Trying Hard to Ignore You

Charlotte and Mark

Spencer

There's a loud crash in the kitchen after the back door is thrown open, and then whoever it is goes storming upstairs.

"I guess Noah talking to her wasn't that good of a plan." Dad says quietly.

Noah walks inside and into the living room.

Audrey was the one who stormed upstairs.

He looks at me.

"Your wife is a bitch." He says.

"No she's not." I say.

"What happened?" Emily asks.

"She's pissed that you didn't tell her about us. She said something about how she thought you guys had a good relationship. I told her you don't have to report every aspect of your life to her, how we waited until after she was married..." he sighs. "So I asked if she'd have left Spencer or tried to break us up and she said she wouldn't have, that she'd have supported us, whatever, I think she's lying. Then I accused her of expecting you to report every aspect of your life to her...and then I said something I shouldn't have said and uh..." he trails off.

"What did you say?" Emily asks.

He shoves his hands in his pockets.

"I said I wished Spencer didn't marry her..." he trails off. "And she said that even if she hadn't met Spencer, even if it wasn't me you were with, she would still be upset because you didn't think it was important enough to tell her." He swallows. "And then I asked if she was saying she didn't want to be with Spencer...and then she got pissed and went inside."

"You are out of line." Emily says.

"I agree." Mom says.

"If Audrey didn't tell me she was with Spencer, didn't tell me she was marrying Spencer, I'd be fucking pissed too!" Emily snaps. "And you just shot her down and walked in here like you were right, and called her a bitch."

Noah just looks at me.

"You're on my side, right?"

Audrey

I was coming back out of my bedroom to get some water but the upstairs is open to downstairs so I'm eavesdropping.

Maybe I'll go to a bar or something.

Yeah. Fuck this noise, I'm going out.

I walk into the bathroom and open the closet.

I have no winter clothes.

Frustrated, I pull on a pair of light denim ripped skinny jeans and a gray long sleeve shirt that's tight on the arms and loose everywhere else. I put on socks and cute light brown boots. I let my hair rest in natural waves and get my Calvin Klein purse. I put my wallet, key's and phone in it, putting my glasses on.

I go downstairs.

Usually I would just leave but if Spencer goes upstairs and I'm not home, he will worry.

I go downstairs, into the living room.

"I'm going out." I say.

They were all talking, probably talking shit about me.

The moment I walk in though, they stop.

"I'm going out." I say.

"Where?" Spencer asks.

"I don't know yet." I say. "I love you." I kiss his cheek.

"You're not going to go get a hotel, right?"