Not Good Enough For Truth In Cliche

The Blood On My Hands Is Something I Cannot Forget

Me: bby im on my way home
Craig: how long?
Me: uh dunno ill b there soon tho
Craig: ok, see you soon <3

I enjoyed the uneventful, quiet drive back from work. Craig had asked me to quit, so I had more time for him, but I didn't want to freeload off of him. I pulled into my parking space and went up to my apartment. Before announcing myself, I heard voices from the other room. Quietly, I walked to right outside the door.
"Craig, what if she finds out?"
"She's not gonna."
"You can't guarantee that."
"I can. Bella, babe, she falls for everything I tell her. That I'm out late with the producers? She buys it, even when the rest of the band is back home. She's so gullible."
"She'll find out eventually."
"She can go running back to Daddy, then, hm? Oh, wait. He's dead."
The girl laughed. "That's what I love about you. You're willing to talk shit about anyone."
I left the apartment quietly and went to my car. I broke down and started crying. Through the tears, I drove to the only place where I had a chance to be accepted. Sniffing, I knocked on the door. "Ash." Ronnie said coldly.
"Ronnie." I choked back my tears.
He softened, realizing I wouldn'tve come here if I didn't have a choice. "What's wrong?"
"Craig's cheating on me." I sobbed.
He brought me inside. "Why do you think that?"
"B-Because I went home, and... And he was talking to another girl, he was saying that I'm not gonna find out, that I'm gullible, and... He..."
"Anything else?"
"He said, 'I can, Bella, babe, she falls for everything I tell her.'"
"Bella?"
"Mhm."
Ronnie sighed and handed me a tissue. "His ex. High school sweethearts, or whatever."
My phone vibrated. "It's Craig."
"Ignore it."
He texted a few more times before I couldn't take it anymore,

Craig: bby where are u?
Craig: ash honey
Craig: I'm getting worried
Craig: ash????
Me: shut the fuck up, Craig
Craig: ???
Me: the name Bella ring a bell?
Craig: idk what ur talking abt
Me: bullshit, you were in bed with her when I came home. im not gonna find out? cant believe I ever trusted you
Craig: babe no its not what it looks like
Me: then what is it
Craig: I... Fuck

My phone rang. I answered it. "I can't believe you."
"Let me explain!" Craig pleaded.
"Okay."
"It's, uh... She's my high school girl, and..."
"I'm your what? Your charity case?"
"No, Ash, you know you're my everything."
"How long has it gone on for?"
"Not very-"
"I need a time."
"Six months."
"Before Ronnie came. So it's not even jealousy. It's you being a dick."
"I love you, babe, you know that. Please, give me another chance."
"No. Craig, I can't forgive you. I can't."
"Ash-"
"Bye, Mabbitt." I ended the call.
"Mabbitt?" Ronnie asked.
"That's what I called him when I hated him." I bit my lip, hard, to keep from crying. "I guess I hate him."
He took my hands. "Do you know why your name is Ash?"
"And you do?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"When your mother was pregnant with you, she was in a house fire. Um, it was at my aunt's. They were all hanging out. I was there too, playing with Anthony while the adults hung out. There was a fire that broke out when the food burned. Anthony got me outside, I was like, a year and a half? Yeah. Your mom almost died, but she didn't. Some miracle. So she named you after the fire."
"Huh."
"What I'm saying, is, do you want me to start a fire and burn Craig?"
I laughed bitterly. "No. That makes you the asshole."
My phone rang again. Ronnie looked at it. "Max."
I answered it. "Hey."
"Craig fucking cheated on you?"
"Apparently. How do you know?"
"He called me, asking me to get you to understand. He fucking cheated though. I'm not supporting him on this."
"Well..."
"Do you need anything? We're gonna go beat his ass."
"We?"
"Me and Bryan."
"Yeah, who's idea was that?"
"Bryan's."
"Tell Monte to not kill Craig if you guys do this. Thanks for the support, though."
"Of course."
"Bye."
"Bye."
I ended the call and sighed. "I fucking hate Craig Mabbitt."
"Me too." Ronnie hugged me. "I'm sorry. I am."
"If I knew he was doing this, I wouldn'tve been so quick to defend him when I picked you up. I would've chose you. I'm sorry, Ronnie."
"Don't apologize. Do you want me to beat his ass?"
"Max and Monte are already doing that."
"I'll go join. There's food in the fridge, and I think there's vodka in the cupboard. I'll be back." He stood up and left the apartment.

Me: wait for Ronnie he wants to fite too
Max: aight

I leaned my head back and slowly fell asleep.
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I woke up to my phone ringing. "Ugh."
"Ash, I'm sorry-"
"Shut up, Craig."
"Your fri-"
"Your band." I corrected.
"Your Ronnie." He interjected. "They fucking beat me up. I have a black eye, a broken rib, and a bloody nose."
Ronnie came in. "Oh, sorry, Craig. I don't care." I ended the call.
Ronnie rolled his eyes. "We go in there to teach him a lesson and he's got his little whore's legs wrapped around his abdomen. Monte pulls her off and chews her out, Max and I wail on Craig. I hope he gets we're serious about you. I am not letting that asshole play with your feelings ever again."
"Yeah." I bit my lip. "I don't have a place to stay. Or any of my shit."
"Yeah, we got that done too. Monte grabbed, like, a lot of your stuff. Clothes, makeup, money. Jewelry. Like, three suitcases worth. You can stay here with me, I can make up the couch."
"Thanks, Ronnie."
"I'll grab the suitcases, and I picked up pizza." He went outside and came back, lugging in three suitcases and a purse, along with balancing the pizza. "Here."
"My purse." I ran over to the suitcases and looked through the contents. "This is pretty much everything. Thank you so much, Ronnie."
"Yeah." He set the pizza down on the table. "Extra cheese, pepperoni-"
"Just the way I like it. You're a Godsend. You're amazing."
He shrugged. "I try. How do you feel?"
"I should be mad, or sad, but I'm like... Numb."
"Yeah." He got a plate of pizza and handed to me.
I took a bite of the pizza. "I'm sorry, I'm just intruding."
"No, it's okay." He grabbed his own piece of pizza. "I've missed hanging with you."
"Ditto."
Ronnie looked at the time. "Oh, shit, it's like, eleven."
"And I have work tomorrow." I groaned.
He grabbed some pillows and blankets. "Here."
"Thank you. Night, Ronnie."
He turned off the light in the kitchen and grinned. "Night, Ash."
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I'm running. I can't stop. I don't know what I'm running from, so I look behind me. Craig is chasing me, begging me to stop, to listen to him. To hear him apologize. That's why I'm running.

I woke up and was shaking from fear. I tried to fall back asleep, but that wasn't happening. Slowly, I went into Ronnie's room like a scared little kid. "Ronnie?" I whispered.
"Yeah?" He mumbled. I obviously woke him up.
"I..." I was nervous to admit this. "I had a bad dream."
"About Craig?"
"Yeah."
"Come here." He pat the side of his bed.
I did. He wrapped his arm around me and pulled my head to his chest. He wasn't wearing a shirt, so I could feel every single little heartbeat and breath he took. "It's just..." I closed my eyes, keeping the tears behind my eyelids.
"I know."
"I'm twenty five. I should... I shouldn't be crying over a guy. It's two am."
"So? Many things happen at two am."
"Except I should probably be sleeping."
"Maybe."
"I'll try to. Goodnight, Ronnie."
He kissed my hair. "Goodnight, Ash."