Page 125 of Debts and Desires
My stomach knotted. Could I call him? Would he even help? He would… Wouldn’t he? I grabbed my phone and pulled up his number, staring at it. I couldn’t press the button to dial it, no matter how much I tried.
He wouldn’t help. He would probably go on about how much more of a disappointment I was and how I really knew how to pick my men.
As if fate had intervened, my phone rang. Blood rushed to my ears. With a deep breath and a shaking hand, I answered, putting it on speaker.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Emo,” Mia sighed. Her voice sounded so sad.
“Hey.” What else could I say? Someone who was supposed to be my best friend felt like a complete stranger.
There was a long silence.
“So, how are you?” she asked.
“I’m…” How was I? I was great, happy, safe, protected… loved? In a bit of a pickle because my macho boyfriend beat the shit out of his dad in my honor and could be facing jail time?
“I’m good. How are you?” I asked. Mia let out another sigh.
“Miserable,” she sniffed. I sat up some.
“What’s wrong? What happened?”
“What happened is I let some asshole come between me and my best friend and now she hates me.”
“I don’t hate you, Mimi, I never would.” Mia sniffed again and then she started to cry. Hearing her shaky breaths had tears welling up in my eyes.
“Ian did steal the money. I’m so sorry, Emo. You and… you were right. I kicked him out, for good this time.”
“Oh, Mia, I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry.”
“Okay… I’m so glad. I know it probably sucks, but he was terrible.”
“It doesn’t suck all that much,” she chuckled through another sob.
“What do you mean? Tell me everything!”
She began to explain what had happened. Ian had gotten rougher, very abusive. He destroyed the apartment when she broke up with him.
“I felt so unsafe that I—” she cut herself off.
“Thatyou what?” I pushed.
“I called someone to come stay with me until I get everything sorted.”
“Someone? Like your brothers?”
“No, not them. But close, kind of.”
“Close? What are you—” I gasped. “You mean the one you’ve been in love with for, like, ever?!”
“Shh!” she hissed. “But yes.”
“Wait… is he still there?” There was another silence. “Mimi?”
“Yes. He’s here.”
