Page 22 of Unspoken Rules

“Fuck. I gotta take this.” I hold my phone up and wiggle it.

Chris waves me off, not caring about me not going to bed. “I’ll be in dreamland. See you tomorrow, bro.”

Not wanting to wake Cole, I hurry out the side door before answering, wondering why Daniel is calling me at this time of night. It’s when I press the answer button that I remember he’s on the other side of the country and it’s three hours earlier.

“Hello?”

The automatic lights turn on the moment I’m outside.

“Babe! Oh, I’m so glad you answered.”

I move closer to the pool and walk the perimeter slowly, looking down at the water as I go. It’s making me dizzy, intensifying the drunk feeling. So I stop at the corner and stare out at the yard before I fall in.

I huff, “What do you want, Daniel?”

“I miss you.”

Judging by the slur in his words, he’s been drinking. In fact, he’s probably more drunk than Chris right now. But I hear nothing in the background, so I figure he must be home already.

“We aren’t together anymore,” I remind him. “Haven’t been for a while.”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t miss you.”

No, but it means you shouldn’t call me and tell me about it.

Daniel is the king of gaslighting and the only serious relationship I’d ever had. Great way to start off.

We lasted a little over a year, and I only ended it because I found out he was cheating on me. Had that not happened, I’m not sure I ever would have seen past all the red flags. It was almost like he turned my favorite color to red.

“You can’t keep calling me,” I say.

“How else will I get you to come back to me?”

“That will not happen. I moved back home.”

“And you have nothing there but an asshole father, so you could move back here to be with me since I actually give a shit about you.”

Well, that stings, even though it’s bullshit. The second half, anyway.

And this is why I don’t open up to anyone. Because people are assholes, and they use your weaknesses against you.

Standing up to Daniel isn’t something I’ve ever done. Example one: ignoring his texts. But I’m thousands of miles away from him now and not seeing him face-to-face makes it a little easier to say what I want.

“I’m not moving back.”

“I already told you what you saw wasn’t what you thought it was, babe. Scott was even willing to talk to you and let you know that.”

This douche…

It’s quiet for a bit as I figure out how I want to handle this. I should hang up on him and be done with it, but part of me needs to get this out. Knows I’ll feel better if I stick up for myself.

“I know what I saw, Daniel. Regardless of what you or he say.”

“You saw wrong. Don’t you miss me?”

“No, not really.”

He laughs. “Stop lying to yourself. Of course you do. I took care of you, Bryson. Bought you new clothes and took you out to eat.”

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