These Violent Delights

Chapter Two:

The sound of the apartment lock turning, followed by the door opening and light pouring into the room. Groaning, I smash my pillow over my face, hiding the sunlight.

            "Greer, it is two in the afternoon, and you haven't moved the entire day I've been gone. You realize I've gone to work and back already, right?" She moves about the room, opening up all the blinds.

            "Leave me alone to die." I grumble and turn my body more into the couch.

            "Oh my God, you're so dramatic." She grabs the pillow from my grasp and tosses it onto the accent chair adjacent to the couch. "Wake up! You need a shower, desperately, and to brush your teeth. This can't keep going on. I've left you alone to mope and cry, but it's been over a week now, and you are only getting worse."

            "I'm too sad to do any of those things you've just said."

            "You're going to wither away over some stupid boy. I thought you were stronger than this."

            I shoot her a glare, my eyes blinded by the sun. "I am."

            "Then act like it. Get up. I won't let this continue any longer. Do you want to get dropped from your classes? You also have yet to go to your apartment and grab your things. Emphasis on your apartment."

            "Well, it's his too."

            "Who cares? Your name is on that lease too, and he can't scare you out of your home. Get ready. We're going to go over there today. I'll call Gray and Dad to come help."

            I groan loudly and stretch my legs out across the couch. "What if she's there?"
            "Then we'll kill them both."

            Looking out at the sunny day, I curse the weather for being brighter than me. For not catching on to the gloomy storm brewing inside of me. The days go on as I cry myself to sleep every night. But Grove is right. I've got to be stronger than this. Before finding out about his cheating, I thought I was. I never imagined myself being this depressed over a guy. Yet here I am, my body aching and my eyes puffy, acting like I've reached the end. Every time I attempt to get up and stop moping, my brain goes to the saddest places. Reminding me of what he did and how, at one point, he was everything to me, and now I have to pretend I hate him and go on as if he didn't matter. It's devastating when the person you love ends up hurting you in the worst way. My body feels drained. I'm exhausted. My eyes hurt. Along with everything else.

            Grove grabs onto my arm, tugging me off the couch, so I tumble onto the floor. I press my face down against the rug. "What am I going to tell everyone?" My voice is muffled, so I roll over onto my back and stare up at the popcorn ceilings. "It sounds so embarrassing to say I've been cheated on. I'll have to delete all our photos on social media and move back home with Dad and Gray. I love her, but I really don't think I can handle living with her again."

            Grove sighs and sits down on the floor beside me. I look over at her. "None of this is your fault. Wynn is the one who looks pathetic, not you. I'll help you in whatever way I can, but you're going to get through this. I'd offer to let you live here, but with there only being one bedroom and one bathroom, I'm not sure how comfortable that would be for us both."

            I shake my head. "No, I'm just wallowing. It would be too crammed for us here." I sit up on my elbows. "I guess I'll shower."

            "Oh, thank God." She throws her arms in the air. "My prayers have been answered."

            I bring my nose close to my armpit. "Do I really smell that bad?" When I get a whiff of myself, I cringe. "Okay, it's kind of bad."

            "Kind of?" She helps pull me to my feet and pushes me towards the bathroom. "Get yourself all nice, and then we'll go grab your things."