“My baby!” Mom cried, pulling me into a huge hug and crying on my shoulder. “I missed you so much,” she continued, kissing my cheek as Dad joined in our hug.
“I missed you my girl,” Dad told me, tightening the hug.
“I missed you guys too!” I said, smiling in their crushing embrace. “It’s nice to be back home,” I told them, meaning every word of it.
The next few days flew by in a breeze and everything was returning to normal, or as normal as it could get with a cheating ex-boyfriend constantly calling you and leaving you messages. I’d been back to my apartment for three days and I already had two bouquets of red roses delivered to me from Chris, as well as about twenty missed calls and five messages in my voicemail. If I gave him any credit, it would be for being persistent. I looked at the red roses that I’d nearly thrown out twice now. Instead I’d put them in vases with water, just because I wasn’t interested in Chris, didn’t mean I should waste them. No, instead I’d just let him waste his money and his breath on me.
I looked around my small apartment; it wasn’t a big room; just enough space for a twin bed, a small desk and a dresser, with two small rooms branching off of it; one with a bathroom and one with a tiny kitchen. It was perfect for me and it fit my budget.
I was so thankful every day for my scholarship and bursaries, without them, none of this would be possible. There was a picture of Chris and I, in a picture frame that his Mom had given me for Christmas. It was a cute picture of us, he was holding me in his arms and looking into the camera with his perfect smile, ready and aware that someone was going to take a picture of us and I was looking up at him with a big silly smile, so in love with him. Well, I wasn’t anymore. My heart was shattered and surrounded by steel walls now.
A loud knock sounded at my door making me jump. I wasn’t expecting anyone but maybe it was Chelsea. She was always showing up unexpectedly, even more so now than before. I skipped to the door in my boxers and a little pink pajama top. What I didn’t expect was for it to be Chris standing there against my door frame, wearing a snug pair of jeans and tight grey shirt. I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out, I didn’t know what to say to him, I hadn’t planned on speaking to him again. My plan was to ignore him and he’d just ruined that. I went to close my door again but he was faster, he put the palm of his hand against my door stopping me and walked right by me, into my apartment and sat on my bed. I followed him angrily and stood against the opposite wall with my arms crossed against my chest. He looked around the room. His eyes stopped when they fell on the vases of roses that he’d sent me. Another mistake on my part, I should have just thrown them out. Damn me and my hate to waste.
“Glad to see you’ve been getting them,” he said with a smug smile across his lips. I wanted to slap that smug smile off his lips and cut the dark brown hair that fell into his blue eyes. I used to find it cute but now I wanted to cut off his messy mop of hair, he looked like a bum.
“What do you want Chris?” I asked, frustrated by all of his bombardments.
“I want you Leah,” he said, balling his fists at his sides. “I want to talk to you, that’s what I’ve been trying to do for days,” he said exasperatedly, throwing his hands up.
“And I’ve been ignoring you because I clearly don’t want that. Any of that,” I told him defiantly. He groaned loudly in frustration.
“You won’t even give me a chance to talk, to explain,” he argued. Not exactly true; I’d heard all the messages he’d left me and I’d listened to them more than once.
“I’ve heard enough,” I said through clenched teeth.
“Lee, just listen to me,” he said, making no attempt to move from my bed. This time it was my turn to groan in defeat. He wasn’t going to leave and there was no way I’d be able to make him, short of calling security, which I really didn’t want to do. I put all my weight against the wall as I leaned into it, allowing it to hold me up but wishing it would swallow me whole. When I didn’t say anything back, Chris took his opportunity to speak.
“Lee, I love you,” he stated and I could tell some part of him meant that but it didn’t matter. It wasn’t enough, you didn’t do this to people you cared about, much less loved. I couldn’t let him continue, I’d heard enough and it didn’t make any difference to me.
“You cheated on me, Chris!” I shouted furiously. He jumped up from my bed and came to stand an inch from me.
“Lee, I made a mistake,” he started slowly, his voice calm. “But we were on a break and it wasn’t like I slept with her,” he said, his voice suddenly defensive. Now, I was feeling guilty for what I’d done and the mistake I’d made.
“I saw the pictures, Chris!” I said, almost shouting in his face. “Seriously though, the day before I was coming back!” I said even louder. This time he grabbed my hand, his fingers pushing me harder back into the wall and sinking into the skin on my arms.
“Leah,” he said slowly. “It was a mistake. I shouldn’t have even asked for a break but I was
