"Honey, what the hell happened?" My mother shrieks as I walk through the front door.
Shaking my head and peering down at my bloody knees, I answer, "I fell."
"Looks like you fell into the depths of hell, oh my god! Go sit in the kitchen while I get the first aid kit."
I nod and walk to the kitchen, where I sit down at the table and prop my legs up.
Racing back, my mother quickly unlocks the kit and begins to wipe away the blood with a wipe. She turns away for a moment to wet a napkin and then cleans the area.
Glancing up at me, she says, "this may sting," and I brace myself for the pain. She grabs a bottle and pours a small amount of liquid onto the wounds but it feels like she dumped the entire container.
"Oh, shit!" I gasp, holding tightly onto the counter until my knuckles turn white.
My eyes well with tears because of the stinging pain but I'm able to blink them away. Mother carefully places a large bandage over both knees and steps away, observing her work. "There you go. You need to be more careful!"
"I know," I lie. "I was just so busy looking around and I tripped over a huge rock."
My mother sighs and purses her lips. "I'm going to go to the grocery store, do you need anything?"
"Ben and Jerry's please!" I smile. "And can you get me some chocolate?"
"Ella," my mother scolds. "That's a lot of sugar."
"I'm not eight anymore, mom. And food is kind of a comfort," I mumble, looking down. "Ashton was my comfort, and now... I don't have anything."
My mother pats my head, huffing, "fine." She takes her purse and keys and heads out. Meanwhile, I lounge around on the couch waiting for her to get back so I can watch Netflix in my bed with food.
I'm scrolling through Netflix on the television when the house phone rings. I get up slowly, wincing with pain but I make it to the phone.
"Hello?" I say, pressing it to my ear.
"Hi, Ella. Is your mother there?"
"Jered, why are you so obsessed with my mom?"
He chuckles into the phone and I narrow my eyes. "I've never been dumped before, that's why. I've never been left. And your mother left me!"
"Because you cheated on her!" I yell. "You hurt her, how can you expect her to forgive you? You don't hurt the people you love, asshole." I wipe away a tear that falls.
"Calm down, Ella," Jered laughs. "I'll see you tonight." And then he hangs up.
I'll see you tonight. That's what he said, right? Or maybe I'm going crazy.
With chills going down my spine, I return to the couch and pull my knees to my chest, feeling my heart racing. I suddenly am terrified of being alone.
Fifteen minutes later my mother arrives home. I greet her in the kitchen and hold my breath as she sets out the pints of ice cream and candy she bought for me, and as she puts the groceries away I begin to speak.
"Jered called."
She stops and turns to look at me. "You answered?"
"I didn't know it was him."
She sighs, shaking her head. "Damn it, Ella. Well, what did he have to say?"
"He said you were the first person to leave him. And that he'd see me tonight."
I see her tense. "He probably was trying to scare you. Don't think too much about it."
I nod and take my things with me upstairs. I don't want to be around her while she's upset with me. I know she didn't want me to answer the phone but I didn't know it was Jered, and I think part of me hoped it was Ashton.
I take my computer out after getting snuggled underneath the covers and load Netflix.
I watch a few movies and a few episodes of Grey's Anatomy. I'm a small girl but I can eat a shitload, that's for sure. I finish off two pints of Ben and Jerry's and multiple candy bars.
Halfway into Hush, I fall asleep.
-
I wake up. My eyes creep open and without moving my head I see my alarm clock reads 2:16 AM. It's pitch black outside, I hear thunder booming and rain pattering against the room. One of my windows is wide open. My shirt is lifted, revealing my bra and stomach. Goosebumps rise over my skin. I feel fingers tracing my ribs, sliding down to press on my hip bones.
I don't move. I don't breathe. I don't know what to do.
I feel fingers sliding beneath my shorts and the mattress press down.
Ashton's fingers are soft and smooth, these hands are calloused and rough. A hand pushes my hair away from my forehead and I feel dry lips kiss my forehead.
I try not to cry.
And the words ring throughout my head.
I'll see you tonight.