Stay

06

tap tap tap

The sound of raindrops falling against my bedroom window was the only sound I paid attention to. Jackson didn't speak to me on the ride home and ignored me still when we got back to the apartment. It's been a few hours since we arrived back home, by this time, as you can believe, Jackson is already drunk.

He opened a bottle the moment he stepped through the door. He's now averted his anger back towards me. I was leaning against a rather large window in our bedroom while he yelled me.

Stood on the opposite side of the room, he yelled threats and endless profanities my way. Promises of how next time he sees Harry he'll kill him, how if he finds me whoring myself out again he'll kill me. Was I scared?

Absolutely. I never thought my own boyfriend would act the way he does towards me, so I don't find it too hard to believe that I don't know his full capabilities. But then again, this is a man who i've devoted over 12 months of my life to, so i must know him to a certain extent.

I know his favourite meals, movies, and clothing brands. He hates raw fish and baseball all together. I know he likes his socks fresh from the dryer. He prefers chocolate milk to hot chocolate. Yes these details are minor and rather trivial, and guaranteed they won't help me one bit if he turns on me. But, I do know him.

I can't help it when my mind travels to Harry. He's actually quite a laugh to be around, despite how childish his jokes can be. He truly is a sweet person. Harry may look intimidating on the outside; his tattoos, his height, his firm and muscular build all attitude to it, but I feel like he's more than that. More than some big hot boxer guy. He has depth to him. If people could look past that, he might now find himself in situations where strangers try to beat him up. I remember how un-afraid he was of Jackson, something i pretend to be. He's been my trainer for quite some time now but, at this moment, I can't seem to think of anything other than him scooping me up and carrying me to safety.

I was awoken from my daydreaming by the harsh slamming of a door. As i stood up and looked around the apartment, it was clear Jackson left. His wallet and keys were missing from their usual spot on the counter. Although he took his keys i am not exactly sure if he took my car. His favourite bar is less than 10 minutes by foot so unless he went somewhere else to cause trouble, it's safe of me to assume that he took them so he had his apartment key.

I muttered around in the hall closet for a jacket and my shoes, aimlessly humming to myself a tune to a song stuck in my head. I had every intention of going to the grocery store while Jackson was gone. But my plans changed when I opened my front door and saw a disheveled Harry walking down my hall, approaching me.

"Harry?" I said questioned. "What are you doing here?"

He took a big step to close the small gap between us and finally he stood in front of me. His hair was mess, as though he had been messing around with it. His jacket was opened and revealed the same clothes he wore earlier in the day.

"Is he here?" I shook my head. "Can we talk?"

I turned around and pulled my front door closed. I had seen Harry nearly as soon as I stepped in the hall, giving me no time to turn and lock my door. Jackson had just left but I wasn't sure how long he's be gone. If he came back home and I was here alone with Harry in the apartment, all hell would break loose.

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"Is something wrong?" I asked him, he seemed nervous.

We were sitting a coffee shop a few blocks down the road. The small building was close enough that I could get home fast if need be and far enough that Jackson wouldn't happen to see us. The perfect distance.

Harry sat across from me, nervously picking at the wrapper covering a water bottle he'd purchased. His hair was concealed by a dark coloured beanie and across the back of his chair was a jacket if same dark colour.

"First of all, I'm sorry. I know it's inappropriate of me to come to your home, but I didn't feel like I had a choice. I saw the way he blew up, hell he blew up because of me! And I just...I wanted to make sure you were okay?"

He spoke fast and stumbled over a few of his words, an odd contrast to his usual slow speech. Every other time i heard him speak he sounded so sure of himself, but this time he seemed jittery.

"I appreciate the gesture, i really do. But...you shouldn't have addressed it the way you did."

I was a little mad, I had to admit. He just planned on showing up here and asking me if my boyfriend is abusive? Who does that? How did he even get my address?

Although, I understand where his concern is coming from, I am his friend and he witnessed activity that would concern anybody. But he could have gone about addressing such a sensitive topic in a subtler way.

"You have pulled me aside the next time I was at the gym. We could have had a conversation, similar to how we are now. Why you felt the need to come to my apartment is beyond me."

The more I spoke to him, the angrier I got. I'll admit I have never been the kind of person to yell and scream, temper tantrums aren't really my style, but the way I feel right now, I could very well begin to yell.

"You're right and again I am sorry. I am, truly. But seriously Nell, would you tell me if there was something going on?" he continued. "I mean we've been together for almost 30 minutes and not once have you told me i'm wrong"

Leaning closer to him, I whispered harshly "If there was something you needed to know, then you would know"

In a huff I pushed myself back onto the chair, crossing my arms over my chest and leaning of the back board. A rough sigh left my lips as I stood and marched to the front of the shop and out the doors.

Passing the side windows of the shop to get to my car, a disgruntled Harry could be seen. His hat was off and he was running his fingers through his hair tugging at the ends, his head faced down to the table. His right fist lifted off the table and slammed back down, making the small container holding sugar packets shake slightly.

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