Page 9 of Journey to Love

“It’s whatever, I can get a piece of ass anywhere” he cuts me off.

“What the fuck?” I snap back, “What the hell is your problem?”

He glares at me, “My problem, is that we were having a good time and then you just run off like some bitch!”

“What the fuck did you just call me?”

“You fucking heard me!”

“Wow Joe, and hear I thought that you were a decent guy who ACTUALLY cared! But it turns out, you’re no better than the rest of them. All you want is a piece of ass to get your tiny dick wet!”

I walk out of the club toward his car to grab my bags, and he continued cursing at me.

“Fuck you, you bitch!”

I turn around, “ooo, big tough guy calling a woman a bitch! You can’t handle a little rejection that you resort to name-calling! Sounds REAL tough to me!”

I swing open the back door of his car, but before I can step out, he shoves me roughly, nearly causing me to lose my balance. Anger surges through me as I whirl around and snatch my bags from his grasp. "You were asking for it, wearing that," he snaps as I prepare to storm away. I freeze, feeling a seething rage bubbling up inside me. Without a second thought, I whirl back around and deliver a resounding slap across his face. "Don’t you dare talk to me like that! You're nothing but a pathetic excuse for a man!" I seethe, my voice trembling with fury. "And don't you dare ever speak to me again, you worthless piece of garbage!" His retort is drowned out by my enraged words as I turn and march away.

“Whose name calling now?” he shouts.

“Go fuck yourself, Joe!” I shout back over my shoulder.

As I'm about to request an Uber, I notice an open chat with Lana and decide to give her a call instead. "What the hell, Anya!" she whispers loudly as she answers. "What now?" I snap back. "Okay, what's with the attitude?" she retorts. "Sorry, Joe pissed me –"

"Whoa, hold up! Joe? What are you doing with Joe? Where are you? Why is there music in the background?"

"Okay, Mom, calm down the crazy," I sass back.

"Yeah, okay, whatever," she says in a hurried tone. "Back to Joe? Start from the beginning." I find a bench and recount everything that happened with my parents and then with Joe. "Lana? You still there?" I ask when I don’t hear anything on the other end of the phone. "Wow, Anya, you had some crazy night," she finally says. "Yeah, you’re telling me. Hey, do you think you can pick me up? I don’t trust rideshare apps this late at night."

"Yeah, of course. Do you have a place to stay? I mean, I’d invite you over here, but I don’t think my parents would appreciate you walking in at 3 in the morning," Lana asks with concern. I laugh, "Yeah, I’m gonna be living with my grandma. But maybe after some much-needed sleep, you and I can get lunch?"

"Definitely, just give me 10 minutes and I’ll be right there," Lana responds promptly.

Lana picks me up and drops me off at my grandparents’ house.Aww she left the porch light on for me, I think to myself as I walk up to the porch. I remember they usually hide the spare key under the lighthouse. I look around, there’s a lighthouse to the right of the door, a lighthouse to the left of the door, a lighthouse on the end table, and a lighthouse in the far corner of the porch.Crap, which lighthouse did you put it under Nana?I mutter quietly as I check each one. By the time I find the key, I turn around, “ahhhh” I scream and jump back almost falling off the damn porch. “will you shush, you’re gonna wake up the whole damn neighborhood” my Nana mutters as she walks out in her fluffy pink robe. “Now get inside its cold out here and you’re walking around looking like you’re trying to sell yourself on the street” and she hands me one of her robes. I walk inside and she gestures me to the back bedroom, “You can sleep in the room, and then in the morning we can talk” she says sleepily, then yawns and heads to her room.

Chapter Four

Anya

I wake up to the smell of bacon and coffee, and I hear distant voices coming from the kitchen, then I look at my phone,7:30 A.M.I grumble, and pull the covers over my head, hoping that will dull the noise and smell. I must’ve fallen back asleep because I woke up to the sound of knocking on the bedroom door. I pull the covers down and check my phone again,9:43 A.M. Okay I guess I might as well get upI mumble to myself. “Anya are you awake?” my Nana says as she opens the door. “I am now” I groan. She walks into the room with a cup of coffee and sits on the side of the bed. “I’m sorry for waking you up, but I thought we would have that talk before your parents start blowing up my phone again.”

Again?!

I sit up, my heart pounding with anxiety. "Wait, what do you mean again?" I'm wide awake now, dread filling me at the thought of my parents showing up any moment, demanding I come home. Nana pats my leg reassuringly, "Don't worry. When your father called around 3 A.M., just as you arrived, he asked if you'd made it here and if he could speak with you." Panic takes hold. I'm sure Nana sees it on my face. "Oh, don't fret, dear. I told him you were fast asleep and promised you'd call when you woke up." I glance at my phone, seeing 15 missed calls and numerous texts from both mom and dad. "Let's go to the kitchen for a chat, then you can deal with your parents," Nana suggests, tapping my leg again before heading down the hall. Grabbing my coffee, I follow her, my mind racing with worry.

I sit at the table, Nana opposite me, her coffee cup in hand as she waits patiently for me to begin. With a heavy sigh, I launch into the events of last night, omitting the more scandalous details—after all, she's still my Nana, and there are some things I'd rather keep to myself. As I recount everything, from my argument with my parents to the encounter with Joe, I can see her processing it all.

"Okay, I understand your perspective, but you're putting me in a difficult spot with your parents. It's already a delicate situation," she remarks, taking another sip of her coffee. I slump forward, feeling guilty. "I know, Nana. I didn't mean to drag you into this mess. I just didn't have anywhere else to turn, anyone else who would understand why I needed to leave," I admit, picking at the remnants of bacon on my plate.

She nods solemnly, and we lapse into silence for a moment. Then, she speaks up again. "Anya, I meant what I said last night. You're always welcome here, but living under my roof means following my rules. You'll still need to keep me informed about your whereabouts and plans. Do you understand?" I nod, a sense of relief washing over me.

"I understand, Nana. And I have no problem with that. My issue with my parents was that, no matter how much I told them about my plans, they'd still refuse out of fear that something terrible might happen to me," I explain, finishing my coffee and placing the cup in the sink. "I refuse to live in constant fear of what might happen."

"I understand, Anya, and you shouldn't live your life in fear. So, you can stay here as long as you want. But, you still have to call your parents and let them know you're alright," Nana says, sliding my phone toward me before heading to the sink. I feel a wave of anxiety wash over me at the thought of speaking to my parents after last night. "I'll be right back, Nana. Just gonna step outside for a few minutes," I announce as I head for the door.

“You know those things will kill you," Nana calls out from the kitchen.

---