn't place came up on his face.

"You're wearing that, really?" Matthew asked as he looked down at his phone. You once again smoothed down the skirt of your dress.

"What's wrong with it?" You asked.

"Nothing I guess, it just doesn't suit you." With him still looking at his phone, he headed towards the bistro, leaving you and Mark behind. As much as you hated to admit this, Matthew treated you like this often. Many people would see this as rude, disrespectful even but you know it was just part of his personality.

The look in Mark's eyes softened for a second before they returned to normal. "Don't listen to him, you look amazing. Let's head in." With his hand resting on your lower back, Mark propelled you slightly towards the door. Once the two of you got inside, Mark's hand dropped from your back. It didn't take long to find Matthew in the small, but elegant bistro. He was seated towards the back in a booth, looking at his phone once again.