couldn’t stop myself. I was the worst person in the world. I hated myself more than ever. “Would you like to come inside?” I whispered.
“I do if you want me to.”
I nodded.
“Okay,” he said gently.
We came inside then sat on the couch. Kyle constantly watched me, staring at the fear etched onto my face. I couldn’t hide my anxiety so I avoided his look whenever possible. When I put my purse on the table, Kyle grabbed me and pulled me into a hug.
The feel of his strong chest made me feel calm.
“Breath with me,” he whispered into my ear.
I concentrated on the rise and fall of his chest, staying in tune with it. His strong arms kept me warm. I rested my head against his chest and wrapped my arms around his waist. When I closed my eyes, I started to feel calm.
“You’re safe with me,” he said.
I squeezed him tighter.
He stayed still and held me tightly. Minutes passed but neither one of us moved. Finally, I pulled away, feeling my heart return to a normal state.
“You can go now. I’ll be fine,” I said.
He stared at me, his hands falling to his sides. “I would like to stay if that’s okay.”
“You would?”
He nodded. “I’ll cook us something.”
“A free meal?” I asked with a smile.
Kyle smiled then turned to the kitchen. He looked in the refrigerator for a while. “You have some odd things in here.”
“I do not.”
“Why are there two cartons of expired milk?”
I shrugged. “I forgot to throw them away.”
“Twice?” he asked incredulously. “And what’s vegan cream cheese?”
“It’s good.”
“Then why is there whole block of it and it’s expired? If it was good, you would have eaten it.”
“Okay, stop insulting my refrigerator.”
“I’m not. I’m insulting you,” he said with a laugh. He grabbed a bag of bread then looked at it. “This is covered in mold.”
“I haven’t gone grocery shopping in a while…”
“Yeah, I figured,” he said sarcastically. He grabbed the trash and put everything inside. “Let’s get to the store.”
“No, it’s fine.”
“Fine?” he asked. “You have no food here.”
“Well, I just quit my job and I rely on tip money. It’ll have to wait until I get paid.”
“I’ll cover you,” he said quickly.
“No,” I snapped. “I don’t need you to buy me food.”
He stilled at the venom in my voice. “You can pay me back.”
“I have money saved. I can always use that even though I avoid it at all costs. ”
“So what are you going to eat?”
I shrugged. “There’s some crackers somewhere.”
He rolled his eyes. “I’m buying you food. You can pay me back when we get paid.”
“I said no.”
He marched to me then stared me down. “You’re the most stubborn person I’ve ever met.”
“I won’t refute that.”
“Then I’ll order a pizza and have it delivered.” He pulled out his phone and ordered it. Then he walked to the couch and sat down. “You’re really annoying, you know that?”
“That makes two of us.” I sat beside him then turned on the TV.
He leaned back and glanced at me every few minutes. “I can sleep here if you want.”
“No, I’ll be okay.”
“I don’t mind.”
“No,” I said quietly. “That’s unnecessary.”
The tension picked up between us but nothing was said. I waited for him to interrogate me but he didn’t. I was glad he kept his word to me. The last thing I wanted to do was talk about John. I was so embarrassed that I’d ever been in that situation, let a guy be abusive to me. It was a secret I’d take to the grave. Only my girlfriends knew, and neither one of them would tell a soul. I knew Kyle would think less of me if he knew my secret. Anyone would.
We watched a comedy show in silence but neither one of us laughed. I wasn’t paying attention because I was thinking of other things. Kyle didn’t think the show was funny or his wind was also wondering.
When it was almost midnight, I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I was
“I do if you want me to.”
I nodded.
“Okay,” he said gently.
We came inside then sat on the couch. Kyle constantly watched me, staring at the fear etched onto my face. I couldn’t hide my anxiety so I avoided his look whenever possible. When I put my purse on the table, Kyle grabbed me and pulled me into a hug.
The feel of his strong chest made me feel calm.
“Breath with me,” he whispered into my ear.
I concentrated on the rise and fall of his chest, staying in tune with it. His strong arms kept me warm. I rested my head against his chest and wrapped my arms around his waist. When I closed my eyes, I started to feel calm.
“You’re safe with me,” he said.
I squeezed him tighter.
He stayed still and held me tightly. Minutes passed but neither one of us moved. Finally, I pulled away, feeling my heart return to a normal state.
“You can go now. I’ll be fine,” I said.
He stared at me, his hands falling to his sides. “I would like to stay if that’s okay.”
“You would?”
He nodded. “I’ll cook us something.”
“A free meal?” I asked with a smile.
Kyle smiled then turned to the kitchen. He looked in the refrigerator for a while. “You have some odd things in here.”
“I do not.”
“Why are there two cartons of expired milk?”
I shrugged. “I forgot to throw them away.”
“Twice?” he asked incredulously. “And what’s vegan cream cheese?”
“It’s good.”
“Then why is there whole block of it and it’s expired? If it was good, you would have eaten it.”
“Okay, stop insulting my refrigerator.”
“I’m not. I’m insulting you,” he said with a laugh. He grabbed a bag of bread then looked at it. “This is covered in mold.”
“I haven’t gone grocery shopping in a while…”
“Yeah, I figured,” he said sarcastically. He grabbed the trash and put everything inside. “Let’s get to the store.”
“No, it’s fine.”
“Fine?” he asked. “You have no food here.”
“Well, I just quit my job and I rely on tip money. It’ll have to wait until I get paid.”
“I’ll cover you,” he said quickly.
“No,” I snapped. “I don’t need you to buy me food.”
He stilled at the venom in my voice. “You can pay me back.”
“I have money saved. I can always use that even though I avoid it at all costs. ”
“So what are you going to eat?”
I shrugged. “There’s some crackers somewhere.”
He rolled his eyes. “I’m buying you food. You can pay me back when we get paid.”
“I said no.”
He marched to me then stared me down. “You’re the most stubborn person I’ve ever met.”
“I won’t refute that.”
“Then I’ll order a pizza and have it delivered.” He pulled out his phone and ordered it. Then he walked to the couch and sat down. “You’re really annoying, you know that?”
“That makes two of us.” I sat beside him then turned on the TV.
He leaned back and glanced at me every few minutes. “I can sleep here if you want.”
“No, I’ll be okay.”
“I don’t mind.”
“No,” I said quietly. “That’s unnecessary.”
The tension picked up between us but nothing was said. I waited for him to interrogate me but he didn’t. I was glad he kept his word to me. The last thing I wanted to do was talk about John. I was so embarrassed that I’d ever been in that situation, let a guy be abusive to me. It was a secret I’d take to the grave. Only my girlfriends knew, and neither one of them would tell a soul. I knew Kyle would think less of me if he knew my secret. Anyone would.
We watched a comedy show in silence but neither one of us laughed. I wasn’t paying attention because I was thinking of other things. Kyle didn’t think the show was funny or his wind was also wondering.
When it was almost midnight, I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I was
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