A long road to happy

Chapter 17: Out, out part 2

Harley's POV:

If you were to ask me to identify all of the stupid moments in my life, not only would i be able to do this, i would be able to provide the common denominator, care to hazard a guess at what that could be? Yes, you guessed it, alcohol. Why should this instance be any different? 

Dancing the night away with friends, this is a night I can get on board with. Looking across the dancefloor for the 100th time, I see Scarlett walking back into the club, this time without the old ball and chain. 

“Where did her husband go?” I ask lizzie over the music.

“What?” She says, following my eyes, “Oh, he's picking the kids up from the babysitter.” She replies, giving me a sympathetic smile. 

I nod my head, continuing to dance as Scarlett joins the group, I return my attention to Sky and Danny as we dance and drink.

The next time I acknowledge Scarlett, I'm God knows how many drinks deep and really needing to pee. Just like every cliché love story, I bump into a certain someone at the bathroom sink. What happens next, however, was anything but cliché.

“Hi Har” the devil herself says to me, looking at me through the mirror.

“Hey” I reply. She just stands there, staring at me. 

“Well, this is awkward.” I think in my head.

"Maybe if you agreed to meet up with me one of the numerous times I asked, it would be less awkward?" Scarlett sasses at me. I mean, she's not wrong. Also, I guess I didn't say that in my head.

"You're right." her head snaps to me, "What?" She says. 

I sigh again as I repeat, "I said, you're right."

She looks at me for a minute. "Huh. I'm right." She says with a small smile, leaning back on the wall. "So?" She says.

"So?" I ask. I guess I've got to say something here. 

"I did say we should be friends, and I've avoided that for some reason. For that, I'm sorry. I guess, I guess everything just affected me more than I'd like to admit. But I said I was fine, and I said I was OK being friends, then avoided you like the plague. That's on me." This is so embarrassing, I feel like I'm a naughty school kid that's been pulled into the principal's office and made to apologise to the teacher you were rude to.

"It's all good now though, this is good." I lie. What? Just because I know what to say, and I can say the mature words that will de-escalate a situation, doesn't mean I actually mean them, or believe them, I'm just good at it. That's what happens when you're in an abusive relationship and you can't get out, you adapt. You don't ever forget those "skills" you learn, and you never actually fully get over it. So sue me if I use it when I'm uncomfortable. 

Scarlett sighs. "I know you don't actually mean that. Can we just talk about it, please? I don't really know what happened. Did, did I do something?" She asks

One good thing about being out of an abusive relationship is that you slowly start to build up your confidence, and slowly start to voice frustrations and annoyances that you previously refused to in fear of retribution. Basically, you can say some shit you never would've said to your ex, knowing you won't get hit for it. . . Even if the fear is still there. It's all about taking control back. Anyway, I digress. Also, being drunk doesn't hurt.

I am, however, starting to get pissed now. ‘Did I do something?’ I mock in my head. Pft, fuck youuuuu.

"No, I don't think so." I grit out. "Been there, done that, didn't work out so well for me last time."