I Don't Like Your Boyfriend

I knew my Aunt would be extremely worried, so I sent her a text saying I was going to crash at Luke’s. She would believe me that because I often did that. After dinner Antonio and I were in the living room by ourselves. The others were in bed because they were getting up early to go to church tomorrow.

“I didn’t know you went to church,” I smiled as I looked away from the TV.

He smiled back at me. “I just go because of my mom… but I’m not much of a believer.”

“Why not? What happened to make you lose your faith?” I asked him.

“A lot of bad things,” he sighed deeply. “Can I say something and you won’t judge?”

“I’m no one to judge.”

“Your opinion matters to me more than you think. I’d hate it if you see me in a negative way.”

“Tell me.”

He took my hand. “My dad isn’t dead.” His thumb circled my hand softly and tenderly. “I didn’t tell you because I was… ashamed.”

“I understand, but you still lied to me. This why relationships and friendships don’t work, if they start off with lies it will never work,” I took my hand back. “I get that you wanted to keep that to yourself, but you didn’t have to lie that he was dead.”

“It’s because he is dead to me. He…” he stopped and his hand clenched into fists until his knuckles turned pale.

I placed my hand over his and he relaxed.

His voice lowered as he said, “He used to hit my mom. Eddy, he used to bring drugs home all of the time and used the money he earned to buy his fix and alcohol. I did the best I could to shield my brother and sister from it, but I couldn’t stop them from hearing my mom yelp in pain and my father scream horrible things at her. He’s dead to me.”

“How did he end up in prison?” I asked and scooted closer to him.

“The FBI already knew he was dealing drugs and one day he was dumb enough to sell to a undercover cop and I haven’t heard from him since.”

“He was an awful man, I get why you didn’t tell me.”

He leaned in close to me, but stopped. “Is it too soon?”

I nodded and pulled away from him. “I… it just happened a few hours ago.”

“Let me get you something,” he stood up and walked over to the kitchen. I looked back to the TV and saw that Greaser was on VH1. I turned up the volume when Sandy was singing outside of her friend’s house. I hummed along with it. Antonio came back with a bottle of Jack Daniel’s and two glasses. “Don’t tell my mom.”

I laughed and watched him as he poured the alcohol in the glass. It was a regular glass cup. He handed me one and poured himself on.

“What should we toast to?” he sat next to me and raised his glass.

“To… new beginnings,” I said.

“To… wonderful girls with green eyes that make me weak to the knees and with lips like lollipops that I want to suck on daily, even if I get cavities.”

I laughed, but still blushed at his comment.

He grinned and our glasses clinked. I finished it pretty fast and it felt so damn good to let go. We didn’t get drunk, but we had just another glass of it before he placed it back. He came back and we watched the rest of the movie together. It was so comfortable to be with him, he even placed his arm around me after he ‘yawned’. I didn’t say anything, but I liked it. I snuggled closer to him.

I had a nightmare.

I had to watch as Sterling and Cruella kissed passionately, and I found out he had cheated on me the entire time we were together. Oh, and he hired actors to play his parents because he was ashamed of me. I woke up and remembered it wasn’t a nightmare; it was reality. A harsh reality, but then I felt a pair of arms hold me tighter.

I lifted my head and I saw a sleeping Antonio. I smiled as I watched him sleep. We had fallen asleep on the couch. I listened to his heartbeat and thought about what I was going to do about Sterling. I had broken up with him, but did I mean it?

I still loved him. I know it’s stupid, but I can’t just erase my feelings and move on to another guy. It doesn’t work that way. I wish it did, I’m sure a lot of people wished we could just erase the past, but I couldn’t. I had nine blissful months with Sterling and I couldn’t just ignore that.

Patty walked in and smiled at the sight of us. I moved to get away from Antonio, and that woke him up. He looked around and when his eyes landed on me he grinned widely.

“Morning.”

“Morning.” I said back and then pointed to his mom.

He looked over and his face turned pale. “Oh, hey, mom, good morning.”

“Good morning,” she said with a grin of her own. “Would you like to stay for breakfast, or are you going back home?”

“I have to go back home.” I said as I got up.

Antonio stood up too and took my hand. “I’ll walk you home.”

I shook my head. “No, thanks, I… I’m going to walk home. I need to have some alone time.”

“Are you sure?” he asked as he took my hand and did the same circular motion with his thumb which brought comfort to me.

“I’m sure, but thank you so much for your hospitality. Thanks for being here for me.”

He smiled and it made me feel so good. “Anytime, Eddy.”

I straightened my clothes and my hair. I told Jean and Joseph that I was heading home. Jean told me that I should get with her brother now that I was single. I just laughed it off. I walked out of his house and towards mine. The streets were empty because it was Sunday morning and everyone was sleeping in.

I kicked a small pebble to entertain myself.

I got a flashback of Sterling with Cruella and I had to stop because I started to cry. I didn’t want to go back home crying. I just stood there and cried for about five minutes. I got myself together and wiped away the tears. I made it the house and saw Sterling’s car. He was inside of it too. He looked up from the dashboard and looked at me.

His eyes narrowed in anger. I headed to the front porch and hoped I would make it before he could get to me. I heard as he opened the door of his car, closed it and immediately called out my name. I ignored him and rushed to the front porch, but he got to me before I could take a step on the porch. He turned me around.

“Where have you been?” he said through gritted teeth.

I took my arm back and stepped away from him. “You have no right to know about my whereabouts anymore.”

“I need you to listen to me, please you have to understand that I still love you, and yes what I did was stupid, but I had no other choice! You’ve met my mother… I couldn’t just tell her about you. I needed time.”

“Ten months! We’ve been together for ten months, Sterling! How much more time do you need?”

“My world is very complicated. I couldn’t just drop everything for you! Wait, that came out wrong.”

“You don’t have to pretend anymore, Sterling, you get to be with Cruella now.” I snarled and walked up to my door.

He took my arm again. “Please… I can’t… I love you so much. Don’t do this. Give me just five minutes.”

Again, I took my arm back. “You had ten months… that should’ve been enough.”

He kissed me. I couldn’t stop him because I didn’t see it coming. He cupped my face and kissed me. It was a kiss like no other. It was so… different from the others. The others there was passion and the usual love, but this one showed absolute love and devotion to me. I could feel what he was feeling and I could even feel the urgency for me to understand him. He really didn’t want to lose me.

When I knew I was going to lose myself and take him back, I stepped away from him, breaking the kiss.

“You still love me, that kiss proved it.”

“I need time to think. I… just can’t be with someone like you.”

“Like me?” he asked.

I laughed a little to myself. “You’re rich and I’m not. I didn’t think it mattered before because I didn’t need your money and I wasn’t just a fling for you… but… now I know that I would’ve never fit in your world. I’m not sophisticated like Cruella and your mom. I’m…”

“Open-minded, kind, wonderful, smart, beautiful, and funny, what more could I want? Edalene, you are my sanctuary from that world. You are the reason I’m not like them.”

“You’re worse than them because at least they don’t pretend to be something they’re not! Just leave me alone! We’re over!”

The door behind me opened. My uncle Valentino was standing there.

“What’s the problem?” he asked and looked directly at Sterling.

“Nothing, Uncle, he was just leaving,” I said and turned to leave, but Sterling took my hand.

“Please--”

“I think it would be best if you left, boy,” my Uncle broke the hold Sterling had on my hand. “I mean it.”

I walked inside of the house. My Uncle closed the door and I started to cry, again. He looked hesitantly at me. I knew that look, he had it when I used to cry all the time after my family’s death, he was debating whether or not to hug me, so I made the move and hugged him.

He placed his arms around me.

I heard my aunt Grace come downstairs.

“What’s wrong, sweetie?”

“She’s in a fight with her boyfriend,” my uncle answered.

I pulled from the hug and roughly wiped away the tears. “He’s not my boyfriend. I… I broke up with him yesterday.”

Her brow furrowed. “Why? What did he do?”

I saw Havel walk downstairs. “What’s with the noise?”

Seeing Havel reminded me of Cruella and I wasn’t sure if she was going to tell her what a mess I was. I didn’t want Cruella to know how much this hurt me.

“It was just… stuff… I’m not in the mood to explain right now. I’m going to my room.”

“I got a call from Mrs. Bulrush, Eddy, she told me that you broke fifty wine glasses.”

I groaned. “Just… take it out of my paycheck.”

“She also told me that you just left without as much as telling her, now tell me what happened.”

I looked at Havel, but she was gone now. My uncle was still there. I had to tell them.

“Sterling was at the cotillion… with Cruella.”

“His ex?” she asked.

I nodded. “And… they kissed. I bumped into the guy with the tray of glasses when I tried to get away because… it hurt.” I fought the tears. I didn’t want to cry anymore.

“Oh, sweetie,” my aunt hugged me.

“I should’ve done more than threatened him.” My uncle said and it felt good to know that he cared for me. He never really showed it.

“Aunt Grace… he…” I sort of choked on the words. “He hired actors to play his parents, so they could meet me.”

My aunt gasped. “Why that little… fucker!” she actually cursed and that was rare.

“My heart broke and I broke up with him. I couldn’t be there anymore. I felt like I was going to die if I did, so Antonio gave me a ride and dropped me off at Luke’s.”

“Honey, I know you weren’t with Luke because Lora called around ten thirty and asked about you because you weren’t answering your phone.”

I blushed. “Sorry… I lied. I was at Antonio’s. His mom let me stay over.”

“It’s all right.”

“I’m going to my room now.”

“I’ll make your favorite breakfast and bring it to you,” she stroke my hair. “We’ll see sappy movies and then we’ll eat ice cream until we puke.”

“That sounds great.”

She laughed. “He doesn’t deserve you, sweetie.”