Present day...

Allison is pacing the bathroom, barely able to control the rage boiling in her. "I can't believe he would do that to you!"

I nod, staying calm. "I know..."

"I mean, the possibility of Jack cheating on you is absolutely absurd, not to mention ridiculous!"

I nod again. "I know."

"And he hit you!" Allison stops mid-stride. Her hands twitch as they ball-up into fists. "I just can't believe it. I never would have suspected that kind of a dick move from him!"

I look at Allison in surprise. I was about to say something when we are interrupted by a loud knocking at the door.

"Hey!" A shrill voice calls on the other side of the door. "What are you doing in there? Having a baby?"

I paled. She doesn't know how close to the truth she really is. Allison charges at the door with a heavy breath and an eye roll. "Hey, asshole, mind your own business and use the men's if you got to go so bad!"

"No, Allison," I say, standing up. "We should get out of here. We can't stay in here forever."

And the kids are probably wondering where we are, I add to myself.

After Allison and I stood up to that bully in our freshman year, I immediately went to apply for the day-care job. Taking this job was the best thing I ever did. I love playing with them, helping them with schoolwork, everything. And I'm learning a ton of great tips on how to handle delicate situations, such as who gets to play on the swing set first. Now, with my current situation, it looks like that this newly gathered information might come in handy.

Allison gives me a biting look that says, shut up and I mean it. "No! No Amy, we are going to stay here because we need to...and we were here first."

"There are two of you in there?!" The voice on the other side says. I have no idea who this girl is, but I don't like what her tone is suggesting.

"Shut up!" Allison growls. "I'm already a pissed off woman, you don't need to meet me as a raged woman!"

Silence was met on the other side of the door.

"Is she gone?" I haven't moved from my spot.

"Let me check." Allison unlocks the door and peeks out. "Yep, it appears to be that way." She brings her head back in and locks the door. "That'll teach her..."

I smile. "Allison, I don't think I've ever seen you behave or act as rashly before in my life. Nevermind cussing!"

Allison gives me an evil smile. "Never underestimate me, my dear."

"Didn't you say you aren't a big cusser?" I sit down on the toilet, feeling relaxed again. "I have heard you cuss before, but it always shocks me. I mean you do go to Church and have church groups, so I guess that's why it always surprises me when you do."

Allison smirks. "Leave it to you when it comes to virtue and following rules. Don't worry about it, Amy, let's just continue with this conversation. What else did that asshole do to you?"

Feeling a little bit lighter because of recent happenings, my voice is much chipper when I continue: "To say I was perterbed by finding an "unknown" bra underneath our bed is an understatement." Never mind; despair is returning ten-fold. "Jack came home really late last night, smelling of alcohol and perfume. I suspected him of cheating, still do."

"Wait, so you don't know whether he's cheating on you or not?"

"As of right now? No." I shake my head. "I still haven't got enough proof to put the claim on him."

"So you haven't accused him of it either?" Amy rolls her eyes in annoyance. "Why not? You found a bra and he smelled of perfume. To me that's enough to put the jackass in jail."

I place a finger on my nose and smile at her slyly. "Seeing is believing."

"But you haven't seen yet." It was a statement.

"Nope. How about I just finish telling you this story, huh?" I snap. "I'm trying to give you the "short" version."

Another eye roll. "Yeah, yeah."

"I didn't accuse him of it. I couldn't. A part of me didn't want to believe it, so I didn't let myself dwell on the thought. Throughout the next two months, he continued to beg me for sex. And each night he would go out angry and I would always find some sort of bruise on my body; always caused from his temper." I sigh, trying to not let the memories get to me. "Even though I tried to make myself forget about the bra, I couldn't. I hid it in my room, hoping to forget about the fact that Jack might be cheating. Subconsciously, I was looking for clues. There was this one time..."

Three months ago...

I wipe a hand across my brow. Hard work in the hot sun can make people sweat. Humming to myself, I stand up, looking at my hard work. This took two hours to do; it could've been less if Jack helped me-not like I offered him to anyway, but he didn't ask either. I wipe my hands on my pants, looking at all the flowers I just planted in the backyard.

This has been long overdue, but I just got the money to buy some flowers. I tried to get every kind of flower I could imagine-daisies, tulips, roses (especially roses). I don't know what it is about them, they're just my favorite flower. I bought several different colors, and I can't wait to see how they all look like when they start blooming.

Still humming a small tune, I walk inside, grabbing a cold cup of lemonade I set aside two hours ago. The good thing about gardening is that it distracted me from all the problems Jack and I have been having. And it's still on the "sex" subject. I'm starting to get really annoyed by his constant persisting and whining.

Pushing the memories down, I take a sip of lemonade, letting it refresh my bones and muscles.

Sniffing, I smell something fowl. I sniff again, my nose wrinkling at the rancid smell. I continue to sniff as I turn my nose toward the area where the smell is originating from. And that place is...my armpit. I guess I need a shower. I place the cup in the sink and rinse it out before placing it in the dishwasher. I jog upstairs and walk to our bedroom-if you can call it that anymore. He's always out at night and doesn't come back until one or two in the morning.

And he always smells of perfume.

It makes me wonder about our relationship...

No! No...I won't think about it.

Yeah...like that stops me...

Letting out a deep breath, I open the door to the bedroom.

Surprise stops me stop from entering.

Jack is under the bed, his hand gliding across the floor; it seems like he's searching for something. I stand in the doorway, curious at what he is doing.

"Shit!" I hear him hiss. "Where is it?"

My heart speeds up. Did I just hear that correctly? Is he talking about the bra? But he can't be, right? Jack won't cheat on me. We may be having some troubles, but that wouldn't mean he would just give up on us...right?

Readjusting my posture to look less apprehensive, I finally speak up. "Looking for something?"

Jack gets frightened, hitting his head on the edge of the bed. "Ow!" I wince, but don't move. He jerks his body straight up, his face looking frazzled. "Uhh..."

Gathering strength in my legs, I walk into the room, trying my best to act innocent. I want to know what his reactions will be.

"Oh-" he gives a nervous laugh, "-hey, Amy. When did you get here?"

"Just now." I answer truthfully. "I just finished the garden."

"Oh. Really." he mutters, bending down again.

He's not paying attention to me. He doesn't even care. I shake the thought away.

"So what are you looking for?" I take a few more steps forward.

"Um," he lets out a breath, sitting up once again. "I'm looking for something that belongs to a friend of mine..."

"What friend?" I gently persist.

"Oh, uh, just an old friend of mine."

He's being evasive. My stomach flips with anxiety.

"Well, what is the object? Maybe I could help-"

"No!" Jack stands up from the bed. "Thank you, but I don't need help," he adds hastily. He walks to me, his breath slightly uneven.

Oh, Jack...what is going on with you? You come home so late, you smell like perfume...you accidently hit me and we yell and fight all the time. It seems like you just want me for sex now and that's it.

After letting those thoughts out, my whole body feels drained. This is why I don't think about our relationship, or at least try not to think about it.

"So what are you doing here?" His voice snaps me from my troubled thoughts.

'"Um, actually I came up here to-"

"Take a shower, right?" He raises a brow at me.

"Um, yes."

"Thank God." He walks past me, shoving my shoulder in the process. "Because I think even China would be able smell you! And no man wants a girl who smells like garbage." He walks out of the room without even giving me a second glance.

Hurt stabs my heart. What was that all about? Dread fills me. He's so mean. All he does is insult me, beg for sex, and complain.

Tears sting my eyes. I haven't told anyone what has been going on between us. Not my parents, nor Allison. Something like this feels too embarrassing and too personal to share to others. And I want us to take care of it; it's our job to help one another.

Holding back my tears I take a shower. The warm water helps my body relax, but it doesn't ease my mind from all the horrid thoughts running through my head. If he is cheating, is it because I won't have sex with him? Or is this another side of him that has never been revealed until now? He never acted this way once when we were on dates.

What changed? Why now?

He said he could wait...

I can't leave him; I can't loose him. I love him. He's my best friend...and I'm his, I'm sure.

However, if we can't find a solution to solve this problem that we are having...I don't know what I'm going to do...

Present day...

"Actually," I say solemnly to Allison. "I knew, deep down, what I was going to do. It was the only way to keep him. Oh God, Allison," I dig my face into my hands. "I was so confused with what was going on...and I was considering some things as well..." I rub my temples. "Several things...and one of them will end up changing my life."

Allison looks at me with a face filled with uncertain fear.