Joe: It had been weeks since Joe had hit you, but it seemed like just yesterday. You had your worst argument ever and in the heat of the moment, he hit you. By now, you guys were trying to start off on a clean slate. Now every time Joe made a sudden movement toward you, you flinched, afraid of getting hit again.This time, he'd had it. He pulled you aside and hugged you.
"You don't have to be afraid anymore. I'm not gonna hurt you." he said.
"But." you said.
"You don't. I'm not gonna hurt you again. I'm keeping you safe." Joe said.
"Are you sure?" you asked.
"Positive." he said kissing your forehead.
Murr: Murr had hit you just under a month ago. Last week, you decided to give him a second because he didn't mean to hit you. He just got caught up in your argument. You moved back in with him, but you are still in separate beds.
You were in bed and Murr came into your room. He stood next to the bed and reached a hand out toward you, but you pulled away.
"What's wrong? I can't stroke your hair?" he asked.
"I'd let you touch me, but I can't because I'm scared." you said.
"Of me?" he asked.
"Yes. Ever since you hit me, I've been scared of you." you said.
"You know that was the worst mistake in my life and how much I regret that. If I could go back in time and fix that I would, but I can't so we are gonna have to find a way to work through this." he said.
"How?" you asked.
He thought for a moment.
"Get up." he said.
You did as he said and he immediately wrapped his arms around you. Your entire body relaxed as he did so, knocking whatever fear you had of him out of you.
Sal: It had been a couple of weeks since Sal hit you while you were arguing. It had also been a couple weeks since you last saw any of his friends.
Q had decided to ask you out for lunch, so you agreed. You missed him. He was like the referee of you and Sal's relationship before you broke up. Most of the time he'd take your side in an argument and he knew everything that happened in your relationship with Sal.
You went to the restaurant he wanted to meet you at and you found him and Sal at a table. Both of them got up. Q gave you a hug and you hugged him back, but when Sal tried to give you a hug, you flinched.
You guys are your meal and then you walked out to the parking lot of the restaurant.
Both of the guys walked you to your car.
You got in and tried to start it, but it wouldn't start.
You got out of your car and looked at the guys.
"I have somewhere to go, but I think Sal can drive you home if you need a ride." Q said.
"Yeah, I can give you a ride." Sal said.
You called a tow truck for your car and went to Sal's car. He unlocked it and you got in.
Sal got in on his side and started driving.
"So where do you live now? Still on Staten Island?" he asked.
"Yep." you said.
"So why did you flinch when I tried to give you a hug earlier?" he asked.
"I got scared." you said.
"Of what?" he asked.
"You." you said.
"Really?" he asked.
"Yeah, ever since you hit me, I've been seeing a therapist and having nightmares about you." you said.
Sal was shocked to be hearing this from you.
He didn't know he hurt you that bad.
"I'm sorry for everything. Ever since I hit you, I've been taking anger management classes with Q. You don't have to be afraid of me anymore and maybe we can be friends again." he said.
"I'd like that. You know I've missed you by the way." you said.
"I've missed you too. Hitting you was the worst mistake I could have ever made." he said.
"I know you wish you could take it back, I really do, but you can't. I'm still scared." you said.
"Look at me." he said.
You looked up and he kissed you. He was so gentle that he made your fear go away.
"I love you and that's all you need to know. I'm always here when you need me and I'm never gonna do something so stupid like that again." he said.
Q: Ever since Q hit you during an argument you had, you developed a fear of him. You were scared that he was gonna come by and hurt you while you were asleep some nights.
You ran into him at the mall and he waved at you and tried to give you a hug. When he tried to give you a hug, you flinched.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I don't want you to touch me." you said.
"Why?" he asked.
"Remember the last time you touched me?" you asked.
"Oh, yeah. I'm sorry about that. I thought you were over that. I guess I was caught up in the heat of the moment at the time and I just snapped. Anyway, I went to get help, I went to a therapist. I'm a different person than I was back then. Let me take you out for ice cream and show you." he said.
That afternoon, you and Q had a long conversation and as it turned out, he's done a complete one eighty since the last time you talked to him.
