A Fresh Start

“All right,” he said slowly and put his plate beside hers.

She looked out the window. “I told you about my ex-boyfriend.”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “That he cheated on you.”

“It was more than that. I was stupid. We had been dating for about a year when he told me about a club in another town that he could sneak us into. His best friend was the bartender. I thought, hey, why not? It can’t hurt to dance and have some fun, right?” She swallowed and ran a hand through her hair. “So, we danced and it was great. I was enjoying myself.

“He dragged me to the bar. I wasn’t really big on drinking underage. Even being in a club illegally bugged me. So, I ordered a simple water. Can’t go wrong with water. A fight broke out on the dance floor and I watched. Two guys fighting over some chick. He pressed the drink in my hand saying that I looked hot and needed to cool down. I didn’t think anything of it and drank it all.”

She frowned at the wall. He hadn’t moved and it looked like he wasn’t even breathing.

“I started feeling weird so I went to the bathroom. I threw up which was weird. I thought maybe I had the flu so I tracked him down and asked him to take me home. He complained at first, saying he wanted to stay and dance some more but I almost fell. He changed his tune in just mere seconds. I thought he was concerned about me. Wouldn’t you be if your girlfriend was puking and about to pass out?”

Cherise started to cry.

“He took me to his car, assuring me that everything was going to be fine and I told him I was tired. ‘Go to sleep,’ he said. ‘We’ll be at your house soon. Don’t worry.’ I woke up an hour later and I was hurting really bad. I thought maybe I did fall over in the club until I realized I wasn’t in my bed at home. I was still in his car. And what was weird is I was in the back seat.

“I tried to gather my memory, tried to remember if he pulled over so I could puke some more. I sat up only to find out I was naked. I panicked. He was asleep in the passenger’s seat also naked. When he heard me moving around he grinned and pushed me back on my back.”

She couldn’t finish and covered her face.

“Holy shit,” Micah said and she felt him stand up. “Holy shit. Fuck. Why didn’t you tell me before?”

She curled into a ball. “I didn’t want you to think I was a whore.”

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her hands away from her face. “Why would I think that?” he asked. “Do you think it was your fault?” She nodded, her lower lip trembling. “Why?”

“I never should have gone to that stupid club!”

He sighed and pulled her to her feet. He hugged her tightly.

“I had no idea,” he said. “I thought- I thought you were afraid I’d hurt you emotionally. I didn’t understand. God I wish you had told me sooner.” She gripped his shirt, trying not to cry. “Did you tell anyone what happened?”

“He threatened me,” she muttered into his chest. “He said that if I told anyone he’d kill me. The only way I could move on was to tell myself it was my fault…. I figured that from then on, if I ever took anything seriously again, it would happen again.”

“Shit,” he said again and held her as tight as he could. “If I ever meet that bastard.”

“He’s in jail,” she sniffed. “Got caught peddling drugs.”

“And last night I forced you…” he said and she could feel his chest constrict with tears.

“No, don’t do that,” she interrupted him, looking up.

His face showed nothing but guilt.

“Please don’t do that,” she begged.

“But it’s true,” he said. “I wasn’t as drunk as I thought I was. When I woke up this morning, I remembered everything and thought it was weird how you just left but I figured you were drunk. I didn’t know how much you had.”

She shut her eyes. “I could really use a hug right now,” she said as a sob escaped her throat and he obliged.

-

They spent most of the day inside, watching movies to get their minds off of everything. He was very hesitant, though. He would wait until her hand was out of the popcorn bowl before grabbing some and he kept a foot of space between them. She regretted telling him what happened.

In between movies, she reached for his hand.

“I don’t want things to get weird,” she said and he reluctantly held her hand back. “I don’t want you to feel like you’re walking egg shells around me.”

“And I don’t want you to think I’m trying to take advantage of you.”

“If it had ever bothered me that much in the past, I would have said something.”

He sighed and scootched closer. “I guess that means we’re both a little screwed up, huh?”

She laughed and put her head on his shoulder. Lira came up and licked her face again. After they had started watching movies, Lira would like her tears away, something she always did. It made Cherise feel better even though sometimes Lira would get overenthusiastic.

Eventually, she fell asleep. When she woke back up, it was quiet in her apartment. She was on the couch and there was a note on the coffee table.

Went back to my place to get something. I’ll be back around 5:30.

She looked at the clock. It was three and she set an alarm for 5, falling back asleep quickly.

When her alarm went off she groaned, groping for her phone.

“Looking for this?”

She opened her eyes to see Micah standing with it in his hand. He was smiling.

“Mehh,” she groaned. “Gimmee.”

He laughed and handed it over. She turned it off and yawned.

“What’d you go to your place for?” she asked.

“A change of clothes,” he answered. “Lira got a little over excited.”

Cherise blushed. “Oh goodness. I’m sorry.”

He laughed. “It happens.” He offered her his hand. “Come on. I want to take you out for dinner.” She hesitated and he sighed but he was smiling. “This is me telling you that you’re going on a date with me.”

“Is that so?” she asked and he grinned. “And what makes you think you can tell me instead of ask me?”

“This,” he said and showed her a box of her favorite chocolate. Her eyes lit up and he laughed. “If you want these chocolates, you have to go on a date with me.” She bit her lip. “No clubs, no booze,” he promised. “Just a good, old fashioned, dinner and a movie.”

“As long as we eat steak,” she said finally and he grinned.

“Deal.”