"OH MY God. It’s bigger than I thought!" I gasp, zooming the scar till the screen is black. "Is he okay?"
"Yes, we went to a doctor and he got treated. I apply ointment on him daily," Mary replies, face dropping at every reaction I make. Today is my day off. Lucas told me to stay home last night and I was too tired to fight him over it.
He was right. I do need my rest, both physically and mentally. I’m lucky he considers his partner and surroundings before making a decision, otherwise, if he fell for my stupid remark about having another round last night, I wouldn’t be awake right now.
After he left for work this morning with Tim and Paul, I started feeling lonely. So I called Mary, and lucky for me, she had taken a day off too. We ended up planning to meet at a restaurant in town, and now it’s just the two of us, eating, drinking, and talking our problems away.
"I still can’t believe we left Jerald alone."
"Me too, it’s like we are in our rebellious phase. Especially you, Iris. I didn’t know you had it in you," she smirks at me, slapping my hand gleefully when I pass her phone to her.
"I didn’t know it either," I reply taking a sip of my apple juice. Honestly, all that’s been happening to me is all new and a bit foreign if I do say so myself. I’ve been attracted to boys, but it’s always been just sexual. It was never mental or emotional like it is with Lucas, and I never failed to sleep next to a boy just because he was breathing on my neck at midnight.
"Is everything okay, Iris?" I don’t realize I’m sulking until Mary asks.
Adjusting myself in my seat, I tuck my hair behind my ear and face her. If there’s anyone I can ask about this without being embarrassed or fearing they’ll tell other people, then it’s Mary. I mean, she knows how Lucas and I started so she might be able to give me the best advice yet.
"What is it? You look like you’re about to spill a deadly secret," she whispers, lowering herself on the table so she can hear me.
"That’s because I am," I reply. Gesturing for her to come closer, she pulls her chair around the two-seater round table, sitting next to me with her ear inching close to my lips. The few people sitting next to us turn around to hear the source of the noise.
"I think I’m in love with Lucas."
"What!"
Mary grabs the entire restaurant’s attention this time, and it takes a few minutes of blushing and embarrassment before they all finally settle down.
"That’s good news, babes," Mary squeals grabbing both my hands and bringing them to both our faces, shaking them between us with a huge grin on her face. "It’s finally happening, you’re falling in love."
"I once dated you know."
"Nearly. The word you left is, nearly," she corrects. "So, when did you know? Did you confess? Are you two now a couple? Details, Iris. I need details!"
Okay, so maybe it wasn’t a good idea to tell her that. Mary is breathing heavily, face red like she’s hyperventilating. It’s only the huge grin on her face that’s making her reaction a healthy response and not some allergic reaction to happiness.
"Calm down. Didn’t I just say I think I’m in love with him?"
"Oh," she blurts out the word, her excitement immediately stopping. "Sorry, I was so excited I forgot you already told me the details."
She adjusts herself on the chair she was sitting on with one bum not too long ago, tucking her hair behind her ear and patting her cheeks. I wait until she has composed herself again.
"So, when did you realize?"
I shrug. "Recently."
"How did you know you love him?"
Hah, it’shappening. I’mtalkingaboutlovewithMary, andthemaintopicofinterestthistimeisme, nother.
"I get annoyed when he’s near hot women, and, well, I’m starting to want more from our deal. Yesterday I asked him if we can cancel the deal we made and make a new one."
A loud slap on our table comes from Mary, rattling our food and making the people look at us once again. "You might want to chill with these reactions or we’ll be chased out of this place, Mary."
"They can stare all they want, this is more important," she says, shamelessly glancing at our neighbors and raising her hand to the waiter. "Can we get to Alfredo’s with chips? I’m suddenly feeling hungry."
The waiter nods and leaves me at her mercy. "So, what kinda deal do you want from him?"
"Friends with benefits? I don’t know, anything I can do to keep him close to me is a valid option I’m willing to try."
"Oh my god, you’re already being possessive," Mary gushes. "Why don’t you just tell him you like him? Isn’t that going to lessen your burden?"
"Not whilst I’m still doubting my judgment. I like him, but I don’t think I’m a good fit for him."
"Oh shut up! Just...just the hell up. Why wouldn’t you be a good fit for him? Girl, you’re ten times more beautiful than me, your body is tea, and you have h to e sauce." I raise my eyebrows in disbelief. "Trust me, if he didn’t like you, he’d have dumped you the first night you guys spent together. You already have him on your leash, you just don’t know it yet."
"It’s not only that, ever since we met he has been apologizing to me all the time, and I’m the only one receiving affection. He on the other hand isn’t getting anything from me."
"You call pussy nothing? You’re giving him a piece of you he would never have dreamed to taste even in his wildest dreams."
"He’s giving me some too!" I retort, my cheeks burning.
Mary rolls her brown eyes, pursing her lips. "You know what, fine. Let’s just say he’s the only one on the giving end, what are you planning on doing to give him something in return?"
I can hear the "even though you already are" remark before she says it. Thankfully, she doesn’t say it.
I take a sip of my juice, readying myself to tell her I’m planning to become a better version of myself so he doesn’t have to worry a lot about me. The waiter returns with our food, placing the piping hot meat before us, the scent immediately surrounding our table. "Anything else I can offer you ladies?" He asks.
"More mango juice please," Mary answers already digging into her chicken.
"And some water for me." He nods and leaves to take our orders.
"So?" Mary asks with a mouth full of chicken and chips, a very weird thing to do for a beautiful elegant lady like her.
"I’m going to continue my therapy classes."
She pauses chewing her food, eye turning to bore into mine, cheeks round and full like a chipmunk. Then she begins chewing, fast, and in mere seconds I hear the sound her throat makes when she forces a mouth full of food down the pipe.
"T-that’s commendable, Iris." The stuttering says it all. She’s surprised. And her reaction is very valid. After my therapist died, everyone thought I was going to continue the classes with another doctor, but I stopped.
I was too attached to my therapist to find another one, and it takes a lot of commitment and courage to tell them everything that’s bothering me, or better yet, listening to them rip me a number with the truth and ways to better myself.
I still don’t think I’m ready, but now, I have a reason to go back. I want Lucas to see me at my best, and I want to be able to talk to him about other things without him feeling like he has to comfort me every time.
"If I may ask, did Jerald have anything to do with your decision by some chance?" There is restraint in her voice when she speaks as if she’s feeling guilt on behalf of her brother.
"No, I made this decision last night with Lucas. And for the record, I have forgiven Jerald. We were all not in our right minds that night, and he did have something to be angry about. I mean, we did kinda betray him somehow."
"I know right."
"But it doesn’t make it right for him to lash out and hit your boyfriend till he has a big wound like the one you showed me. He has to pay, and I’m making him pay."
A small laugh escapes from her. "Yeah, I’m making him pay too. He doesn’t know how to cook a nice dish, so leaving him home was my way of making him pay too."
We both laugh maniacally and this time, no one turns to look at us. Maybe they got fed up with our surprise attacks and decided to leave us be.
"I’m glad you’ve decided to finally give love a chance, Iris, and I’m even more glad you’ve decided to become a better version of yourself. I’m so proud of you."
"Thanks. I owe it to you guys, and Lucas," I reply, smiling for no reason.
"Awww, look at you. He’s got you in your feels even though he’s not even here."
My phone dings and a message flashes on the screen.
"It’s Lucas," I tell Mary excitedly, unlocking it so I can see the message.
"Speak of the devil."
LUCAS: I’ve talked to the therapist for you. Will you be okay doing therapy every Saturday, or do you have a timeframe you want?
"He’s asking if I’m okay with going to therapy every Saturday," I tell Mary.
"Well, when do you feel comfortable?"
I shrug, clasping my mouth and saying in a squeaky voice, "Every Saturday."
"He knows you so well."
Blushing at Mary, I reply to his message.
IRIS: Every Saturday is fine with me.
Immediately when the message blue ticks, he starts typing, and in mere seconds, the phone dings.
LUCAS: That’s my baby girl. I’ll introduce you two to each other before your meeting so you won’t feel awkward around him next week in his office.
Aww.
IRIS: That’ll help a lot, pappy.
And to add sauce:
IRIS: I miss you.
Pressing send, I throw my phone on the table with a loud thud, covering my face as goosebumps form all over my body from both embarrassment and cringing. A message notification chimes, but I’m still too embarrassed to check it.
"Lucas says he misses you too...oh my god, ewww."
"What?" I ask uncovering my face.
Pushing the phone and looking away with a grimace on her face, I accept it and check the message, and suddenly, her grimace makes total sense.
LUCAS: I miss you too, babe. Can’t wait to show you tonight just how much I do.
Throwing the phone back on the table, I cover my face once again.
"That was traumatizing," comes Mary’s voice, but I’m too busy daydreaming about the surprise waiting for me tonight to answer her.
"And you tell me he’s the only one giving. He’s happy just being with you, you idiot."
Iknow.
He says it every chance he gets!! Sometimes I’m such a dense idiot.
★★★★★