AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh, my God, stop making this about Barrett!”
“That’s not what I meant. I’m saying, if you need to find a new job or go on a vacation?—”
“What the hell, Rayne?” She flung my hands off of her and scowled. “Every complication can’t be resolved by running away. That’s how you solve problems, not me.”
“Elle, come on…” I honestly thought if we had a real moment of straight talk she’d revert back to being honest with herself. “This isn’t your guy.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I know you!” I practically laughed. “We used to make fun of guys like him. You’re way out of his league, yet you’re deferring to him like he’s your cult leader.”
She scoffed. “Gee, thanks, Rayne.”
“I’m just concerned.” I held up my hands, unsure what more there was to say. To me, it was all very obvious. This guy was not for Elle.
“Well, thanks for the concern, but I’m fine.”
“What’s with him restricting what you eat?”
“It’s called self-control and discipline. Maybe if you had some, you wouldn’t call me with a new calamity every other day.”
I drew back as if she slapped me. “Excuse me?”
“Paul’s being supportive because he knows what I want.”
“To starve?”
“I’m not starving! Plenty of cultures avoid over-indulgence. It’s one of the Dharma principles and a key factor in holistic clarity.”
“Oh, right. Like Paul’s going to be your guru on the path to some spiritual awakening. Ten bucks says he shoots his ass full of non-organic steroids every morning.”
“When did you become so judgmental?”
“When did you decide to live a life of suffering?”
“Probably about the same time I got bored with your ignorance! It’s the same thing, over and over again with you, Rayne. Not everyone wants to live their life on the merry-go-round of self-destructive coping mechanisms.”
Holy shit, she wasn’t pulling any punches. I panicked and yelled, “This isn’t about me!”
“Well, maybe it should be!”
Our voices rose, bouncing off the tile walls and ricocheting around the hollow chamber of the restroom.
“Take a pulse, Elle. You aren’t happy.”
“I’m working on myself! It takes time and discipline. Not everyone has Prince Charming on speed dial! Some of us have to figure things out for ourselves.”
“What the fuck?” Who was this woman?
“You know it’s true. You have one little hiccup and Hale comes running to your rescue.”
She had no idea the day-to-day challenges I faced that did not include Hale. Hale had nothing to do with my job or my education. He worked eighty hours a week. Most of the times it was me deciding what to do with Elara because he was on a call or in a meeting. But all of that was beside the point.
She made it sound like I was still some dumb kid making stupid choices without ever thinking about the consequences. My bowels alone could prove how much I stressed over the possible fallout in my day-to-day life. I lived in a chronic state of anxiety, worrying that things might not work out as planned, fearing that I might disappoint those I loved.
“There’s nothing wrong with having a support system. Depending on Hale from time to time doesn’t make me weak.”
“No, but marrying a Davenport has certainly blinded you to their privilege.”
