“What are you doing here?” I demand, walking to my room and turning my back on the two of them.
“Faye! Where have you been? Don’t talk to your boyfriend like that. I raised you better,” my mother admonishes. I ignore her like I usually do. Nothing I do is ever good enough for her. I’m not who she wants me to be, and I accepted that a long time ago. Eric walks into my room and closes the door behind him. I sit on my bed and stare up at him, wanting to get this over with. My face is impassive, not giving away anything. I don’t want him to have any part of me anymore, even my anger.
He doesn’t deserve it.
“Where were you last night?” he asks, fists clenching and releasing. I almost laugh at his audacity. How dare he question where I was? “I came by to talk to you, and you weren’t home.”
“What’s it to you? I’m not your business anymore Eric,” I reply, pretending to be bored. I even stare down at my cuticles for effect.
“What the f**k Faye?” he growls, starting to pace the confines of my room.
“I was single the second you cheated on me. I owe you nothing. Now get out of my room,” I say, my voice like steel. His face turns red. His brown hair, much lighter than Dex’s, flops over his forehead, and he pushes it away with a flick of his wrist. I used to find that movement charming, now I just want to punch him in the face.
“Where did you go?” he asks, scowling at me.
“How long have you been cheating on me?” I counter, using a light tone.
He pauses. “It just happened Faye. I’m sorry. You know it’s not her that I want, but you’ve been so busy lately with uni and everything…”
“I understand,” I say, cutting him off. I’ve heard about this before. Men trying to lay the blame on the woman so she thinks it was her lacking that caused the man to cheat. Then she takes on some of the blame and gives him another chance, hoping they can work things out together.
“You do?” he asks, looking hopeful.
“Sure I do. You’re a pathetic, weak, cheating bastard who can’t even own up to his actions. So, instead, you try to blame them on me,” I reply, narrowing my eyes on him. I’m not a perfect woman. In fact, I probably don’t even know what I’m talking about considering I’ve only ever had one relationship. But what I do know is that I won’t allow a man to cheat on me or disrespect me. Sure, everyone makes mistakes, and people deserve second chances, but Eric isn’t even sorry.
He is only sorry he got caught.
There is a huge difference to me.
“Faye…”
“You control your own actions Eric. You. Not me. And your actions tell me that you don’t deserve me. Now please just leave me alone,” I say, feeling tired, upset, and sick of life f**king around with me.
“So, what, one mistake, and you’re going to throw away six years?” he says, his jaw clenching. His face takes on a pinched look that I’ve never noticed before.
How unattractive.
“Yes!” I yell. “Now get out! Go annoy Trisha!”
He’s her problem now, not mine.
“What the f**k ever,” he snaps, closing the door behind him as he leaves.
Finally peace and quiet.
I shove my face onto my pillow and cry.
Chapter Three
Over the next month, Eric tries to get me back. He calls me, shows up at my house, and corners me at uni.
But it doesn’t work.
After that, he gets the picture and starts to date another girl. To be completely honest—it hurts, but there was no way I was going to take him back. I feel confused now. Unsettled. We had our life planned out, and now I need to make a fresh plan, one without him. The thought of Eric with another woman used to kill me, but now I just feel sorry for whoever she is—that’s how I know I made the right choice in breaking up. I just hope he doesn’t cheat on her too, and that he’s learnt his lesson. Trisha and I haven’t spoken. We pretend we don’t know each other, which is perfectly fine with me. If I said I wish her well that would be a complete lie. I hope she gets what’s coming to her, I’m just waiting for karma to take care of it for me. Girl code. Whatever happened to that?
“Hey Faye,” Eric calls out, walking towards me. And to think I’d almost made it to my car.
“Hey,” I say, opening my car door and staring at it longingly.
“How are you?” he asks, leaning against my backseat door.
“Fine,” I say shortly. “What’s up?”
“I heard something about you…”
“And?”
“I heard that you were seen out with Dex,” he says, a muscle ticking in his jaw.
“And?” I repeat.
“And? What the f**k are you thinking?” he snaps, shaking his head at me.
I still. “Well this is awkward. I had no idea you had a say over who I do and don’t see. Oh, that’s right. You don’t, so mind your own business Eric.”
“He’s not a good guy,” he warns, his dark eyes pleading with me to listen.
“And you are?” I ask, eyes flaring.
He flinches slightly but doesn’t back down. He still doesn’t know that Dex and I slept together, but he’s still acting crazy over this. The question is, why?
“What’s the big deal?” I ask curiously, trying to act casual. “It’s just Dex.”
Eric rolls his eyes, not a good look for a man. “He’s a f**king criminal Faye. He’s dangerous.”