What We Once Were

My cheek screamed from where his hand connected with my face. I desperately wanted to put my cold hands to it, but decided against it, as I didn’t want to show signs of weakness in front of him. Calyb. The one person in life that I can’t bear to stick up to. A wretched mess of a boyfriend. My lip trembles and my vision begins to blur, and that’s when I know that he won’t just stop there. His arm began to rise, just as the sound of footsteps trailed around the corner. Approaching the sidewalk out the front of the restaurant. Voices grew nearer, at the same pace as his arm was continuing to climb. My eyes were shut tight, every muscle readying itself for what was expected.

The voices trailed off, and all of sudden, I was pulled into an embrace. My eyes fluttered open, my palms pressed up against Calyb’s chest. His face was buried in my hair, and his hands were encasing me in a blanket of warmth. I relished the moment, having never experienced anything positive from him, not since the night he changed. I grasped the old memory of him with force and inhaled his scent, cedar wood and leather jackets. 

‘Why can’t it always be like this?’ I murmured. He pulled away slightly and brought his forehead to mine.

     ‘You know I hate it when you murmur Sierra, speak up,’ he breathed. 

     ‘Why did it have to end?’ My voice trembled with every word. 

     ‘Don’t ask stupid questions, you know what you did!’ Calyb snarled.

Tears flooded my eyes, he jerked away, nodded at the people staring, and tugged me. I was dragged all the way home, whimpering. Calyb threw the door to his apartment open and tossed me onto the couch. He began swearing around the room, throwing things around and muttering to himself about ‘that damn attention seeker.’  When his breath was coming in short pants, he collapsed on the armchair beside me. I hugged my knees to my chest.

     Calyb sighed, ‘why do you always have to bring attention to yourself?’

     I shrugged; my voice wavered, ‘what are you talking about?’

     ‘Sierra, Sierra, Sierra,’ Calyb tsked, ‘always so oblivious.’

I released my legs and slumped into the couch, ‘oblivious, how could I not be, when you tell me literally nothing anymore?’ I grumbled.

‘Care to repeat that, Sierra, dear?’ Calyb shot me a snarky look.

  ‘No’ I rolled my eyes and stood. ‘I should get going, I’m expected home.’

  ‘I don’t think so.’ Calyb’s threatening growl followed me, right before I was engulfed in darkness.