A Player With a Game
IX
My heart was beating loudly as I made my way into the rather cold night. I'd stayed in the office for much longer than I usually would, and the sentences that had just entered my ears were playing games with my emotions. I looked up to see Matt standing by his car, he spoke to his boss who was surrounded by women. One caught my eye, it was the same waiter girl from the coffee shop, most likely the same one the girls in the bathroom spoke up. I didn't know whether I should walk up to him and smack him or walk away. So I opted for the easier of the two, I turned to circle the building, in attempt to avoid Matt. My uncle always told me to not believe what others said without confirming it with the person whom the rumor is about first. But it was far too difficult to even think that Matt was hurting me.
Imagine having to ask him.
I walked with my pursed pressed between my arm and ribs, making my pace faster and faster. I wanted to run, but I wasn't used to wearing heels just yet. I felt water filling up my eyes, making my vision much too blurry for the night. Finally, I tripped over the sidewalk, getting my white, flowing skirt wet. I got up, sobbing and decided to take my heels off. I ran as quickly as I could to the bus stop. A man sat quietly on the bench, his head covered by a navy blue hoodie, a strand of hair dropping for his face. He pressed his palms together as I slowly walked to sit beside him. I hugged my purse and held my heels to the side of me. It was silent, other than my random bursts of tears.
"God." I let out, looking to the sky and back down. I tried to be silent, but it was much too difficult. I felt my entire body shaking, and the cold air wasn't helping. The man beside me said nothing, he'd rock himself back and forth, and occasionally look up to the sky. The bus finally arrived, but I couldn't stand up. The man to my right got to his feet and walked away and onto the bus' dusty floors. I attempted to pull myself to my feet but couldn't do it.
"Why is this so hard?" I whispered to myself. I didn't know Matt meant this much to me. It killed me that he did. The bus pulled away, quickly slowing down and coming to a stop not even a street away from me. The man in the navy hoodie walked out, making his way back towards the bus stop. He sat beside me once more and I looked towards him, hoping I'd spot something in his face. I felt nervous, as if he was a dangerous man, but even like that, most of the pain I felt was in my chest.
How could he do this to me?
It was once again silent, and I prayed for the half and hour I'd have to wait for the other bus to stop by to come quickly.
"Don't cry." a voice let out. I slowly turned my head to look at the side of the man who sat beside me, his palms still pressed together like they were earlier. I couldn't say anything, just louder sobs leaving my lips, "Sometimes you just have to face your problems. It's difficult, but that's how life is." his street-like accent sent shivers up my spine.
"You don't get it."
"What is it? Did you lose someone?"
"I lost someone I loved very much, then gained someone who I think I love, and now I'm losing him too."
He didn't say anything else, he just let me sob to myself. I looked at my phone and saw that an hour had already passed. The battery was running low. I looked at a board beside me that read the bus schedule. Friday: 6am - 12pm.
Shoot, that was the last bus.
I tried bringing myself to my feet, but felt my legs shaky. Finally I made it, but almost fell, a strong hand grabbing my fragile arm. I took the help and stood up straight, nodding his way and walking myself home. My phone rang, it was Matt but I decided to ignore it. Before I had time to look at it again, it was dead. I walked into a 24 hour gasoline station and bought myself a coffee. I drank it before walking off, it was going to be a long walk home.
+
I dug into my purse, pulling out a light-up watch. I looked at the time that read 2:30. I was exhausted and had begun to feel scared. Every noise made me jump, every shadow made me gasp. My feet were bleeding, but I attempted to block the pain. I was at a point where I felt I could just lay on the sidewalk and wait to be picked up. I felt stupid for not finding the strength to get on the bus. Perhaps even smacking Matt could have given me a safer way back home. I finally arrived at the house where a woman from a few days earlier had questioned me. The one who lived in the small, white house. I felt slight relief that I was slightly closer home, but couldn't wait until I could be in my own bed.
Half an hour passed and I was finally looking at my house. As I attempted to pass Matt's, I felt an arm turn me around. My eyes shot at of my head and I felt myself falling, but I was caught, each of my arms holding my up.
"Where've you been?" a worried, Matthew said. His eyes were huge and red, he still had his white dress shirt on, but it was messy. I felt tears threatening to spill out of my eyes, "I called the police but they said it was too soon to look for you. I took so many streets, I even walked. I tried to break into your house, I called my boss, I checked the bus stop."
My right arm released itself from his strong lock and my hand smacked his face, tears spilling from my eyes.
"How long have you been back?" I questioned, my words coming out as if they were from a drunk woman.
"W-what?" tears filled his eyes but he didn't dare let them out.
"How long have you been back from dinner with your boss?"
"I didn't go, I needed to find you."
"How long have you been looking?"
"Arabella, you've been gone for hours! Where the heck were you?"
"I was walking home," I cried, "I don't ever wanna see you again." I attempted to pull away from his arms, but he pulled me closer and strongly locked his lips with mine. I pushed him away and ran to my home, feeling my head turning. I got to the top step and lost consciousness.
Imagine having to ask him.
I walked with my pursed pressed between my arm and ribs, making my pace faster and faster. I wanted to run, but I wasn't used to wearing heels just yet. I felt water filling up my eyes, making my vision much too blurry for the night. Finally, I tripped over the sidewalk, getting my white, flowing skirt wet. I got up, sobbing and decided to take my heels off. I ran as quickly as I could to the bus stop. A man sat quietly on the bench, his head covered by a navy blue hoodie, a strand of hair dropping for his face. He pressed his palms together as I slowly walked to sit beside him. I hugged my purse and held my heels to the side of me. It was silent, other than my random bursts of tears.
"God." I let out, looking to the sky and back down. I tried to be silent, but it was much too difficult. I felt my entire body shaking, and the cold air wasn't helping. The man beside me said nothing, he'd rock himself back and forth, and occasionally look up to the sky. The bus finally arrived, but I couldn't stand up. The man to my right got to his feet and walked away and onto the bus' dusty floors. I attempted to pull myself to my feet but couldn't do it.
"Why is this so hard?" I whispered to myself. I didn't know Matt meant this much to me. It killed me that he did. The bus pulled away, quickly slowing down and coming to a stop not even a street away from me. The man in the navy hoodie walked out, making his way back towards the bus stop. He sat beside me once more and I looked towards him, hoping I'd spot something in his face. I felt nervous, as if he was a dangerous man, but even like that, most of the pain I felt was in my chest.
How could he do this to me?
It was once again silent, and I prayed for the half and hour I'd have to wait for the other bus to stop by to come quickly.
"Don't cry." a voice let out. I slowly turned my head to look at the side of the man who sat beside me, his palms still pressed together like they were earlier. I couldn't say anything, just louder sobs leaving my lips, "Sometimes you just have to face your problems. It's difficult, but that's how life is." his street-like accent sent shivers up my spine.
"You don't get it."
"What is it? Did you lose someone?"
"I lost someone I loved very much, then gained someone who I think I love, and now I'm losing him too."
He didn't say anything else, he just let me sob to myself. I looked at my phone and saw that an hour had already passed. The battery was running low. I looked at a board beside me that read the bus schedule. Friday: 6am - 12pm.
Shoot, that was the last bus.
I tried bringing myself to my feet, but felt my legs shaky. Finally I made it, but almost fell, a strong hand grabbing my fragile arm. I took the help and stood up straight, nodding his way and walking myself home. My phone rang, it was Matt but I decided to ignore it. Before I had time to look at it again, it was dead. I walked into a 24 hour gasoline station and bought myself a coffee. I drank it before walking off, it was going to be a long walk home.
+
I dug into my purse, pulling out a light-up watch. I looked at the time that read 2:30. I was exhausted and had begun to feel scared. Every noise made me jump, every shadow made me gasp. My feet were bleeding, but I attempted to block the pain. I was at a point where I felt I could just lay on the sidewalk and wait to be picked up. I felt stupid for not finding the strength to get on the bus. Perhaps even smacking Matt could have given me a safer way back home. I finally arrived at the house where a woman from a few days earlier had questioned me. The one who lived in the small, white house. I felt slight relief that I was slightly closer home, but couldn't wait until I could be in my own bed.
Half an hour passed and I was finally looking at my house. As I attempted to pass Matt's, I felt an arm turn me around. My eyes shot at of my head and I felt myself falling, but I was caught, each of my arms holding my up.
"Where've you been?" a worried, Matthew said. His eyes were huge and red, he still had his white dress shirt on, but it was messy. I felt tears threatening to spill out of my eyes, "I called the police but they said it was too soon to look for you. I took so many streets, I even walked. I tried to break into your house, I called my boss, I checked the bus stop."
My right arm released itself from his strong lock and my hand smacked his face, tears spilling from my eyes.
"How long have you been back?" I questioned, my words coming out as if they were from a drunk woman.
"W-what?" tears filled his eyes but he didn't dare let them out.
"How long have you been back from dinner with your boss?"
"I didn't go, I needed to find you."
"How long have you been looking?"
"Arabella, you've been gone for hours! Where the heck were you?"
"I was walking home," I cried, "I don't ever wanna see you again." I attempted to pull away from his arms, but he pulled me closer and strongly locked his lips with mine. I pushed him away and ran to my home, feeling my head turning. I got to the top step and lost consciousness.