14
1783 Words
AIDA
Hearing Caleb stir in his sleep suddenly made me jerk and I hurriedly told Mike that I’d text him later, while rushing back to bed, so Caleb doesn’t notice I’m gone, and almost immediately he wakes up.
“Hi babyy”
I gently turned my face away from him, his mouth stank.
“Are you angry with me about yesterday”
He misinterpreted my turning away into anger, yes I was indeed angry but he had always been like this and I chose to stay, I brought this on myself so I might as well endure it.
He wrapped himself around me from behind and trailed kisses from my neck down to my shoulder.
“You know I was drunk yesterday, it wasn’t intentional, plus you were acting strange in the office with that rubbish boy and it got to me, I drank cause of you”
he made sniffling sounds like he wanted to cry and I knew it was all fake,an act.
“It’s fine”
Those were the only words I could mutter
“So let me make it up to you, let’s go out, we hardly go out these day cause we’re busy working, let me treat you like a princess”
The thoughts of him treating me like a princess made a cold shiver run down my spine. God knows he doesn’t know a princess if he sees one, talk more of treating me like one.
“Remember how we’d go for walks, hand in hand back in school?” I wasn’t facing him but I could imagine the dreamy look on his face.
“Baby please let’s go out today, I promise to act right and make amends” he started rubbing my shoulder and it felt good, and that was what made me give in
I turned back to face him, not minding how bad his breath was.
“You promise?” I needed to be sure he meant what he had said about behaving.
“Yes love, I promise, I’ll buy you anything you want”
“I want that ice cream they sell behind our university gate”
“You want us to go that far for an ice cream” he said while tickling me
“Yes, you said we’ll get anything I want” i laughed
“Are you sure that’s all you want” the tickles came in more now making me laugh out loudly
“Yes, and let’s go to our favorite restaurant too” I looked him in the eyes, maybe today I’d be able to fall in love again with the one I fell in love with years back.
“Your wish is my command milady”
He pecked me on the forehead and pushed me out of the bed and unto the floor
“Now get up, let’s go and bath”
This morning was suddenly going well, let’s hope for the best.
Well if wishes were horses, beggers would ride.
By the time we finished bathing, he tried having s*x with me. I was still sore from all the ramming he did to my v****a last night and he still wanted more this morning , I quickly refused and his mood immediately changed. I guess today is just going to be another bad day..
He dressed up quickly and went out to get a cab for us, while I tried on multiple dresses.
I stared at myself in the mirror before stepping out. My face looked fine. Normal. No one would ever guess how hollow I felt. I adjusted my dress, simple and modest , the kind he liked because it didn’t “draw attention.”
When I reached the cab and opened the car door, he didn’t look at me.
“Enter,” he said.
No compliment whatsoever.
I greeted the driver and our journey started.
The drive to the restaurant was quiet. Even the driver’s music didn’t do justice how quiet it was at the back of the cab.
“Why are you quiet?” he finally asked, eyes fixed on the road.
“You were quiet too,” I said.
“You’ve changed,” he replied immediately. “Before, you used to talk.”
I swallowed. “I’m just tired, Caleb.”
He scoffed. “You’re always tired these days, too tired to talk, too tired to f**k, and that’s why I had to use force last night, if you had given in quietly it wouldn’t have been so rough.”
The restaurant was crowded and lively. Soft lights. Laughter. Conversations overlapping. Couples leaned toward each other, knees touching, fingers intertwined.
A man at the table beside us pulled out his girlfriend’s chair before she sat. She smiled at him, she was happy.
Something twisted painfully in my chest.
Caleb dropped into his seat and immediately flagged down the waiter with two sharp fingers.
“Bring menu. Quickly.”
The waiter handed them over politely. “Welcome to open heav….”
“There’s no need for all that,” Caleb snapped. “I said menu.”
The waiter apologized.
I wanted to disappear.
Caleb barely glanced at the menu before ordering for himself. Then he turned to me.
“You’ll take rice ba,” he said. “Ypu said you wanted to eat from this restaurant”
I opened my mouth. I closed it.
“Actually, I—”
“Don’t worry, you’ll enjoy the rice ,”
The waiter nodded awkwardly and left.
Two girls walked past our table wearing short, tight, sexy Dresses, the kind he didn’t like me to wear yet his eyes followed them shamelessly. One of them noticed and smiled back flirtatiously.
He smiled back.
My stomach clenched.
I stared at my hands, feeling something sour crawl up my throat.
“You see,” he said casually, “this is why I don’t like you dressing anyhow. Men don’t respect boundaries.”
I looked up slowly. “But you’re staring.”
His eyes hardened. “Are you comparing yourself to them?”
“I didn’t say—”
The couple beside us laughed loudly at a private joke. The man brushed a kiss against his girlfriend’s temple.
I felt tears prick my eyes and blinked them back.
The waiter returned with drinks. Caleb frowned immediately.
“I didn’t ask for drinks”
“Someone paid for them” the waiter said, glancing towards the side those girls sat.
“Oohhhh” he said shamelessly “you can keep it here, infact pour it”
As the waiter bent down to serve he slid him a paper while passing the glass cup to him. Do they think I was foolish or blind, either way they thought I didn’t see and continued like nothing happened.
Silence stretched between us.
I couldn’t even talk, the whole thing was choking me.
When the food arrived, he complained about everything , the portion, the spice level, the wait time, his voice rising, drawing glances from other tables. I barely touched my plate.
“You’re not eating,” he observed.
“I’m not hungry.”
“But you wanted to come here,” he scoffed. “So you want only me to be eating?”
“No, I just—”
“What is wrong with you, I thought you were excited for this outing?”
My chest felt tight. “Caleb, please.”
He leaned closer, voice low. “Stop acting like this na, is it because of what those girls did? They were only being nice.”
Something inside me snapped quietly.
“I need the bathroom,” I said, standing abruptly.
“Sit down.”
“I really need to—”
“Go,” he waved dismissively. “But don’t take long.”
In the bathroom, I locked myself into a stall and pressed my forehead against the door. My breathing came in shallow bursts.
My phone buzzed.
Mike: Hey. Just checking in. Hope your day’s going okay.
My heart clenched painfully.
I typed slowly.
Aida: I’ve seen better days.
Almost immediately:
Mike: You don’t sound fine are you sure you’re okay.
Tears slid down my cheeks.
I didn’t reply.
When I returned to the table, Caleb was already standing.
“Why did you spend so much time there? Were you texting?” he asked.
“No, I was pressed,” I said.
He held out his hand. “Your phone.”
My heart started racing. “Why?”
“Because I asked.”
People were watching now.
“I said no,” I whispered.
His jaw tightened. “So you’re hiding something.”
“I just needed air.”
He grabbed my wrist. Hard.
I gasped softly. “Caleb, people are watching ”
“You think I don’t see you?” he hissed. “You think I’m stupid?”
“I’m leaving,” I said, pulling back.
The slap came fast, my vision blurred for a few seconds, I could hear people shout but I couldn’t see them, my vision was taken away from me for about 30 seconds, I could feel hands pulling me away,I couldn't see who,but his hands were holding my wrist tightly.
My ears were ringing
The sound cut through the noise of the restaurant like a blade.
My head snapped sideways. My cheek burned instantly. The world tilted.I was seeing things sideways now.
Someone gasped.
Caleb leaned close, his breath hot, his voice trembling with rage.
“You’re embarrassing me,” he whispered. “After all I’ve done for you.”
My ears were still ringing.
“You know nobody else will tolerate you like I do,” he yelled at me. “I stayed when you had nothing. When you were nobody.”
Tears streamed down my face.
“I love you,” he said, voice suddenly soft. “Why do you push me to do these things?”
I tasted blood.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, not because I meant it, but because I wanted it to stop.
He released my wrist roughly. “Sit down.”
I didn’t.
I picked up my bag with shaking hands and walked out.
It was getting dark already, I didn’t know we had wasted that much time.
The cool night air hit my face, stinging against my skin. My phone buzzed again.
Mike: Did I do something wrong?
I stared at the message through tears.
“Can you come and get me please?” I typed fast.
Behind me, the door slammed open.
“Aida!” Caleb shouted. “Come back here!”
I didn’t turn around.
For the first time in a long time, I didn’t.
My phone rang
It was Mike.
- Writer
