The Art of Starting Over

There’s Something about Sevyn

I cleaned the whole house after Ritchie left, so that when he came back he didn’t have a thing to complain about. My back was killing me when I was done so I decided to relax in a bubble bath. I looked at myself in the mirror as I was taking off my dress, there was once a light in my green eyes, once a glow to my tan skin, I shook my head to let my brown curly hair fall down my shoulders, I’ve always wanted to cut it but Ritchie won’t let me, It falls just above my butt now and I’m tired of it just a little trim would do. I rub my stomach, before climbing into the bath. “Oh God kid I don’t know what we’re gonna do.” I say tears brimming in my eyes. I lean my head back on the tubs headrest and let the tears fall freely, even though he comes home stinking drunk I love when Ritchie goes to the bar for hours, leaving me to my alone time, not having to act a certain way or answer to anyone. That is how it should be when you’re young. I envy my friends, who are out having the time of their lives not that I ever get to see them anymore.

The only one who really knows whats going on is my best friend Nadia, I told her everything one night as I sat on her couch sobbing after running away. She has been my best friend since kindergarten when a kid was bullying her i threatened to give him the business and thats how it always was, when someone was bothering her I would protect her and vice versa. She wanted to murder and I mean MURDER Ritchie when she first found out, it was the only time I had ever seen him scared. I remember when he came to get me after I confessed my truth she was screaming at him from her porch rifle pointed at his chest and well she was a helluva shot, her father had taken her hunting upstate since she was small, I had even gone with them a few times. She was almost heartbroken when I returned to him a few days later but she understood. She’s always understood. I’ve been missing her. I get out of the bath and drain the water picking up my phone to call her.

“Hello my dearest how are you and my godchild.” I rub my belly subconsciously as she says this and smile.

“We’re good just missing you hoping we can get together soon when I go back to work we can enjoy our lunch breaks together again.” I sit down on the bed with my hairbrush pressing facetime so I could see her face.

“Oh! There you are, I missed that little face of yours, why don’t you let me pick you up and take you to lunch one of these days while that asswipes at work.” She growls out the last part and runs long painted fingernails through her fine blonde hair.

“Nad.” I say seriously looking straight into her hazel eyes she looks back. “I think it’s time I’m ready to leave, I have to leave he is going to kill me or my baby and I refuse to allow that. I’m ready to go back to the city, I miss my parents, I miss the girls.” She smiles and I see tears in her eyes.

“Oh Sevy I have been waiting for this day for a long time, I am going to get you out of there but I need you to mean it this time, I can’t have you running back to him we have to come up with a plan, we have to get you a place where he can’t find you, the city is big but he has his friends.” Its true we’re both from Manhattan but he made me move upstate to get more privacy as he put it, a few of his friends ended up becoming cops for the nypd, they would help him find me if he asked them to. I nod in response to Nadia.

“I’m ready I swear it I can’t allow myself to be treated like this anymore, I can’t allow my child to grow up in this environment.” I tell her about the events earlier in the evening and she covers her mouth with her hand, and just like that she comes up with the perfect plan, it would take place in 3 days and they couldn’t come fast enough.

“I love you Nad.” I say as we hang up feeling grateful for her and feeling very hopeful for the first time in a long time. I drift off to sleep shortly after dreaming of my new life and what is to come.

3 DAYS LATER…

I feel the bed shift under his weight when he’s back from the bar, I smell the cheap alcohol on his breath as he turns towards me, but I keep my eyes shut tight. Soon he will be passed out in dead sleep and he wont even notice when I creep out of bed, my car is packed with everything I felt like I would need, Nadia knows her part she knows what to do and when to do it and so do I.