The Bars Between Us

43. Stupid Ideas

Piper and I arrive back in Boston after night has fallen, and being so close to home at this time makes me yawn. The whole trip back, along with the thoughts about the case, I was busy thinking about Roman. Was he still out drinking now? Should I even be caring? He'll only flip the switch sooner or later and become the same person he's been since the wedding when I return to him. Or will he? He's never apologized for his actions before, but at the same time, those actions haven't escalated to the point they did this last time.

Doubts have flown around my head as I've been driving, and the half-hour or so, Piper has been asleep, meaning that I've been left alone with only my thoughts to keep me occupied. It's let a few stupid ideas enter my mind, and I'm glad at least I'm able to see them for what they are. I'm not going in completely naive.

I pull down Piper's street, and park in the first available space I can find near her apartment. She must have been half-asleep because as soon as we pull to a stop, she sits up from her slouched position. She does give a cursory glance around, a slightly dazed expression on her face before she rubs at her eye. She reaches for the handle but pauses when she notices that I'm still strapped in, with the car engine still on.

She returns to her previous position, resting her head back against the headrest. "Please tell you're not."

"I have to..."

"No, you don't," Piper argues, twisting in her seat sharply. "You just going to stay with him until he kills you?"

"No!" I scoff. "He wouldn't-"

"Really? Aphrodite, he doesn't deserve you, and you don't have to take this. He needs to learn that you're not going to go running back to him whenever he clicks his fucking-"

"Piper!" I interrupt. She stops short in her ranting and stares at me, obviously agitated. "I have to look him in the eyes and have a conversation with him. See if he really is sorry. He is still my husband."

"That asshole apologized?"

"Yes."

"Can't you just see he's manipulating you? If you go, you're walking to your death, and I'm sorry but I can't go to your funeral if he..." she trails off, tears taking her voice away from her. It pains me to see her cry, and I clutch her close to me in a hug.

"He sounded like he meant it, Piper," I attempt to console. "I won't let him hurt me again. I just need to see his eyes and see if the person I loved is really gone once and for all. He sounded like Roman again."

She grumbles bitterly, and I'm just glad I have a friend who cares about me so much, enough to try and stop me, but I've done all the risk assessments I feel are necessary. I don't know what our marriage is going to become, and if Roman will even allow me to leave him if I wanted to, but if he's going to force me to stay with him, I at least want to try and do something. He gave me until the end of the week, but I hope that by going back in advance, he'll see my willingness, and this will be the wakeup call to make things better.

Piper clutches onto me tighter for a moment, before pulling back and fixing her hair, and wiping away the mascara that's run below her eyes. She lets out a loud breath through her lips and straightens her back.

"Can I get you to stay until the morning?"

"I think I should be with him tonight." If he's even there. I hope that if he's not, it'll allow me time to think further about what I want to happen with him. As much as I don't like the person he's become, the broken teenager I heard on the phone is still the person I love. I can't let him go through this alone, no matter what he's done to me.

"At least come up and take your stuff with you."

"I'll get it tomorrow," I counter. "Piper I need to do this now."

"Aphrodite, think about this..." she pleads.
"I have." She sighs loudly again, looking me over, before nodding.

"Well, if you need to come back, you know where I am." She doesn't let me reply, instead, she pulls me into another suffocating hug, then retreats, before coming back for another.

"Call me," she states, looking at me meaningfully, before clambering out of the car. She bends down, to get one more look at me, before she straightens, waiting to see me off. I squeeze and release the steering five times before I can pull it to the side to get out of the space.

I hope you liked it! The next update will be up in a week!

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