The Good Life

*Jack*

Today was the Saturday and I let Oli and Alex barbeque at my house. It wasn’t crowded like I thought it would be, they only invited the normal people they hang out. We were all in my media room eating and watching the basketball game between the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs. I invited Emilio over just to be a nice neighbor and he came with more beer than we needed. He was getting along with everyone pretty well. You would have never realized he was a dad or a married man. In a way, he kind of reminded me of Alex. He was goofy, smart, and sassy. Proof that Alex was capable of having children…when he was ready.

When Alex asked if he could move in with me, I was overfilled with joy. This was going to be a big step in our relationship and it was going to get us one step closer to marriage. I don’t want us to rush things and do something we regret, but I can’t help feeling like Alex is the one for me. I can’t see myself dating anyone else after him. I was planning on bringing him to Baltimore with me so he could meet my mom sometime during the summer. They never met before and I would want my mother’s opinion before I went any further with Alex.

“I heard you two were moving in together.” Cassadee sang, waking me up from my thoughts. It was supposed to be a guy’s night, but Alex told Rian that Cassadee could come anyways.

“Yes! I’m so happy.” I couldn’t stop myself from smiling.

“That’s so cute!” She squealed. I was going to tell her to stop making me blush, but my phone started ringing. May was finally calling me instead of the other way around.

“Jack Barakat.” I answered. May hated when I answered my phone like that but I loved making her mad.

“Jack! Can you come get me?!?” She sounded like she was crying.

“Where are you? What happened?” I panicked and Cassadee gave me a concerned look. I shrugged my shoulders and moved to another room so I could hear May better.

“I’m at my house. Adam and I had a fight and he hit me. He just left with my car keys and I’m afraid he might come back and do something crazy.” She sobbed. I felt my heart stop and my blood start boiling.

“I’m on my way. Don’t move.” I said and she agreed. I hung up and went to get Alex to tell him I was leaving. He was standing at my bar with Emilio arguing about which team had better players.

“Alex, I have to go help May. I’ll be back in a few.” I tried to walk away, but he grabbed my wrist.

“Is everything okay? You look pissed off.” He said and shook my head, trying to hold back angry tears.

“May called crying and said Adam hit her.” I told him quickly.

“I’m coming with you.” He got up from his seat and grabbed his car keys. I found Cassadee and told her Alex and I were going to take care of something. I ran out the door with Alex before I could answer her frantic questions. I gave Alex quick directions to May’s place. He held my hand the whole drive to her place and tried to calm me down, but all I could think about was Adam putting his hands on my sister.

As soon as Alex stopped the car I hopped out and ran to the door. I rang the doorbell and knocked on the door. Alex was walking up to me as the door opened and revealed May standing there with an eye that was starting to turn black. I was lost for words when I saw her, she was shaking and still crying. I put my arms around her and hugged her tightly. She cried into my chest and I tried to help her unwind.

“Adam isn’t here is he?” Alex asked and May shook her head no. “Let’s go inside.” He said and May walked us into her living room.

“Tell us what happened.” I told May.

“He had a few drinks while he was watching the basketball game and he wanted to go to one of his coworker’s house. I told him I didn’t think it was a good idea for him to drive since he was a little drunk and he got mad. I tried to calm him down, but it just made him angrier and that’s when he hit me.” She wept while she explained everything to us.

“Do you want to call the cops?” I asked her once she relaxed a bit.

“No! I just want to get out of here.” She said.

“Go pack some of your things, you’re going to stay with me for the night.” I said. She got up and went to her room and started packing for the night.

“Do you want me to kick everyone out so she doesn’t have to be around all those people?” Alex asked me.

“No I’ll just take her to one of the guest rooms and help her settle in.” I said.

Once May was finished packing, we left and went back to my house. I was secretly hoping Adam would come back while we were waiting on her so I could break him in half but he didn’t. When we got inside my house I took May to the guest room by the front of the house so she wouldn’t get questioning looks. Alex left us to go upstairs and assure everyone that everything was okay.

“Are you hungry? Do you need anything?” I asked May once she settled in the room.

“No thank you. I just want to take a nap.” She whispered. I nodded and left her in the room alone. I went upstairs with everyone else so I could take my mind off of what happened. I wanted to call our mom to tell her what happened so she wouldn’t feel like we were hiding things from her, but I decided to let May do it when she woke up.

***
“Bye. Tell Vicki we said hello.” I told Emilio as he walked out the door. He was one of the last four people here. Oli, Cassadee, and Rian were still here helping us clean up. May was still in the guest room sleeping.

“I knew I shouldn’t have listened to you. I should have went with my gut and betted on the Mavericks.” Oli scolded at Alex while they washed the counter tops off. They betted with Emilio on who would win the game and lost.

“I’m sorry, but how was I supposed to know the game would end like that.” Alex apologized.
“I told you guys not to bet in the first place. Bad things always happen when you guys place bets.” I said to them and Cassadee laughed.

“What was the last thing we betted on?” Oli asked.

“How many shots I could take on my birthday.” Alex sighed and we all laughed thinking about that night.

“I almost forgot about that.” Oli said. “That was a good bet. I won like forty dollars that night.”
Thirty minutes later we finished cleaning so Cassadee, Rian, and Oli left. I went to check on May again and saw that she was finally awake. She was on her phone texting someone, and quickly put her phone down when I walked in.

“Hey…I was just coming to check on you.” I saw she had her bags packed and by the door. “Why did you pack your things up?”

“Jack I-“ The doorbell cut her off. Alex came to get the door, but I beat him to it. Adam was standing there impatiently waiting with his phone in his hand.

“Where’s May?” That was the only thing he said to me. I was literally stunned at how calm he was, it was like he never laid a hand on my sister.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I asked him.

“I’m here to pick up May.” He shrugged.

“You’re crazy to think she’s going anywhere with you!” I yelled.

“And you’re crazy to think she’s not.” He said. I stepped closer to him about to hit him, but Alex pulled me back and told me it’s not worth it. It worked until I saw May walk out of the room with her bags in her hands.

“May? What are you doing?” I asked even though I knew the answer.

“Jack, I’m going with Adam.” May said.

“May you don’t have to.” Alex told her because I couldn’t even look at her.

“I love him so much.” She cried and walked over to Adam.

“May, I will lose all respect for you if you walk out of that door.” I cried.

“We’ll see you next time, Jack.” Adam smirked and walked away from the house with May right behind him. I watched them get into his car and drive away.

“Jack I-.” Alex started to talk, but I cut him off.

“I just want to go to bed.” I whimpered and walked to my bed. Alex came in and laid down with me. I laid my head on his chest and broke down. He rubbed my back as we laid in silence.

“Do you think this is the first time he hit her?” Alex asked me.

“No. She got over it too fast. I wonder why she decided to tell me about it this time.” I said.

“Maybe she thought he was going to go too far and do something worse.” He said. I sighed, signaling I didn’t want to talk about it anymore because it was depressing me. Alex got the signal and pulled me closer to his chest. I tried to think of anything other than May walking away with Adam, but there was no use. It felt like someone stabbed me in my heart.

***

The Next Day

*Alex*

“Does it have to be Olive Garden?” I asked Jack as we walked out the front door. I was taking him on a date tonight to get his mind off of what happened last night with May. Of course when I asked him where he wanted to eat dinner he said freaking Olive Garden.

“It’s the only thing that will help me feel better right now.” He mumbled, his eyes still full of sadness.

“Okay, baby.” I grabbed his hand and walked him to my car. I opened the door for him and made sure he was all the way in before I shut it for him. We drove in silence to the restaurant I was afraid to say something and make Jack upset. We had to wait ten minutes for a table since we didn’t have a reservation, but I didn’t mind.

“Have you talked to your mom lately?” I asked when we sat down at our table.

“Yeah, but I didn’t tell her what happened. I wanted to see if May would tell her first, which she didn’t.” He said.

“You just have to let her learn on her own, Jack.” I sighed.

“I’m afraid when that happens it’ll be too late to help her.” He shook his head. I decided to change the subject so he wouldn’t become upset again.

“When will I get to meet your mother?” I asked him and his head shot up fast.

“You want to meet my mother?” He asked kind of pepping up a bit.

“Yeah.” I nodded my head.

“Well I was going to go visit her sometime next month in June. Would you like to maybe come with me?” He asked sounding nervous.

“Of course I would.” I grinned and his face lit up. I was happy to finally see him smile again.
“She’s going to love you!” he exclaimed.

We spent the rest of our date planning what day we were flying to Baltimore and activities we could do with his mother. There was still a month before we left and I still had two weeks left of the semester to teach. I honestly couldn’t wait to meet her since Jack and I were moving in together. We’ve been together for almost a year and he’s only met my dad and I’ve met his sister.

I told myself dozens of times that I wanted to at least date someone for two years before I consider marrying them, but with Jack I felt like I could marry him after a year. I don’t know. I don’t want to rush our relationship, but at the same time I don’t want Jack to have to wait forever for me to commit to him. I have no idea how to handle this situation.

“Alex, what are you thinking about so hard?” Jack asked me. I realized our waiter brought out our food and I hadn’t touched it at all.

“About how much I love you.” I whispered and stared into his eyes. He smiled bigger than I ever seen him smile before.

“I love you too, Alex” he breathed and I reached across the table for his hand.

Maybe two years was too long to wait.

Notes