Ready When You Are

With each stride Brendan made I held Garrett’s hand tighter and tighter, squeezing my eyes together and trying to wake up, as if this had all been a dream.

Because although last night had been the best night of my life, Brendan had quite a bit of muscle where Garrett lacked it. Plus, Brendan had a temper. Another personality trait Garrett had not been given. I bit my lip and flung myself out the door, trying to get to Brendan before he got any closer.

“Bren please-” I tried, getting in between Garrett’s car and Brendan’s body.

“Kenley get out of the fucking way.” Brendan said between his teeth, looking at Garrett like he was an ant he needed to hit with a newspaper. I kept my body in place, lightly pushing at Brendan’s chest.

Suddenly Garrett slid out of his car and my nerves rose up. This was not happening.

“Calm down Brendan please you’re going to hurt someone.”

“No, I’m going to hurt him!”

I shook my head quickly. “Please just stop he didn’t do anything wrong.”

Slowly Brendan turned to me, pushing me off of him so we moved to the sidewalk. My lip trembled as he stared at me. I could feel Garrett moving closer. He needed to leave.

“Did you sleep with him?” Brendan boomed, sending me one more step backwards so I almost tripped over the curb, “Did you fuck him!?”

A tear flew down my face and I wiped it off slowly. “Just stop, please stop.”

“What the fuck!?” Brendan yelled. “You cheated on me? With him?”

I let out a little whimper my hands flowing to my face as Brendan grunted, turning swiftly and sending me to ground with a thud. I felt the side of my face hit the ground, my right eye going fuzzy so all I could see was Emerson’s red hair as she ran towards me.

“Kenley! Are you ok?” I shook her off, trying to stand but I fell. My entire world felt like a dizzy mess.

“Lee.” Garrett tried to come towards me but Brendan pushed him back up, nearly sending him onto the hood of his car.

I winced, trying to stand again as Em helped me sit onto the sidewalk. I had never felt so helpless. Just letting the scene unfold before me, letting whatever was to happen, happen. I couldn’t do anything.

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” Brendan said, pushing Garrett’s shoulder. “Huh?”

“You just pushed her man-”

“Answer the question. Are you Garrett? Are you?”

Garrett nodded. I could tell he was trying to be tough. He was trying so hard to be there, to be everything I needed him to be in this moment. I gripped Em’s hand and stood up, starting to walk over to them. My vision was still blurry and my head was throbbing.

“Do not touch my girlfriend, you got that bro?”

Garrett let out a little laugh. “Oh, she’s your girlfriend? You don’t care about her nearly as much as I-”

“Shut the fuck up! You have no idea what you’re talking about-”

“You are such an asshole to her and she knows it-”

“But she’s with me, isn’t she?” Brendan stopped him. “She’s not with you. Because she knows I’m good for her. She knows I’m better than you.”

“You have no idea what she needs-”

“STOP.” I yelled.

Brendan and Garrett looked up at me. Bren just stared, blinking like an idiot as his fists joined together.

“Lee.” Garrett said moving towards me. His hands brushed against my bruised temple and I looked into his eyes as I started to fall into his chest.

“Get you fucking hands OFF of her!” Brendan yelled, and I felt Garrett’s hand leave mine as he was sent to the pavement.

Quickly I moved down, moving my hands under his head before it smacked into the ground. I bent down and Brendan pulled at my wrist.

“Gare-” I tried, my fingers lacing hard with his before I was pulled off of my feet. “Brendan put me the fuck down he’s hurt please-”

“We’re going home Kenley.”

All of a sudden I was thrown into Brendan’s car, my head feeling as if it was thrust onto a wall as I let out a “tssk” in pain, feeling the walls of the car go black.

***

My eyes opened and my head was pained immediately.

I felt the sheets in my hands and I knew exactly where I was. I was at home. But it wasn’t home. This was more of a prison that a house. I didn’t want to be here. I wanted to be with Garrett. That was home.

Quickly I tried to get up, but my head hurt too much because of the fast movement. My hand fled to my temple as I stood up, walking over to the mirror in a crouched position. This pain was too much to bear. Everything was too much.

When I looked into the mirror, the blue and black shine on the temple brought tears to my eyes. One fell swiftly to the wooden floor.

I had lost Garrett.

I shook quickly, walking out the bedroom door until I reached the lock of my apartment. I needed to get out of here. I needed to find Garrett, as quickly as possible. The entire situation was fuzzy. Heck, I didn’t even remember when it had happened. I didn’t know what day it was.

All of a sudden I heard rustling from the living room and I shuddered.

“Lee!” My heart pounced at the name. But the voice didn’t match. Neither did the person walking towards me. “It’s about fucking time for you to get up.”

“How long have I been sleeping?”

“Well you’ve gotten up once or twice, but about a day and half now? Wow, you look awful.”

I took a step back, my hand still on my face as I shook my head.

“I need to leave.” I moved back the door as I felt a tug on my wrist.

Brendan laughed. “Where the hell are you going to go?”

“Anywhere but here.” I was done being nice.

“Well you’re never going back to that damn record shop, that’s for sure. And you’re not seeing that Garrett guy. So I’d say you’re stuck here.”

I shook my head. “Brendan stop I’m leaving.”

“No you’re not, you’re staying here.”

“No.” I shook. “I’m leaving you. We’re done, Bren.”

Brendan stopped for a second, taking a step back until he was resting on his heels. He let out a breath and shook his head, laughing to himself.

“You’re still not feeling well,” He said. “Go back to bed.”

“Let me go.”

“Look,” Brendan said, moving me back into our bedroom. “You can’t leave me. You fucking cheated on me with this guy and I’m still here, aren’t I? You can’t go.”

A tear fell down my cheek. “I’m not happy here.”

“Go to bed, Lee.”

I shook as he laid me on our bed, wrapping me in his cold arms.

“You’re not allowed to call me that.” I whispered.