Letters to Anonymous | ✔️

first fight

"Have you thought about it?" Adrian asked Claire the following day, when she had come over to his house to check up on him.

"Not right now, please. Just focus on your recovery, we'll talk about it later." Claire reasoned, mostly just to get him to stop talking about this again.

"Later, when? When you have bruises covering your whole body? Is that when you'll understand the urgency of my proposition?" He asked, feeling bothered by her indifference. This was the safety of her health and life he was talking to her about.

"This is not why I came here, Adrian! Why can't you just understand that I don't want to talk about it right now? You don't need to hover over me or worry about me or anything! I'm not in life threatening danger, I'm not your sister!" She yelled and as soon as the last words left her mouth, she felt insensitive.

"No, you're not. You're my friend. Someone special once told me that as a friend, use me. Use me to whatever extent you need. That's what friends are for. And that's what I'm doing. I'm doing this to help you. Please just let me help you."

Claire slumped into the chair in his room and threw her head into her hands. She had to take deep breaths to calm down the tears she knew were on the verge of pouring. "Even if I go. He's going to continue ruining families. It could get worse. What if he-"

"Now I've got it. You see, I've thought this for a while, but now I'm sure." Adrian said, cutting her off. He licked his teeth as he thought of how to say this without making her upset, but it was inevitable; truth hurts. "The reason you're not ready to leave him is because, somehow, you're blaming yourself for letting him do what he does. You're punishing yourself."

"I'm not." She replied, instantly. "I don't." She shook her head, feeling like she needs to leave. "Listen, first you're conspiring with my mother, knowing very well how I feel about her. Why would you even think that I would be okay with her help?" She asked, ready to get everything off her chest. "Second, look at yourself. Can you please take care of yourself before extending a helping hand to others? And then third, I know you're doing it as a friend, but can you understand that there are some things that I don't want you to interfere with? I'll ask you for help when I need it."

"And when will you need help, Claire?"

"Whenever I need it." She answered, firmly before sighing. "I'm gonna go," Claire said, standing up. She rubbed her head where she felt an incoming headache.

"Will you come over tomorrow?"

She looked over her shoulder slightly and said, "I don't know," before exiting the room.