Can I Leave Now?

CH 28

CJ POV

William coming back to Georgia was more a surprise than a welcome. I thought he was going to stay in Washington for a while, but he loves surprises, and surprising people.

I first meet William when I moved away from my parents and started to freelance with more than digital work. He was looking for up-coming artists, but I didn't want to become one so he settle for me designing things for his friends or even his own businesses. William became mute at the age of eleven due to a car accident and glass entering his throat. I know sound gruesome, but here he is successful and thriving.

I walked away from Perri's truck and back to William to wait for my car, and soon it was in front of me with us both entering it and driving to my apartment. When William came over he didn't like staying over in hotels or air bnb so he stayed at mine and he slept in the living room.

"So I finally meet your ex...seems nice." I heard from his phone.

"Yeah? I thought you too might get along."

"Yet he seemed a little distant, like he probably didn't want to talk to me or you. I mean you did see how he nodded and mmm to you when you said goodbye and didn't look up. And then when we were talking to each other he said that he was your acquaintance not your friend, ex-husband, or past lover."

I listened to the auto-reader and continued to drive "acquaintance?" What does that even mean. I turned a left and William's auto-reader began again.

"Did I say something out of pocket?"

"No no no I'm just surprised that he would say that about me, but its okay."

We didn't say anything to each other until we got into my apartment and went our separate ways. I went to the end of the place on the left and took a shower and soon came out and went to my room. I didn't say anything to William for the rest of the night, and turned on my side. I couldn't sleep so I took out my phone and touched Perri's contact information and began to text him, but kept erasing the text. In the end I texted him, "acquaintance?" and put my phone beside me.

It took about six minutes for a response to come in and soon there was a text message that said, "?"

"So we are acquaintance?"

"???"

"William told me what you guys talked about...."

"Oh"

"Perri!!!"

Soon my phone started to ring with Perri's name on the screen, so I answered it.

"Perri?!"

"What do you want me to say? Say that we were husband before long time ago, or that we used to be together for fourteen years ?"

"I wanted you to say we were once together, but now great friends, because aren't we?"

"......"

"Perri...Aren't we at least friends?"

"Remember what i told you when I first came to you?"

"No. What?"

"I told you I'm back to finish my job not to come back into your life. We got a divorce for a reason, and I don't want to ever hurt you like the way I hurt you."

"Perri-"

"I fucking kept you in a basement for a month, threaten to kill you, hit you should I continue. CJ I don't want to be that man ever again."

I didn't say anything to him remembering when he did do all those things.

"Perri. I'm a big boy, and big boys make their own decisions. So if you want to continue down this path of trying not to be in my life it won't work. I will come to your office with lunch everyday, I will go to Ruby Tuesday ever Wednesday for the special just to see you, and I will be at your loft ready to cook dinner or have takeout to make you understand I am here and I'm not leaving. You may be able to throw away fourteen years of us being together, but I can't. I miss you. I miss you like hell, and I wonder everyday if you were okay or if you were well, and now that you are back I'm not letting you go now so suck it up Plum."

After my little rant I hung the phone up and set it to mute so that if he called I wouldn't hear it, but I was glad that I got that off my chest. I slept peacefully that night and hopefully I can the nights after.