Time-Bomb

I saw Alex talking on his phone. I was sitting outside with Josie while she drew.

“Momma, look!” Josie cried, showing me what she’d drawn.

“That’s great! Why don’t you go show Daddy?” I replied and she ran over to Alex.

He put his hand up and pushed her back to me. She looked like she was going to cry, but didn’t. He hung up his phone and made his way over to me. I yanked him away.

“What is wrong with you? Couldn’t you show an ounce of support for her?” I asked.

“I was on the phone!” he defended. I grabbed his phone and threw it on the ground, stomping on it. “That’s my phone! My entire life was on that thing!” he cried.

“No. Your entire life is here, with me, your friends, your band, your fans, and your daughter! You can go out and buy a new phone, but if you lose us, we’re not coming back.” I snapped. He sighed in frustration.

“It was a mistake bringing you out here.” He seethed.

“No. The mistake was letting you back into our lives. You tricked me into thinking you changed, but you’re still the same self-centered, condescending, ego-centric bastard you were back in high school.” I replied. He sighed yet again.

“So what do you want me to do?” he asked.

“Go and show your daughter the dad she’s known for the past week.” I told him. Soon it was dark. Josie was put to bed and I started packing.

“What are you doing?” Alex asked.

“Packing. You don’t want me here, so I have to leave.” I sighed. He hugged me.

“No. Don’t.” he whispered.

He kissed me. Soon, our clothes were off, and we were on the bed, and Alex was hovering over me, putting on a condom.

“You sure?” he asked lowly.

“Yes. Show me what I’ve been missing for three years.” I replied and he went inside me.

I gasped, shocked. The pain was familiar, yet alien. And Alex’s body still felt the same on mine, his rough, firm hands rubbing my hips.

“I’m close.” He grunted, thrusting harder, faster. He finally fell next to me, breathing hard.

--

This continued for a while. I’d try to leave and Alex would have sex with me each night so I wouldn’t.

During the day, we played the picture-perfect couple. Kissing, holding hands, all that shit, and everyone bought it. We acted as we did before to Josie. But more often than not, we found ourselves taking turns watching her as we did our daily things. We went all over the U.S., keeping up our charade. But Alex started partying in Georgia.

“Where is Alex?” I asked Kelsey and McKenzie. We were hanging out in their bus. Kelsey was reading the latest Alternative Press issue.

“He had another party, I heard.” She mumbled.

“Again? This is just like high school.” I sighed.

“What are you going to do?” Kelsey asked, finally looking up.

“Nothing. I’ll try to leave and he’ll have sex with me so I won’t.” I replied.

“What?” she asked.

“He’s been doing this for weeks. He’ll screw up somehow and I’ll get mad and start to pack, but he’ll stop me and kiss me and pull me into bed. And we haven’t said anything to anybody until I told you now and he’s probably confessing it drunkenly right now.” I explained.

“That’s so underhanded and dirty.” Kelsey sighed.

“I know. But he’s got me under his power.” I sighed.

“Doesn’t he have Josie?” McKenzie asked.

“Oh, my God, he does!” I cried. Just then, Alex himself came staggering in, but there wasn’t a little girl with him.

“Where’s Josie?” I snapped.

“She’s...She’s at the…bar.” He slurred, falling to the floor in a heap, laughing, as if what he'd just said had been the funniest thing ever.

I stepped around him. I took out my phone and called the one person I knew would stay sober in a mess of crazy shitfaced guys. Zack.

“Zack? Do you know where Josie is?” I asked.

“Yeah. She’s with me. She’s safe and drug free.” He replied.

“Oh, thank God. I’ll be right there! Just keep her entertained.” I told him. I went over and Zack had her on his lap.

“Thanks, Zacky. You’re the best.” I smiled taking Josie. I went back to our bus.

“Alex!” I called. Silence.

I heard someone throwing up. I found Alex in the bathroom, puking. He looked up at me, looking dazed. He fell to the floor, hitting his head hard. This could not be good.

Notes

Goddammit, Alex.

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xoxo

Hayley