Stay

01

He sat across from her at the bar, only breaking eye contact to pay for his drink. A silver chain draped itself loosely down his neck - the pendant invisible to her from its hidden location tucked into his clothing. He was quite a sight to see. Emerald green eyes accompanied by chocolate brown curls, messily falling over his forehead in a successful attempt to look effortlessly casual.

Whereas her own face was covered in makeup, she longed for a natural look that night, but the bare minimum for her was just enough to cover the bruising that littered her face. The shape of her  chest was modestly accented by the black dress that clung to her body, leaving little to the imagination.

She sat merely two seats away from him, around the corner of the dark green bar top, and yet it still felt too close.

Her attention was drawn away from him when a hand snaked itself around her hip and pulled her closer to the unwanted body to which it belonged. Jackson.

Her turned head in a snap, not wanting to be caught staring at the stranger. "hey" She muttered "what took you so long? i was getting lonely"

Her lips curled into a smile as she tried her best to hide her distaste for the man she called her boyfriend. He didn't speak right away, but instead he leaned further onto the bar top and looked around at the people sitting close by. Seemingly trying to figure out if  she was engaging with anyone who wasn't him.

She held her breath, hoping that the beautiful stranger had stopped looking by now, or in the very least was  long gone from his seat. Jackson's facial expression didn't change so she knew she was in the clear. He looked back to me and smiled. A sleazy smile. One that you attribute to a man making unwanted advances at you.

"Lonely eh? you missed me?"

"of course i missed you."

his eyebrows raised and his head tilted slightly, as if to question her answer. He flagged down the bartender and requested another drink. "don't you think you've had enough?" she spoke hesitantly. Not wanting him to be completely plastered but more so not wanting him to be mad at my choice of words.

The hand that had yet to move from my waist aggressively squeezed at her skin. Fingernails digging into her side to the point where he'd nudge her hip bone. Message received. He was mad.

She tried not to let her face falter but it was painful. She winced lightly, quietly. Only loud enough for Jackson to hear. "Don't do that. You know I hate to see you hurt baby"

The bartender appeared again, this time placing his cool glass of alcohol on a coaster and sliding it over. Jackson's hand moved from my body as he reached out to grab his drink. Now that his fix was back she was nothing but nagging at his side.

Although she's used to this. she has come to learn that she is nothing compared to his drinking. The dark alcohol holds more weight and meaning in his heart than she ever will. This isn't a guess, this isn't me assuming things. This is a fact. He continuously lashes out at her for coming between him and his nightcap. Scars on her body, threats engraved in her brain act as proof for this.

"Jack baby I'm getting tired. Can we go?" She said gently as he was finishing off the last few drops, tiling both his head and the glass to soak up every droplet. He was already mad because of me, so naturally she was apprehensive to speak, not wanting his anger to turn from harsh words to a painful assault.

He said nothing in response, instead he pushed himself off the bar and made his way to the door. She quickly grabbed her purse and followed, knowing that if  he made it to the car without her, he wouldn't wait.

His steps become slower as the affects of the alcohol began to hit him. He wobbled on his feet and swayed with every step. Her hands reached out for his shoulders from behind hoping to steady him so he doesn't fall. She leaned up and whispered in his ear, "let me drive. pass me the keys". He was apprehensive at first and made no move to speak, trying to decipher in his dazed state what he should do. "if you get pulled over they'll arrest you. You can't drink in jail"

Realization hitting him now that it'd be dangerous to drive home, his hand shoved into his coat pocket and passed over the keys.

On their way out the door, they passed the beautiful stranger again. Now that he's on his feet his full height visible to her. He leaned against a wall near the exit, eyes glued to her every movement as her and Jackson made their way out the door. She found myself wondering if he had been watching her the whole time.

note: I know it's boring but it's just the first chapter and i really wanna take this book slow and ease into the plot