"Z, YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE it," Aura groaned. She stared up at the ceiling, watching as the drop of water formed and threatened to spill on her forehead. It did. "He had been so sweet to me these past few weeks, and he sees me with Zachary, and that's the end of that."
Zilla chuckled on the other end of the line, the phone buzzing with her voice on Aura's stomach. She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, getting rid of the water.
"Maybe Tyson has his reasons for acting that way," she said.
Aura rolled her eyes. Sure, he had defended his words by saying he didn't want her to get hurt. She understood that. But continuously trying to get her to not be friends with Zachary was not something she liked. That type of control did not look good on anyone.
"He can not like a person I'm friends with. But trying to get me to stop being friends with Zachary?" Aura sighed. "That's just not right."
"Yeah," Zilla whispered. "A person shouldn't control who you're friends with."
"Or anything for that matter!" Aura exclaimed. "I mean, come on. I'm my own person. I make my own decisions. If you think that something isn't right, that's fine, but don't try to force me into doing anything."
Aura frowned as Zilla's breath hitched.
"Z, is everything alright?"
"I..." She stopped and sniffled. "I just... don't know anymore."
Aura took her phone back from her stomach and sat up as the leak splashed on top of her hair. She tried to wipe it off, but knew she would have to take her handy straightener to tame her hair once more.
"Z, what's going on?"
Her friend erupted in sobs. "I can't stand him, Aura. I can't anymore. Every little thing I do is constantly criticized. He's already starting to control when and where I go out. The only reason why I'm even able to speak with you right now is because he's at work and not at my apartment."
Aura dug her fingers into her hair, trying to comprehend what Zilla was saying.
"Z, are you talking about Raphael?" she asked.
"Yes!" Zilla cried. "He is in my apartment almost all the time. He leaves when he thinks I'm asleep and comes right before I wake up. He is out of here when he's at work and comes straight back when his shift is over."
Aura straightened her composure. "Do you not have time for yourself?"
"No!" She sobbed. "And if he finds out I went out when he was at work or something, he gets... angry. He went ballistic that day I visited Gwenn."
Her frown lines faded as her face went slack. Zilla's sobs continued to come out of her phone's speaker, drowning her in a shocking wave of revelation.
"I don't know what to do. I've talked about the concept of a break-up with him, but he keeps saying that we don't have to worry about that because we are always going to be together, forever." She sobbed, almost choking on her own saliva. "I don't want forever with this man, Aura. He's too controlling. He's not the Raphael I met."
"Oh, Zilla," Aura cried. "What can I do?"
Her hands shook as she gazed down at the phone. Her fingers started turning white, her tightened grip forcing her to stay still.
"I don't know. Can you give me some of that talent on ending things with guys?" Zilla said lamely.
Aura shut her eyes tight. She could not bear to hear Zilla so distraught. She wished she could reach over and give her a hug, but that was impossible being thousands of miles away.
YOU ARE READING
Forever Glamorous
Ficțiune generală"I put on makeup to express myself. I could care less about my so-called insecurities." Aura Chandler was so sure she had her life figured out. After securing a photoshoot gig with up-and-coming musician Lacey Redd, she was convinced she would get d...
