Page 8 of Drawn To You

“I accidentally shot myself with a bow and arrow,” I admitted and my face reddened at everyone’s stunned expressions before they erupted in laughter. “No! Abigail, you didn’t, did you?” Lily asked. “Only you Abby, I swear!” Lainey exclaimed. “How is that even possible?” this from Josh. Joshua just smiled waiting for my explanation.

“Well, it wasn’t like I was trying to shoot myself. I wasn’t even trying to shoot it at all. I was just a kid at the time and for some reason, I picked up my Dad’s bow and arrow and I absentmindedly braced the arrow in the bow and just kind of let it go. Only the bow was resting in my lap and so the arrow sliced right into my inner thigh.”

If it was even possible it seemed everyone started laughing even harder than before. When their laughter finally started to subside a little, Joshua looked at me with eyes twinkling with mirth and said. " I knew I was going to like you.”

“So, are you all moved in now?” Lily asks, drawing my attention to her. “For the most part. I still have to get KitKat from my parent’s house. But I’m worried about Pete.” “Why are you worried about Pete, she’s a sweetheart!” Lainey chimes in. “Um, not sure if you know this or not, but your dog’s kind of mean. No, scratch that. She’s mean as hell,” I laugh.

Lainey places a hand to her chest as if the truth offended her. “Pete pretends she’s vicious, but she’s honestly a big ol’softy. Except with guys. She hates them all except for my dad. Which, come to think of it, he probably trained her to be that way.”

I pretend to be thinking over what she says “Bitch, are you going to go get your cat or not?” When she grabs my wrist from across the table, another laugh leaves me. “Yes! I’m going to get her! I was planning on picking her up tomorrow,” I wink.

Joshua leans closer and whispers “Now, on to my next question,” he says with a smile. “Next question?” I ask. “Yeah, how else will we get to know each other if we don’t ask each other questions?” “OK, then what do you want to know?”

“What’s your favorite food?” he asks and I smile. “Really? You want to know my favorite food?” “Hey, you can learn a lot about a person by knowing what they like to eat.” OK, well at least we’re starting with something simple. “My Dad’s. BBQ Tri-tip. I can’t eat anyone else’s, and if I had to choose one thing to eat for the rest of my life, it’d be that. Yours?” “My mom’s tamales and, same, can’t eat anyone else’s,” he says. “Question two: what’s your favorite color?” “Green.” “Mine, too,” he says, glancing up to smirk. “Question three: where are you from?” “For the most part I grew up in Huntington Beach. But I also lived in Northern Ca for a stretch of time.” “Really, where?” “Springville, it’s one of those small towns where everybody knows everybody, which can be good or bad, depending on who you are and how much shit you get into on a regular.”

I can’t help but shrug and look away after saying that, suddenly feeling nervous again. He must have picked up on how I was feeling because he asked “ You OK?” “Yeah it’s nothing, it’s just that… I sort of dread talking this much about myself.” “You shy, Abby?” he teases me. “Well, in case you haven’t noticed, I’m somewhat awkward. Which I’m cool with,” I rush to add. “It’s just sort of the way I’ve always been.”

“You’re worried for nothing, your problem is you think too much,” he says. “Try to get out of your head once in a while and loosen up.” “I’ll get right on that. What about you, where are you from?” “Here,” he answers. “Here as in CA or here as in La Mirada?” I question and he nods and moves on. “Here as in La Mirada. Born and raised.”

“All right, next question: worst physical pain you’ve ever experienced?” My mind goes dark and I look away, he’s waiting for an answer that I won’t ever give. “Next question,” I whisper and he studies me intently for a moment and then decides to let it go.

“Who’s the first person you think to call when things get bad?” I lean toward the table and grab a handful of chips while answering. “Rain and Lily,” I answer. “For me, it’s Josh,” he says and I smile. “I can see why. Josh is a genuine person and it’s obvious he really cares about you. I mean I’ve heard him talk about you so much over the years that I feel like I kind of know you already, even though we have never crossed paths before now.”

There’s this look in his eyes that has me stuck, staring at him while wondering why his thoughts suddenly seem so far away. “I know exactly what you mean.” He tries to be casual about it, but I feel his eyes sweep over me assessingly.

* * *

Joshua

This girl is fucking beautiful, I can’t help but think for probably the thousandth time since I first spotted her making her way across the backyard.

Everyone’s gazes shift toward me when my phone vibrates for the fifth time. My plan was to ignore it, hoping the caller would get the hint that I’m busy, but no such luck. Instead, I’m forced to excuse myself from my conversation with Abby and pick up. Great, Shannon is the last person I want to be dealing with right now.

“Hello?” I answer. “When are you planning on coming home?” she demands, completely ignoring my greeting. “I don’t know. I’m hanging out with Josh and the rest of the crew. Probably won’t be home until late, why?” “Because I could really use your help here at home. I’m stuck with these kids all week long while you are gone and I’m going to lose my shit if I don’t get a break from them soon!” she fires off. “Shannon, you knew I was hanging out with my friends tonight. We agreed that we would switch off weekends and I never spend any time with my friends anymore.” “I’m sorry Joshua, but friends take a backseat when you have a family waiting for you at home! Sorry, we are such an inconvenience to you.” she snaps.

“Don’t put words in my mouth, Shannon. You know I don’t think that. It’s just that we had an arrangement and I’ve been sticking to my end and staying home with the boys while you go out on your weekends but it seems like something always comes up that prevents me from going out on mine.” “You’re gone all fucking week Joshua, while I’m here alone!” “We’ve gone over this already, I’m gone during the week because I’m working. It’s not a vacation.”

“I swear Joshua you better come home right now or I’ll file for divorce faster than you can blink an eye.” “Hanging up now,” I say again, but before I get the chance to follow through… “I still have the upper hand here. You do know that, right? Who do you think will get custody, Joshua? Don’t forget, California is a Mother state.”

Her tone has gone completely flat and I can’t help but wonder at what point in our marriage she stopped putting on the sweet innocent act she did when we first met. Now, she’s being herself, manipulative, cold, heartless. All she’s ever cared about are her needs, her wants, and now that I’m not willing to compromise, her true colors are shining through.

“That a threat?” I ask. “Because last I checked, I’ve got a bit of leverage myself. I wonder how the courts would react if I told them the truth about your alcohol abuse. Pretty sure they would be inclined to take my side for the kid’s safety. That what you want?” “Watch yourself, Joshua,” she hisses. “We both know I could send your whole life up in flames.”

“Then I guess we’ve reached a fucking impasse,” I say quietly into the phone. I don’t give her a chance to say more because I’m fed up with her bullshit.

Eight

Broken Home

Joshua

It was the same old shit, a different day, at my house. I could hear the noise coming from our apartment long before I even had my keys in the door and knew Shannon had been day drinking with her friends again while I was at work. Not to mention the fact that it didn’t seem to bother her that it was a weekday and that our two kids were home witness to God only knows what.

I gritted my teeth and steeled myself for what I knew I was walking into. I heard music and laughter. Sprawled out on my couch in front of my TV, thighs open wide, my neighbor Robert was drinking a beer, not surprisingly my wife sitting next to him. Her best friend Roxanne was straddling some guy I didn’t even know in my recliner.

“Joshua,” my wife drunkenly purred, when she noticed me. She slowly climbed up, from her spot on the couch and stumbled over to me completely oblivious or indifferent to the fact that I am clearly unhappy.

When she gets intoxicated like this which is most of the time these days; she becomes out of control and is prone to fits of rage so I have to tread carefully if I don’t want the kids witnessing their mother going off the rails again. I’ve watched the woman I love turn into this terrible alcoholic and it’s destroyed our marriage and any friendship we once had. I’ve begged her to get help but she is unable or unwilling to even make a small effort to quit drinking.

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