Your City Gave Me Asthma

Your Sister Was Right

 I open my front door and kick off my shoes. They land on our black entryway mat. Normally the house is filled with the noise of Lacy cooking dinner, but tonight, it was silent. Maybe it was my night to cook dinner, did I forget to check the schedule?

I walk up the stairs to the kitchen and living room where Lacy is nowhere to be found. There are no dishes in the sink and the oven isn't on. Shit. It is my night. As I walk over to the fridge to check the schedule, I hear Lacy's voice. It's blurry and indistinguishable, but she's in distress. The voice is coming from our bedroom.

"No! I don't want that! I know that he has some problems, but you don't dictate my life! We're working on them. He's not close to perfect but-" I halt in the doorway. What?

"What are you talking about? Problems?" My voice echoes around the room. Lacy's hand falls down to her chest in embarrassment. I wasn't meant to hear that.

"Aaron! I didn't see you there. If I knew you were there then-"

"It doesn't matter if you knew I was there or not, why'd you say that in the first place! Nobody's perfect, you aren't perfect!" I was at a yelling tone but not the volume. She took a step back. On her phone I can hear her sister Kassidy yelling, I don't know what she's saying, but it's not nice.

"I know not everybody's perfect, but at least I try! I try to be better for the both of us! You just go out with your friends-"

"My friends? I have no friends! I'm at work, 24/7! I pay every single bill in this house, you don't see me complaining! I'm sorry that when I come home all I want to do is relax!" I'm using my hands to convey my emotion into my words. She tears up.

"Aaron, are you cheating on me?" I freeze. That was out of nowhere. Kassidy must have put that in her brain.

"Cheating on you? Cheating on you! Ha!" She didn't expect my answer. Maybe I should have told her the truth. Maybe I should have relieved her from this toxic relationship. Maybe I should have come home earlier and made dinner. Maybe I should have done a lot of things.

<Two weeks latter, christmas>

During christmas, Lacy and I agree not to fight. We go to the holidays in good spirits. I try to stay cheerful, except when I see Kassidy. I hate Kassidy, she puts these dumb ideas in Lacy's head that slowly worm their way in between us. Kassidy is the reason our relationship is going downhill.

"Welcome! Welcome everybody to our Christmas eve dinner. Take a seat and enjoy!" Lacy's father announces on a kitchen chair. Her family is ten times bigger than mine. I take a seat beside Lacy and her weird uncle Gary.

"Hey, Aaron. What have you been up to lately?" Kassidy, Lacy's older sister, calls from across the table. Lacy gives her a glare.

"Nothing really just working. How about you?" Kassidy ignores the question.

"Fun. How long have you guys been dating again, I keep forgetting?"

"Seven months." Lacy pipes up. She's aggressively cutting into her turkey. Kassidy sneered into her glass of water.

"Where are you from Aaron. We haven't talked much and I want to get to know you." I clear my throat.

"I'm from London." She smiles evilly. I know that Kassidy isn't the villain but it feels like she is.

"What do you do in your spare time? Any hobbies?" She leans forward onto her elbows.

"I don't really do anything if I'm being honest." The table laughs. Kassidy smiles and gets up motioning for Lacy to rise with her. Lacy leaves.

Ten minutes later, they haven't come back. I leave my seat to explore the house for Lacy. I walk up and down the hallways of the extravagant house. Wandering in and out of rooms. Finally, I hear them speaking in hushed voices at the end of an upstairs hallway.

"You can't trust English boys with too much free time! He abuses you without you even knowing!" I wasn't going to wait. I can't listen to Kassidy worm into Lacy's head anymore. I turn the corner, Kassidy stops.

"Kassidy, stop. You're ruining this relationship. Leave." Kassidy scoffs and puffs up.

"I'm ruining this relationship? You're the one who I saw leave another girl's house! You're cheating on my sister, who has never done anything wrong!" She storms down the hallway. Tears are streaming down Lacy's cheeks.

"Is that true?" Lacy says, quivering. I just nod. She cries harder.

"Lacy-"

"Don't you dare! You can't speak to me anymore! You're just a-a." She struggled to find the words, "Fucking waste of time!" A tear streamed down my cheek.

Under my breath I whisper, "I hate to say it, but your sister was right. Don't English boys with far too much free time. You were right, I'm a fucking waste of time," She nods and walks down the hallway. More tears fall down my cheeks, "And I don't deserve you, you deserve the world."

"I deserve something better than you." My heart breaks into pieces. This is my fault. All my fault.