influence of something.
“Well, well, well,” he said, standing up straight and taking a step toward her. “Look who finally decided to come home. Where have you been? Hanging out with some new guy while I was stuck home not feeling well?”
Emily wanted to retort that he was probably stuck home drunk, but she thought better of it. Stirring up his anger would not be a smart move on her part.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Scott,” she said as calmly as she could manage. “I was out for a hike, trying out my lenses on some nature photography.”
“You haven’t answered any of my calls,” Scott yelled, taking a step toward her. His eyes blazed angrily and Emily shrank back.
“I’m sorry, Scott. I was so wrapped up in my work that I forgot to check my phone. It was only a few hours, though. Not even a full day. You can’t expect me to constantly monitor my phone in case you call. Especially when you disappear without a word for days on end.”
Scott exploded in anger at Emily’s words. “You know I have demons that haunt me,” he yelled. “You’re being so selfish, trying to argue that you have a right to disappear because I did. You know I can’t help it. You’re not being sensitive to my problems.”
Emily took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. Usually, when Scott played the selfishness card on her, she caved. But today, thanks to the clarity of a night out with friends and a day spent in nature, she realized how ridiculous his accusations were.
“Scott, I do care about you and your problems. But I have a life, too. When you disappear, you can’t expect me to just wait at home every second of the day in case you happen to call or stop by. I need to get my business going again. I need to spend some time with friends again, so I don’t go stir-crazy. I don’t think that’s too much to ask.”
Emily tried to speak as calmly and soothingly as she could. She knew Scott would not like what she was saying, but they had to make some changes. Surely, he had to admit she needed time to herself, even if he didn’t like it. But Scott was not a man you could reason with. His gaze only grew angrier at Emily’s words, and when she finished speaking he completely lost control.
“You selfish bitch!” Scott yelled, and lunged toward her. Emily tried to get out of his way, but he grabbed her arm and held on so tightly that she felt like he might squeeze it right off. She yelped in pain, but he didn’t loosen his grip or back away. He stuck his face right in hers, his wild gaze sending shivers of fright through her. For a moment, all Emily could think about was that she used to love this man. It was almost comical to realize that his face used to turn her on. Right now, all she wanted to do was run as far away from him as she could.
That’s when she realized she had to end things. She should have planned a safer way to do it. She should have thought about how angry her words would make him, and said them from a greater distance. But life is often messy and unplanned, and before Emily could stop herself, she found herself yelling in Scott’s face.
“We’re through, Scott! You don’t own me.”
There was a long, silent pause. Neither one of them said anything, but the pulsing vein in Scott’s forehead told Emily that his anger had reached level orange. She tried to wriggle away, but, of course, his grip on her was still too strong.
“We’re not through!” he roared. “Who is he? Who is the guy you’re seeing? I swear I’ll break every bone in his body.”
“I’m not seeing anyone,” Emily yelled back. “But you’re crazy if you think you can treat me like this and expect me to stay with you. I should have left long ago.”
Scott roared again and pinned Emily up against the wall of the apartment hallway. Emily tried to wriggle free, but he was too strong. She screamed at him to let her go, but he just laughed, his face twisting into an amused sneer as he held her firmly.
“I’m not
“Well, well, well,” he said, standing up straight and taking a step toward her. “Look who finally decided to come home. Where have you been? Hanging out with some new guy while I was stuck home not feeling well?”
Emily wanted to retort that he was probably stuck home drunk, but she thought better of it. Stirring up his anger would not be a smart move on her part.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Scott,” she said as calmly as she could manage. “I was out for a hike, trying out my lenses on some nature photography.”
“You haven’t answered any of my calls,” Scott yelled, taking a step toward her. His eyes blazed angrily and Emily shrank back.
“I’m sorry, Scott. I was so wrapped up in my work that I forgot to check my phone. It was only a few hours, though. Not even a full day. You can’t expect me to constantly monitor my phone in case you call. Especially when you disappear without a word for days on end.”
Scott exploded in anger at Emily’s words. “You know I have demons that haunt me,” he yelled. “You’re being so selfish, trying to argue that you have a right to disappear because I did. You know I can’t help it. You’re not being sensitive to my problems.”
Emily took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. Usually, when Scott played the selfishness card on her, she caved. But today, thanks to the clarity of a night out with friends and a day spent in nature, she realized how ridiculous his accusations were.
“Scott, I do care about you and your problems. But I have a life, too. When you disappear, you can’t expect me to just wait at home every second of the day in case you happen to call or stop by. I need to get my business going again. I need to spend some time with friends again, so I don’t go stir-crazy. I don’t think that’s too much to ask.”
Emily tried to speak as calmly and soothingly as she could. She knew Scott would not like what she was saying, but they had to make some changes. Surely, he had to admit she needed time to herself, even if he didn’t like it. But Scott was not a man you could reason with. His gaze only grew angrier at Emily’s words, and when she finished speaking he completely lost control.
“You selfish bitch!” Scott yelled, and lunged toward her. Emily tried to get out of his way, but he grabbed her arm and held on so tightly that she felt like he might squeeze it right off. She yelped in pain, but he didn’t loosen his grip or back away. He stuck his face right in hers, his wild gaze sending shivers of fright through her. For a moment, all Emily could think about was that she used to love this man. It was almost comical to realize that his face used to turn her on. Right now, all she wanted to do was run as far away from him as she could.
That’s when she realized she had to end things. She should have planned a safer way to do it. She should have thought about how angry her words would make him, and said them from a greater distance. But life is often messy and unplanned, and before Emily could stop herself, she found herself yelling in Scott’s face.
“We’re through, Scott! You don’t own me.”
There was a long, silent pause. Neither one of them said anything, but the pulsing vein in Scott’s forehead told Emily that his anger had reached level orange. She tried to wriggle away, but, of course, his grip on her was still too strong.
“We’re not through!” he roared. “Who is he? Who is the guy you’re seeing? I swear I’ll break every bone in his body.”
“I’m not seeing anyone,” Emily yelled back. “But you’re crazy if you think you can treat me like this and expect me to stay with you. I should have left long ago.”
Scott roared again and pinned Emily up against the wall of the apartment hallway. Emily tried to wriggle free, but he was too strong. She screamed at him to let her go, but he just laughed, his face twisting into an amused sneer as he held her firmly.
“I’m not
Similar Books
