Page 109 of Open To Negotiation

I looked outside at the lights of the city as they danced behind the window and waited for a moment before looking back to her. “Your mom told me what’s been going on.”

The second the words were out of my mouth, the smile on Aubrey’s face dropped as her shoulders hunched over. “It wasn’t that big of a deal,” she whispered out, her voice cracking.

I reached out and grabbed her right hand since it was free of tubes and held it with my good hand. “He hit you, Aubrey.”

Tears started to track down her face as she looked at me. “We’d been fighting, a lot.”

“About what,” I gently pushed.

“Pick a topic, we would fight about it. He worked too much, I worked too much, Luna needed a walk, he went out and drank too much, he didn’t like how I cleaned the dishes. It’s been awful but you were so happy with Theo before and then hurt, I didn’t want to burden you with anything.”

A sharp pain ached in my chest at her admission. “You have to know you can talk to me, about anything. No matter my own mood, Aubrey.” She nodded, wiping a tear with her other hand. “Do you actually believe me?” I squeezed her hand once.

“I’ll try.”

That was enough for me, at least for now. “When did he hit you?”

She let out a deep sigh. “I’d gotten home one night like a month ago and he’d been drinking. I’d made some stupid comment about how good Theo was to you and that beautiful necklace he got you.” She let out a dry laugh. “It was so stupid, I was jealous of how good of a relationship you’d had and how much he seemed to care about you.” She shook her head and looked over at me. “It got out of hand, he slapped me across the face, apologized and then said it was my own fault. He left, slept at a friend’s house and then came back the next day after his shift and we didn’t talk about it again.

“I was so shocked by it. I was so freaked out that night that I didn’t call you, and then the next morning I was so embarrassed by the whole thing that I didn’t want to mention it. I was careful after that, not talking to him about anything when he was drinking, saying less of what I was thinking. I just thought it wouldn’t happen again, but the yelling hasn’t stopped.”

“Fuck, Aubrey. That’s awful, all of it.” I shook my head. “I’m so sorry that happened. I wish you would’ve talked to me, but I understand why you probably felt like you couldn’t. I have an idea of what that kind of mental abuse can do to you, how it makes you question yourself.” I took a breath deciding to finally tell her what I hadn’t about my last relationship. “When Lucas and I were together, he’d said things to me that if I’d heard him say to someone else, I would have been shocked.

“It was comments on my weight, on how I did my makeup, how much I talked and how annoying my rambling was. He didn’t yell, but he might as well have been with how deeply engrained some of the shit he said got.” I could see the surprise in her eyes. “I never told you because I was embarrassed, I couldn’t believe I let it get that far. He never hit me, but I do have some sense of where you’re coming from, in feeling stuck and not sure what to do and in hiding it from me. Because I hid things from you too.”

“I’m so sorry, Quinn,” she said in a shaky voice. “I hate that I wasn’t there for you.”

“It’s not your fault, I’m sorry I never told you.”

“I’m just not feeling like myself.” She pulled her hand back from mine and pushed her hair out of her face, sucking in a big breath. “I’m afraid it’s going to happen again and I don’t know what to do.”

“We’ll figure it out. Whatever you need, I’m here.”

My chest hurt as I watched her cry. I had no other words of comfort because what could I say, but I’m glad my honesty made her tell me the truth too so we could move forward.

“Did your parents give you the update on the protection order?” I asked quietly when she settled down.

She nodded as more tears sprang to her eyes. “They told me, yeah. And how he was arrested before he could leave the hospital. That was really all I wanted to hear.” She looked over at me, blinking through the tears. “Thank Will for me, I appreciate what he did.”

“Of course.” I watched as she settled back into her bed. I wasn’t sure what else there was to say. There was likely nothing I could do other than be there for her right now. “So what do you think? Want to come live with me, it would be just like university again.” I smiled, trying to draw one out of her.

“Actually,” she pulled on a loose thread, “I talked to my parents. I think I’m going to go home and live with them for a bit in Vancouver." Her parents had moved there a few years ago. "They think I’ll be discharged in a couple of days and have given me a list of doctors that I can follow up with there. I’m already going to be on a leave from work while I heal anyway and I think I just need to find myself again.”

I kept the smile on my face. I was going to support whatever she needed but I’d still miss her when she left. “Shannon and Joe must be excited, circumstances aside.”

“Mom already mentioned working at the children’s hospital in Vancouver,” she said with a soft smile, closing her eyes. “The last few weeks have really sucked for both of us, hey?” she muttered softly.

“Understatement.” I sat back in my chair and rested my own head back, staring at the panel ceiling.

“Mom said Theo was here.” Her voice was getting slower as she got sleepier.

“Yeah.” It was my turn to sigh. “He’s been around.”

“What are you going to do about him?”

I rubbed a hand over my eyes, exhaustion sitting heavy as I thought it over. Being sleep deprived and stressed was not the time to make decisions, but my brain couldn’t stop tossing scenarios around, over and over again.

“No idea,” I muttered, long after Aubrey had fallen back asleep.