“If you want your clothes back then ask me nicely.”
Krystal shivered in the middle of the living room floor, less from cold than from fear, unable to remember how long she’d been standing there.
She squeezed her legs together and tried to cover her naked breasts with her hands even though Jay had seen it all before. A thick flood of shame washed over her combined with the slow realization that she was in danger.
Her eyes darted to the door as the evening flashed back in snippets in her mind.
They had gone out for burgers with Stacey and her on-again, off-again boyfriend Sam. Everyone was getting ready to order dessert when Krystal mentioned she was waiting for a call back from a dance gig she’d tried out for.
Jay chimed in with a rude comment out of the blue. “Maybe if you skipped dessert sometimes you’d have better luck.”
They all froze. Stacey pushed back from the table fully prepared to curse him out on her friend’s behalf. It wasn’t the first time he’d cut her down in public and she was sick of it.
But Krystal jumped in and played it off jokingly. “It’s true, you guys. You know what they say…a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips.”
Afterwards Krystal and Jay went back to his apartment. She kicked off her shoes and stomped down the hall to the bedroom fuming.
He followed, leaning inside the doorway, arms crossed. “You plan to keep this silent treatment up all night?”
Ignoring him, Krystal disappeared inside his closet to undress in peace and slip into the robe she always kept there. When she emerged he’d moved from the doorway to the edge of the bed. She rolled her eyes and brushed past him on her way to the bathroom. He grabbed her arm a little too hard.
“Get your hands off me!”
“Hey, stop with the attitude. It’s getting old. You need to let it go.”
“Let it go? You embarrassed me tonight in front of my friends.” A million emotions played across her face as she recalled the episode at the restaurant.
“Okay, okay. Maybe I was out of line. But don’t act like it’s not the truth.”
Krystal’s face burned at the memory from dinner. She pushed his hands off her waist and stepped backwards shaking her head slowly.
“I’m done.”
“What did you say?”
“I said I’m done. I can’t do this anymore, Jay. I won’t. I’m tired of you treating me like I’m not good enough for you. If that’s how you feel then why are you even with me?”
“I’m with you because I love you, Krystal. Stop talking crazy.”
“I’m not crazy. I’m through. You need to take me home.”
“Hey, baby, stop. Why don’t you calm down.” He touched her, but she pulled away.
“I mean it this time, Jay.”
The muscle in his jaw flexed. “It’s late. I’ll take you home in the morning. I’ll sleep on the couch.”
Krystal waivered on the verge of tears. After he left the room she shed her robe, draped it on the chair next to the bed, and escaped to the bathroom. She sat on the edge of the tub and turned on the water to drown out the sounds of her crying. This break up had been a long time coming. Ever since Jay graduated six months ago and didn’t get picked up in the major league baseball draft.
They’d met at a college game and started dating when he was a junior and she was a sophomore. He was a popular star athlete and he was sweet back then. He loved everything about her, especially what he called her “killer curves”. But lately he had become demanding and critical.
He never put his hands on her, but his temper was getting more and more out of control. He had insane mood swings. Sometimes he was mad jealous, other times he acted like he didn’t want her around. It was like she didn’t know him anymore.
When she finally came out of the bathroom Krystal’s skin was wrinkled from soaking in the tub too long. She wrapped up in a towel and padded out into the bedroom. Her robe was gone. So were her purse and the clothes she had been wearing.
She went down the hall to the living room. “Jay, did you move my stuff?”
He was sitting in the middle of the room in a chair in the dark with her robe in his hands.
“Yeah, I moved it.”
“What are you doing?” she reached for her robe, irritated. Jay threw it on the floor and snatched her towel off.
“I’m teaching you a lesson because clearly you fell and bumped your head. You don’t leave me, Krystal.” He stood up and got in her face. “I’ll let you know when we’re done.”
She stumbled backwards away from him. “I want to go home. NOW!”
“Go then.” He motioned to the front door and laughed an evil laugh. “Take your big ass out there and see if you can flag down a ride.”
“Stop this, Jay. You’re taking it too far.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” He backed her against the wall, stroked her hair, and tried to kiss her. “You know nobody wants you but me.”
Krystal jerked away, her voice rising to a shrill pitch. “Don't!”
“If you want your clothes back then ask me nicely. First you need to lower your voice. Then you need to apologize to me.”
She swallowed hard and forced herself to sound sincere. “I’m sorry. Can I please have my clothes?”
“Not good enough.” He pushed her toward the hallway. “Get back in the room.”
Krystal turned to him pleading. “Jay, please, just give me my things and let me go!”
“I told you can leave if you want.” He rushed over and swung the front door wide open while she cowered nude in the corner. “Is that what you want? Huh? Your choice.”
Krystal dropped her head and walked slowly back down the hall to the bedroom. Her mind raced with thoughts of how to calm him down. Maybe he’s not serious. Maybe he’s only trying to scare me. Maybe he…
Jay came up behind her and shoved her roughly onto the bed. He was serious as a heart attack.
****
After he was done Jay fell into a deep sleep. Krystal lay there for what seemed like hours, listening to his breathing, waiting. When he started snoring she rolled carefully off the edge of the bed and dropped to her knees on the carpet. He was a light sleeper so she couldn’t take any chances.
She crawled out the bedroom down the hall to the living room in the pitch black darkness and felt around on the floor until she found her robe where she remembered Jay tossing it and her purse. Relieved, she scrambled to the front door too terrified to turn on a light and search for the rest of her clothes.
Outside she took the metal steps barefoot two at a time down to the ground level of the apartment complex and dipped around a corner behind Jay’s building. Should I knock on a door? No, it’s late and I’m half-naked. Should I call 911? What if Jay wakes up? Eventually, she crouched in the bushes and pressed the first number in the recent calls on her cell phone with shaking hands.
Stacey picked up on the third ring. Her voice was raspy with sleep. “Krystal?”
“I need you to come get me.”
There was the sound of a door opening above her. Jay was wild with anger. The steroids in his system made his veins pop out and he trembled as he ran onto the third floor landing and yelled down over the side wall.
“Krystal! I know you’re out here. Don’t make me have to come find you!” He pounded the ledge. “Krystal!!”
ВИ ЧИТАЄТЕ
More to Love (a Les Twins fanfic)
ФанфікиKrystal didn't have self-esteem issues before she met Jay. She was always pretty and plus-sized and her figure had never been an issue with any other guy she dated, but her ex-boyfriend had shattered all that with his constant criticism and verbal a...
