Because You're Mine

Murphy laid in bed trying to sleep, but couldn't because of the fighting on the other side of his wall. He sighed and listened to his neighbor's boyfriend shout, "Stupid fucking cunt! Can't you do anything right?"

"Get the fuck out of my house!" she screamed back.

"It's an apartment, not a house! I wouldn't want to be in this shit hole anyways."

"It doesn't matter, my name is the one on the lease, and I'm the one that pays all the bills. Get out!" Lennon picked up a nearby beer bottle and threw it at Grady. She missed his head by a couple of inches and the glass shattered on the wall behind him.

"I'll leave for now, but we both know I'll be back." She threw another bottle at him and it hit the door right as he closed it behind him. Out of anger, she picked up one more and threw it at the door.

She covered her face with her hand and tried to fight off the tears. There was no reason to cry.

Murphy had gotten up when the first bottle hit the wall and climbed out the window to sit on the fire escape and smoke. He leaned against the railing and listened to the last two bottles shatter and then there was silence. He looked up when the window opened and his neighbor climbed through it. She glanced at him and looked away, attempting to hide the tears that she was angry about crying. She sat down on the stairs and put her head in her hands. Her long hair fell over her hands in soft waves. It was layered and reached half-way past her shoulders. In the moonlight it looked black instead of chocolate brown. Unsure of what to do or say, Murphy pulled out his cigarettes and offered her one.

"Sure, why not?"

He pulled one out and lit it for her before handing it to her. She took one drag off of it and started coughing. He patted her on the back and said, "You're not a smoker, are you?"

She shook her head and smiled, "Is it that obvious?"

He smiled back. "I'm Murphy, by the way, I don't think we ever actually met."

"Lennon."

"That's cute."

"Thanks."

Murphy watched her as she tilted her head up and looked at the stars. In the moonlight he noticed just how pretty she was. He had never actually done that before. She had big, expressive blue eyes, and a small, narrow nose. Her eyebrows were thin, but they looked as if they'd never been plucked or waxed.

"Can I ask you something?" she said, looking up at him.

He nodded, "Sure."

"Am I stupid?"

"I don't think I've known you long enough to be able to answer that."

She smirked, "I must be an idiot to keep taking him back. It's the same thing every single day."

Murphy watched as a tear rolled down her cheek. He had the urge to reach out and wipe it away, but he didn't.

"I had so many plans, hopes, and dreams. I was going to be someone. I was going to do something. Now look at me. I'm nothing. My life is going nowhere."

"Don't say that," Murphy said, sitting down next to her. "You're still young, you just haven't had the right opportunity yet. It'll come though."

"I keep telling myself that, but...." she trailed off and shook her head. She looked at Murphy before taking a deep breath, "I'm not going anywhere. It was childish of me to think I could be someone who mattered."

"I'm sure you can be. You just..." Murphy trailed off, not wanting to offend her by saying, 'you just need to lose the deadbeat and not take him back.'

"I know what you're thinking."

"Really?" he raised one eyebrow and looked at her.

She nodded, "You think I should get rid of Grady, and not let him back in. Just end it completely, don't take him back, and move on with my life."

He nodded, "Pretty much."

"Maybe you're right." She took another drag off the cigarette before handing it to Murphy. She sat on her window sill and threw one leg back into her apartment, "See ya later Murphy."

"See you later," he smiled. She returned the smile and climbed back through the window. She shut it and waved to him before closing the curtains and getting the broom, dust pan, and a rag to clean the beer and glass off the floor before going to bed.