"Okay, so how shall we do this?" asks Jarrett, setting the bowl of steaming hot mac and cheese in front of Rebecca.
"I don't know, 20 questions style?" she responds.
"Sure. You first."
"Okay," she says, taking a bite. "Where did you learn to cook this well?" she says through a mouthful. It's obvious that she hasn't eaten in awhile, as she shoves spoon after spoon of the stuff into her mouth.
"Actually my mom taught me," he says, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. He's decided not to eat for some unknown reason. "I was always a 'momma's boy,' if you will."
"Nice. My mom rarely talked to me. I'm almost a tomboy, I guess."
Jarrett could tell she wasn't a girly girl. She has short black hair with dark blue highlights. Her face looks indescribably pretty, and she doesn't have pierced ears. She just seems...amazing!
"Your turn," she says, breaking his train of thought. Oh, sorry. Um... where did you meet Will?"
"Oh, straight to the life questions I see," she says, chuckling. She has already finished her mac and cheese. "We met at a bar. I know, not the best place, but he was getting over the loss of his sister. She had died in a car crash a week prior. We talked, kissed, and went back to his place where we had drunk sex. Six months later we got married. A month after our marriage, I was pregnant. A week after telling him, his mother died."
She started to tear up, and Jarrett prepared for the worst.
"He started drinking more alcohol, to the point where he would be violent or angered," she continued. "He would call me a bitch and would slap me. I started to hide in my room and lock the door. One day he rammed through the door. He grabbed my arm and dragged me out of my room. He stood me up and... and..." she stopped. Her lip started to wobble and tears came down her cheeks as she broke into a full out cry. "He pushed me down the stairs. I landed on my stomach. I drove myself to the hospital because Will was too drunk. I was shipped to the E.R. and they said I had a miscarriage. They said the baby's head was smashed on impact. They cut me open and took out the dead body. I'll never forgive him."
Jarrett stood up, walked to her, and held her tight. Rebecca grabbed his arm and held it, wanting relief from her horrible story.
"It's okay Rebecca," he says, petting her hair. "You're safe here."
They stayed like this for quite some time. Jarrett eventually looked at the clock. It read 12:05. Time for bed.
"You better get some sleep," he says.
"Jarrett?" she says, wiping the dry tears off her face.
"Yes?"
"Can you... sleep with me? I'm scared of the dark."
"On the floor, yeah."
"No, I need you in the bed."
"Okay, I guess."
They get in some pajamas and hop in Jarrett's twin bed. It's a tight, but cute fit. The bed is meant for two kids, not two grown adults. After about three minutes, they hear thunder. Clap!
"Agh!" Rebecca says, scared of thunderstorms as well. She curls up next to Jarrett, putting her head on his chest. Jarrett slowly puts his arm around her.
"You're safe with me," he says, quietly. They both doze off quickly.
