Two
1622 Words
"You can leave us alone, Lex."
Her mouth gapes open.
"What!"
"I said-"
Lex cuts me off.
"I heard you perfectly the first time. I just want you to repeat so you can hear yourself more clearly. Maybe then you'll realize just how ridiculous you sound!"
"Lex, I can-"
"No!"
Axel intrudes.
"Mabel is an adult and she can-"
"Do you hear it?" Lex mocks. "The barking of a b***h? Can you hear it, Mabel? Oh the b***h has shut his stinky mouth!"
I huff.
"Can you just stop being sarcastic and give me a moment with Axel?"
"No!" She screams at me. "That's the liquor talking, dude! He's a married man! There's nothing to talk about!"
Brix starts barking at Axel.
"Even Brix himself doesn't want you talking to the b***h, Mabel!"
Axel loses his cool and snaps.
"I'm not here to talk!"
Silence ensues.
Axel huffs and clears his throat.
"I want the diamond ring back."
I freeze on the spot.
Everything stops.
Everything goes silent.
The only sound I hear is the shattering of my heart.
"Oh, you want the ring back?" Lex scoffs. "I know exactly where she kept it. Just wait here."
She comes back in an instant with a bucket full of water and splashes it on him.
"What the hell!" Axel barks furiously, his suit drenched in water. "My expensive suit!"
Axel raises his hand in an attempt to slap her. Lex is quick to move closer, looking into his eyes directly and angrily.
"Slap me, b***h!"
Embarrassed, Axel steps back and curses under his breathe.
With tears in my eyes, I take off the diamond ring and hurl it to the ground.
"I never want to see your pathetic face ever again!"
With a broad grin, Lex picks up the ring from the ground and puts it in the pockets of Axel's wet trousers.
"You're welcome." She sneers.
I bolt into the house furiously, Brix following closely.
I hear Lex shouting at him.
"Ciao Adios!"
Then she slams the door.
The minute she returns, I grab the bottle of tequila from her and gulp down the remaining drink.
I start laughing.
A bitter laugh.
"I'm so happy! I'm very very happy! Do you feel happy the way I feel happy?" I laugh. "Oh! How would you be as happy as I am when you've not been humiliated like me! Embarrassed like me! Heartbroken like me! He didn't even come to talk to me! Or say sorry to me! He came to ask for his ring back!"
I burst out in a laugh that makes me c***k up in tears.
I fall on my knees, sobbing bitterly.
"All I ever did is love him, Lex! I loved him... I trusted him... And what is my price? Tears and heartbreak and embarrassment and... and... he asks for the ring back? He's not even sorry, Lex! He didn't even look sorry for what he did to me! He's not sorry!"
Brix growls, lying beside me. He starts licking the tears off my face.
Lex kneels beside me.
"Hey! You are drunk so I won't try to talk some sense into you. You just sit here and cry your eyes out, okay? Brix is here to brush away your tears. I'll be in the kitchen, doing the dishes for you. I hate the peacock's nagging more than I hate doing the dishes."
The peacock is Wendy.
Brix gets closer and settles on my lap when Lex disappears to the kitchen.
I feel numb.
I don't even feel like bursting out in tears anymore.
I don't feel like crying.
Or venting.
I just hug Brix who is crouched up on my lap and he continuously licks my face. And in a strange way, that brings me comfort.
My dog knows how to comfort me better than any other human.
He just sits beside me silently, listens to me and licks my face when I cry.
There's a sudden twitch in my stomach.
Oh God...
No....
No...
No...
My worst nightmare comes true.
I throw up on the carpet.
That's the last thing I remember before I pass out.
???
Brix wakes me up.
Brix is tugging at my duvet, trying to wake me up.
That's what he does every morning when I don't wake up after my alarm rings. He makes sure that I wake up on time for work.
I sit up on bed and groan. I have a terrible migraine. I hate hangovers.
Ugh!
Another morning!
I hate mornings.
But I hate Monday mornings even more.
I yawn as I watch Brix open the bathroom door for me and stand there.
I crawl out of bed and shamble to the bathroom.
I brush his fur gently with the palm of my hand as I sail past him and enter the bathroom. He follows and watches as I brush my teeth.
I chase him out and proceed to have a quick shower.
I don't remember much about last night.
The last thing I remember is Axel asking for his ring back.
I can't quite remember what happened after that.
I quickly dress up in black pantsuits, push up my hair in a neat bun, slide into my stilettos and grab my handbag.
I look dull.
As dull as my soul feels right now.
But I push away that thought.
I cried enough last night. I can't waste any more time thinking about that asshole. He's officially thrown to my long list of forgotten dumb exes.
I step out of my room and Brix scoots behind me.
Wendy is in an ironed white skirtsuit. I find her strutting around the house looking for God knows what.
"Good morning, newest single girl in town!" Wendy grins.
"Tell me one thing that's good about the morning."
"That my friend is free from a deceitful relationship."
"Oh, wonderful! I'm happy for her."
"Me too!" Wendy says like a proud mom.
I grunt as I head to the kitchen and make myself some coffee.
It seems Wendy woke up early to make some sandwiches for breakfast. They are scrumptious.
"You know what's good about the morning?" I say to Wendy. "These sandwiches."
"You're welcome."
I feel full after a few bites and give Brix the remainder.
Wendy grimaces in disgust.
"I didn't make them for dogs!"
"His name is Brix."
"He's a dog."
"Tell me one horrible thing that Brix has ever done to make you hate him so much."
Wendy glares at Brix.
"I don't hate him. I just hate dogs. Their mannerisms. The way they pace around the house, shitting around the house and making a mess of everything."
"Brix is trained. He can't s**t around the house and you know that, Wendy."
She grits her teeth.
"You know what I found him doing last night after I came from my date?"
I sip the coffee nodding.
"He was licking your vomit!" She blurts out, grimacing. "Disgusting!"
I burst out in a laugh.
"So that's funny? Your dog licks your vomit and you think it's funny?"
I take a gulp of the coffee.
"Don't you know that dogs eat s**t too? Not just vomit. Like literally eat faeces?"
Wendy's pink lips twitch in disgust and she pours all the coffee in the sink.
"Okay, enough with the dog talk. I've lost my appetite. Mission accomplished."
Brix growls and I can't help but laugh.
My head is still aching, but not as badly as it was in the morning.
I open the shelf and take some painkillers.
Wendy is staring at me strangely.
"What?"
"If you need anything," she says in sympathy. "I'll be here. Emotionally and physically. Not financially though..."
I chortle.
"Where's that coming from, Wendy?"
"Lex told me that asshole came back for his ring."
I glance at my phone in an attempt to dodge the conversation.
"I'm getting late for work."
"Let me give you a ride to work."
"No," I decline the offer. "I'll take the bus."
I'll regret taking the bus but I will escape the long emotional conversation we were just about to have.
I peck Brix on the top of his head.
"Please tell Lex when she wakes up to feed Brix and take him for a walk in the afternoon."
Wendy nods as she watches me leave.
"Thanks," I smile at her and reach for the door.
"Mabel?"
I look back to meet her pitiful eyes.
"I'm here if you need anything."
Ugh! Pity is pathetic!
I swallow the urge to roll my eyes.
"Look, it's not like I'm dying! It's just a break up, Wendy! I've been through a billion before and here I am! Still alive and kicking. Plus, this break up is good for me! I'm free from a relationship with a phony married man who asked for his ring back. The only one you should be pitying is his wife and kids. It's great that the relationship ended as soon as it did. So stop looking at me with pathetic pity in those gorgeous eyes of yours. I'll be fine. I promise."
Wendy spares me a small warm smile before I scoot out of the kitchen.
I arrive at work a few minutes late because I took the bus.
As I shuffle to my desk, everyone turns to look at me. Awkward!
What the hell!
Miguel, the guy that sits next to me, shakes his head and laughs.
"What's up with everyone staring at me?" I whisper.
"No, what's up with you?" He whispers back, looking at me strangely.
My phone rings in the handbag before I can continue with this conversation.
An unknown number.
"Mi Amor."
Only one person calls me that.
Ugh! Kill me now!
****
- Writer
