Page 2 of Trent
I have to walk past the man in the window on my way out. He doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t even smile at me or nod. But his eyes follow me every step of the way.
Outside, the sun bears down on me, and by the time I get to my car, I’m already sweating. I wish I could go home and have a shower. Put my feet up. It’s been a while since I’ve had to stand up for ten hours straight, and, let’s just say the shoes I’m weren't designed with comfort in mind.
I’m fumbling with my keys when an all too familiar voice startles me.
“There you are!”
I turn slowly. Closing my eyes and cursing my luck. This is the last thing I need.
“What are you doing here, Ben?”
He smiles at me and tries to grab my hand but I pull away from him. This is the no-good piece of shit who ruined my life. Humiliated me.
I thought I’d escaped him. But, now here he is. Haunting me like a demented ghost that refuses to be exorcised.
“That’s no way to greet your boyfriend,” he smiles, “is it?”
“You’re not my boyfriend,” I hiss, “not since I found you in bed with Maria. For all I care you two can jump off a cliff. Besides, how did you even find me?”
“I have your phone tracked.” He says it likes its’ the most normal thing in the world, but this invasion of my privacy sends me over the edge.
“You what!” I push him away, rage surging through my body. “How dare you! You piece of shit!”
He grabs my wrist and tries to control me. I shake from side to side, trying to get free. “Keep still,” he growls.
“Let go!”
“Fine.” He pushes me back and I collapse against my car. My breath is ragged and my back hurts from where I slammed into the sideview mirror.
My eyes dart to the side. I want to run away from him, but people are coming out of the coffee shop. I’m still wearing my uniform and I don’t want to make a scene and lose my job.
“You owe me money,” Ben says, still acting like he’s not the world's biggest douche. “Rent money. Deposit money. You can’t just run away and expect me to pay it all.”
“You have to be kidding? You ruin my life and expect me to give you money?” I laugh in his face and turn to open the car door, but before I have the key in the lock his body is pressed against my back.
“I’m not kidding,” he hisses in my ear. “Listen here, you fat fucking bitch. I always get what I want. I don’t care how you do it, but you’re gonna give me that money.”
I can barely believe my ears. He was never like this when we were together.
I mean, there were times when he was kind of angry. But he never threatened me. He never insulted me.
His hand tightens around my keys. “How about I just take your car.” His mouth is practically touching my ear. I can see his reflection in the window in front of me. His face is contorted. Evil. Who the hell is this person? This isn’t the Ben I know. Or maybe it is… maybe this is what he’s really like. Maybe he's was acting the whole time we were together. “I reckon that should just above cover your debt.”
“No!” I scream, “you can’t! I don’t have anywhere else to sleep!”
"Homeless?" he laughs, trying to pull the keys from my hand. "This day keeps on getting better."
