Before I get started, I want to thank those of you that have posted a review on here. Luckily nobody has given me anything negative (yet), so I'm grateful and slightly overwhelmed by your comments. So to thank you, I will try my hardest to update as regularly as I can :)
"How long did you honestly think that would last?" Abi demanded.
"You're right." Ben turned on her. "I should have drugged you up first."
"You're being ridiculous."
"You just didn't give me the time," he continued like she wasn't even there.
"Is somebody going to explain to me exactly what is going on here?" Jay had to shout to be heard above the two of them. "Why the hell was she locked up in your bedroom?"
"She tried to leave."
"So?" Abi and Jay replied at the same time.
"You can't leave."
"You're not being serious right now. Give me one good reason why I can't go."
Ben looked to the floor guiltily. They both knew what he was about to say.
"My dad might get suspicious if you leave."
"That is not a good enough reason."
"Ben, couples break up all of the time," Jay reminded him.
"But he'll want to know why. What am I suppose to say?"
"Why don't you just lie? You do enough of that already," Abi retorted.
"This cannot get out. You don't understand. Dad will kill me, literally."
"And you thought I'd tell people? You thought I would tell everybody that my boyfriend had been sleeping with another guy?"
"Won't you?"
"Ben, do you really not know me at all? I'd never split on you like that. You know I've always been here for you. Through everything."
"But this is different."
"You're right. It is."
Ben looked up at her sharply and his scared expression made her happy. It was like she had some kind of power over him.
"Trust me," she relented. "The last thing I want is people to know that I turned my boyfriend gay."
Jay chuckled beside her.
"It wasn't you, you know? There was that thing with-"
"I don't want to know, OK?"
Ben nodded and looked guilty again.
"Can I leave now? Or are you going to lock me in again?"
"Where are you going to go?"
"Home," she declared and smiled.
She hadn't felt at home for a long time.
"Then I guess it's over."
"I guess it is."
"I am sorry, Abs," he mumbled. "I never meant things with Paul to get this far, at least not while I was with you. And I knew it was a bad idea all along, especially with everything that has gone on with your parents, and Jay. I know that you hate cheats more than anything else." He was rambling now.
"Ben, just shut up and let me go home."
"Oh right, yeah, sorry."
She turned to pick up her suitcase and headed for the back door.
"We can still be friends, right?" Ben called after her.
"Ha!" Abi laughed without turning around. "Forget it."
"Hey, Abi! Wait up!"
Abi turned and saw Jay running towards her. She smiled.
"Hey," he said again when he reached her. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"You sure? Wait Abi, your face."
She'd forgotten all about the cut on her cheek until Jay had pointed it out. She put a hand to it. Damn, that was going to take some make up to cover up.
"Was that Ben?"
"It was an accident."
"It was him, wasn't it? I'm going to kill him."
"No Jay." She put a hand on his arm to keep him still, Jay could feel the heat of her hand through his hoodie. "It isn't worth the hassle now. It's over."
Jay glanced over to her. "And you're happy about that?"
"Relieved." She paused. "He was never right for me. We're friends. It should never have gone any further."
"Then why did it?" Jay dared to ask her.
"That may have something to do with you." She allowed herself to give Jay a small smile. "That relationship wasn't me. None of that was me."
Jay nodded in agreement.
"But it's over now. For good."
"I just want you to be happy, Abs. I still care about you, you know? I'll always care about you. First loves and all that."
"I know."
"Well, I better let you go." He turned to leave but Abi stopped him. "What?
She reached up to hug him. The way she had to stand on the tips of her toes to reach him and the smell of apple shampoo in her hair was familiar to him.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"For what?"
He didn't get a reply.