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“Not really. I have a cat now.”
“What?” Lauren said, as if this was the most shocking thing said tonight. “You let a wild animal into your home?”
“A wild animal?” Violet said incredulously. “Are you insane?”
“No, I’m the only sane one here,” Lauren said. “You’re making a huge mistake, Charlie.”
“I don’t think I am,” he replied, voice firm.
“Fine, then I’ll leave.” Lauren said, “But everything I did, I did for us. I did it so we had a standing chance. Obviously you don’t care about that.”
“I care about not being lied to. If this is how you show love, then I don’t want any part of it.”
“You’re going off what she told you. What - are you jumping from her to me? Are you going to let her make all the rules?”
“Oh no," Violet said. “For one thing, I don’t want control over anyone else. Not my cup of tea, and for another thing, just because I made him realize you’re a shit person, doesn’t mean I’m wanting him for myself. This is all on you. It’s your actions that got you here. Maybe try taking responsibility rather than blaming it on me. It might work for you.”
Lauren stared at them before she shook her head, as if she didn’t believe it. “Whatever. Have fun ruining your life, Charlie. Don’t say I didn’t try.”
Lauren paused on her walkout, as if waiting for Charlie to call out to her.
Charlie didn’t.
“Bye now!” Violet said, said. “Be sure to bundle up. It’s cold out there! And fuck you!”
Violet slammed the door on Lauren, and then locked it. For a moment, there was only silence, and Violet could feel the dangerous swirl of emotion within her. She took a deep breath, knowing she wasn’t the only one hurting.
Charlie was too.
She didn’t know what their future held, but for a moment, she saw it a little bit brighter than before.
~
Charlie
Charlie stared at the space where Lauren had just been. The door was shut, and Violet was in front of it, fists clenched, posture tense.
He had done it. He had finally broken up with Lauren.
Charlie didn’t think he ever could. She had always found a way to make it sound like his fault. She never took the blame when they argued, only skirted around the truth. Usually he fell for it, but tonight, Violet kept him grounded enough to see through it.
He felt the haze he usually associated with the woman standing next to him dissipate.
All he felt was relieved. Maybe he should have felt sad, or lonely. Maybe he should still be clinging onto his anger, but seeing Lauren walk away, having someone else listen to her and tell her she was wrong had him feeling like he was free.
He used his last bit of conviction to block her number and on every social media he had added her on.
Meanwhile, Violet had turned to lean against the door, eyeing him with a curious expression.
Charlie didn’t even know what to say to her.
He needed to apologize for dragging her into this. Or maybe beg for her forgiveness. He wasn’t sure which should come first.
He’d let this thing with Lauren go on for too long. He let her twist his words to make herself seem like a good person, breaking himself in the process. It had been slowly killing him, and he wished he had the courage to do it himself.
A part of him felt like he needed to keep her around since he’d known her for so long, and yet he had been trading away pieces of himself to do so.
Their friendship couldn’t matter when she had grown up into a terrible person.
