Bleed Me Dry

I Can't Keep Up

"Where love is lost your ghost is found. I braved a hundred storms to leave you, as hard you try, no, I will never be knocked down." Turning Tables, Adele.

Gia

The sound of Millie's wooden cane making contacting with a head makes a sound so loud that I turn around to see what's going on. I'm seven months pregnant and I can't afford to be running around to keep Millie in control. But when I manage to turn myself I drop everything I'm holding. There is a man with dusty blond hair and eyes almost as blue as Tanner's rubbing his head. Andie is standing as still as a statue with silent tears running down her face.

I have no idea what is going on, one minute I was telling Andie to wait on this good looking young man to Andie crying and Millie hitting him with her cane. I'm assuming he hit on her and Millie just got mad. I march over to the other end of the diner as fast as I can.

"Millie! What is going on?" I yell at her. She can't just hit people whenever she wants just because she has a cane.

The young man steps towards me, "I'm going to call the cops, this woman assaulted me for no reason."

Once he starts speaking I realize this is not just some random man who came into the diner. This is Vincent, Andie's husband. Millie must have hit him to help Andie. Guilt rushes through my body, I was the one who told Andie to go serve him and I was the one who reprimanded Millie for helping her. I have to get rid of this man.

"Oh my god," I say as I take a step back.

"Gi this is Andie's husband, he was hurting her I swear," Millie says.

I look over at Andie, she is still frozen solid.

"Sir, you aren't welcome here. Andie doesn't want to see you and you're causing a disruption," I try to sound as professional as possible, I think it would be best for the situation. If I lose control then this could get ugly.

"Well. Gia I don't really care. Andie is my wife and nothing will ever take me away from her. It doesn't matter if the world stops turning and there's no air for me to breathe, I will never stop loving her, if she isn't with me I have nothing else to live for," He says with a lot of emotion. If I didn't know better I would believe his little speech.

Before I can think anymore Andie comes running up to Vincent with more rage than I've ever seen her show, "Vincent, you don't love me and you never did. If you loved me you would have never hurt me, and I won't let you hurt me anymore I'm on my own now. You don't hit people you love Vince, you don't call them a bitch and push them down the stairs. I will always love you, but I will never be with you again. I will cherish the happy memories we had and try to forget the bad ones. It's best for both of us to just leave this all behind."

I don't remember how it happened but somehow Vincent's fist slams into Andie's face. I rush to her side as quickly as I can, Millie tries her best to hobble over to her. For some reason Vincent starts to cry. He just hit her why would he be the one who cries.

"Andie are you okay?" Millie cries.

"I'm fine, you learn to get used to the pain," she tells us.

"Why is he crying?" I ask her.

"He always does this," she explains.

This is a side of Andie I've never seen. She is usually so fragile and full of emotions but the Andie I'm seeing right now is strong, she holds her ground against his forces refusing to let herself break.

Vincent keeps sobbing, "Andie honey, I'm so sorry I love you, I love you so so much."

"Vince you don't love me," she stands firm.

"Andie! Why aren't you telling me it's okay. You always tell me it's okay," he continues. Rage comes through his eyes and he pushes her up against the wall. I'm about to help her but another man suddenly intervenes pushing him off of her. I soon realize that it's Tanner who has come into the diner, probably wondering why I'm not home.

"I don't know who you are but you better get out of here now!" Tanner yells.

"Who do think you are?" Vincent asks him.

"I am the father of that baby" Tanner points to my stomach, "and you are hurting a woman something I would never dream of doing because I am a good man. I saw you punch her and I want you to know I have called the police and they are on their way."

Tanner holds Vincent still until the police come. They handcuff him and have him out of here in a split second. Andie seems fairly composed given the situation, Millie is calling a cab to take them home. Everyone in the diner left as soon as Millie hit that cane, it was like they knew something scary was happening. Once it's just Tanner and I alone he asks if I'm "ready to leave". I can't help but be scared of him, as much as I love him for stepping in and saving the day a part of me knows he is just as capable of hurting me as Vincent was to Andie. Andie and Vincent were together for years before he hit her, there's nothing that says it won't happen to us, I've only known him for 7 months. I can't stand the thought of him hurting me or the baby girl inside me that I love more than the world.

I back away from him not knowing what to do, "I think it's best I stay by myself tonight Tanner." I bolt out of the diner to a cab down the street pushing him away like I always do.