What We Never Said

The Claim

Everything happened so fast. One minute I was laughing with David while we danced, the next minute Charles was on his feet. He shoved the girl beside him like she didn’t even matter, her drink spilled everywhere, but his eyes were locked on me.

My heart jumped. Before I could even move, he was already in front of us. He pulled me with one hand so rough I almost tripped, and with the other hand he grabbed David by his shirt.

“Charles, stop!” I shouted, but he didn’t hear me.

His fist landed on David’s face so hard I gasped. People screamed, some moved back, the music was still blasting but it all felt far away. Charles was on him again, punching like he had lost his mind.

I tried to hold his arm, begging him to stop, but he wouldn’t. It took Jesse and two other guys to drag him off. His chest was rising and falling so fast, his face dark with anger, but before anyone could calm him down, he turned to me, grabbed my hand and started pulling me away.

“Charles, leave me! You’re hurting me!” I tried to pull back but his grip was like iron.

People were staring, whispering, but I couldn’t even look at them. He pushed me into his car, slammed the door, and went around to the driver’s seat.

My hands were shaking when he started the car. I finally found my voice. “What the hell was that?!”

He didn’t answer, just stared at the road with his jaw tight.

“You can’t do this!” I yelled. “You can’t drag me out like that! We’re not even together, Charles. Do you hear me? We’re not together!”

That made him slam his palm against the steering wheel. I jumped. “Don’t say that!” he barked.

“It’s the truth!” I fired back, my chest hurting. “You were sitting with another girl, but you come and act like you own me? No. I can dance with whoever I want. I can do whatever I want. You don’t get to decide for me!”

Finally, he looked at me. His eyes were burning. “You think I don’t care? You think it doesn’t kill me seeing you with him?”

“Then why are you always talking about your ex?” I snapped, voice shaking. “Why do you make me feel like I’ll never be enough?”

He dragged a hand over his face, still gripping the wheel with the other. “Because I’m stupid. Because I thought I could keep you close without admitting it.”

“Admitting what?” I whispered.

He turned his head, his eyes catching mine. “That you’re mine.”

The words froze me. My throat tightened. Tears stung my eyes, but anger was still there too.

“You can’t just say that like it makes sense,” I said, my voice low but breaking. “You don’t own me. I’m not a thing. I’m not yours unless I choose to be. And right now? After what you just did? You’re making it hard to even want to choose you.”

His face changed, like I’d just ripped something out of him. He looked away for a second, then back at me, softer this time, his hand reaching for my arm. His fingers shook a little.

“Then choose me, Nana,” he said. “Please.”

I turned my face to the window, my chest heavy. I didn’t even know what to say. The road outside was dark and empty, and I just kept thinking nothing between us would ever be simple again.