Page 28 of Wasted Memories
“I was listening to that.” I gestured to the phone with the sponge in my hand.
“Why’d you do that, Em?” The second he opened his mouth, I could smell the mixture of alcohol. Now that I looked closer, I could see him swaying even as he used the counter to hold himself up. His eyes were bloodshot. Was he high?
I knew what he was referring to, but I asked anyway. “Why did I do what?”
That ticked him off. He slammed his beer down, liquid sloshing out onto the counter. He grabbed my upper arm and I dropped the plate in my hand, the ceramic shattering into a million pieces in the sink.
Keeping his grip on my arm, he practically dragged me to our bedroom, his fingers digging into my skin. Before I could register what was happening, I was being shoved toward the bed. The door slammed as I tripped over my feet, landing face first on the bed. I quickly twisted around to prepare myself for whatever was coming next.
“What the fuck, Jett?” What I did earlier didnotwarrant this reaction, but he was drunk. It wasn’t an excuse, Iknewthis was wrong. But did he?
He practically spit at me as he slurred his words. “Don’t be fucking stupid.” Did putting my foot down for once really warrant this?
For once, I wasn’t going to back down. I’d been doing that my whole life and I was tired of it.
“You need to pay Elijah, it’s as simple as that. I don’t care what feud you two have, but it needs to stop. It’s hurting his business.”
He laughed. He was actuallylaughingat the idea of putting his ego aside to end whatever was going on between them.
“His business? What about what he did to my business, huh?” He was looking at me like I grew another pair of eyes. Although, in his current state, I’m sure I did.
“You mean the drugs?” I should’ve kept my mouth shut about it, but I was mad. Mad that he didn’t tell me, didn’t trust me with the information. He thought he could keep me in the dark about all of this and that I’d never find out.
His face blazed a bright red, the anger causing him to shake. “You have no fucking idea, Emerson. You’re all looks and no brain. There’s not a single useful thought in that pretty little head of yours. I should’ve listened to your mother when she told me you’d only drag me down.” He was yelling so loud, I was sure the neighbors down the block could hear us.
He was just saying things to hurt me. He wanted a reaction, and I didn’t want to give one, not when he was in this state and very clearly high on top of being intoxicated. But there was no hiding the pounding of my heart as fear crept in.
He just voiced everything this town thought of me because of him. He wanted me to look the part of a perfect, ignorant girlfriend, to keep my mouth shut and let him handle everything. Well, he was about to be sorely mistaken. I wouldn’t keep up the façade anymore.
“I’m the stupid one because you won’t tell me anything? You’ve been lying to me for years! I won’t let you try to bring me down anymore.” I pushed off the bed and went to make my way around him, but he grabbed both my arms and backed me up, slamming me up against the wall, the force shaking the door beside me.
I was pinned beneath him, his size swallowing all my oxygen. I didn’t want to be scared – he was my boyfriend. He should make me feel safe, protected, not afraid. I took as deep of breaths as my lungs would allow, trying to push aside my feelings and be strong.
“Where are you going?” He was too close to my ear, the scent of whiskey and beer burning my nostrils.
“I’m leaving for the night to give you time to think.” I managed to step out to the side, away from him. He let me go, spinning around to grab his whiskey glass off the dresser. I watched as he tossed his head back, swallowing the amber liquid. Raising his arm, he threw the empty glass at the door next to my face. Glass sprayed everywhere, the crash so loud my ears were ringing.
I froze as fear and shock enveloped me wholly. I stood there, taking in the glass that littered the floor. I couldn’t look at him and see the monster he had just become. My lungs felt like they were filled with water as I struggled to get any air.
I gathered my strength and pulled myself away from the wall I had plastered myself against. As I opened the door, the glass crunched under my shoes. This shouldn’t be a reason to feel grateful for wearing shoes in the house, but here I was.
I carefully walked out, leaving the door open behind me. Halfway down the hall, Jett yelled, “Try finding some other prick that will put up with your shit! Don’t fucking come back here, Emerson.”
I didn’t grab a single item of mine. The only thought on my mind was that I needed to get out of this house and away from him.
Luke was sitting casually on the couch, his arm draped over the back. He didn’t take his eyes off the phone in his hand when he said, “Shouldn’t have been such a bitch, Em.”
Keeping my eyes down, I rushed out the door as nausea rolled through me.
I had nowhere to go, but I’d figure it out. I always did.
Chapter Thirteen
Emerson
Icouldn’tcallWesley.I couldn’t admit to him that he was right, especially so soon after the first time. Instead, I called Stella, knowing she’d let me crash at her place until I figured something out. She picked up on the second ring.
“I was just thinking about you! We’ve got some sixth sense thing going on, I swear.” I let out a strangled sob, trying to keep myself from breaking down on the phone. “Em, what’s wrong?”
