Two Thousand Miles Away

Chapter 15

Ella

I sat on that weirdly comfortable couch with Gabby once again. It was the third week of January. Our family had just got done with our session about Grayson but Gabby said she wanted to talk to me by myself.

"So what'd you wanna talk about?" I asked her. I'd folded my hands together. Then I cracked my knuckles. Then I started to play with my rings. I knew what she wanted to talk about.

Gabby, who'd been shutting the door, found her way back to her seat. "I wanted to ask you about that boyfriend of yours. Did you think about what I said?"
I took a deep breath but nodded. Ben had taken off with some friends to his hunting cabin and was coming home tonight. I was going to break up with him. "I'm breaking up with him. Tonight."

Gabby nodded, a small smile on her face. "Okay. I would like to discuss why you let him treat you like that. It seems like you have some self-worth problems."

"I'm not insecure."

Gabby nodded again. I felt sick in my mouth. This had been bugging me too. Why had I let him treat me like crap this whole time?

"Ella, I'm trying to help you."

I threw my hands back, faking getting mad. "Fine. Lets try this out."

***

Ben texted me telling me he was home. I'd told him before he left two weeks ago that I needed to talk to him. I went over to his house about twenty minutes after I read his text. My hands were shaking as I pulled into his apartment parking lot.

I pushed the buzzer and was let into his place. I glanced at the address on my phone. I felt a stab of sadness when I realized that this was the first time I was at his place. I reached the door and rang the bell.

The door opened to show my soon to be former boyfriend. His hair was disheveled and he looked like he had a hangover. Typical.

He let me in and as he walked into the kitchen towards the fridge he asked, "What do you want?" He opened the fridge and pulling out a beer. He popped it open and took a long sip.

"I think we should break up." The words rushed out of my mouth before I could stop them. Ben choked on his beer.

He choked out, "What?" He coughed again. "Why?"

I shrugged before fidgeting with my hair. "I just don't think it's a great idea for us to keep dating."

Ben walked over to me and brushed my hair back behind my ear. "Come on Baby," he whispered. He stepped in, trying to kiss me.

My mind reacted at the last moment. I stepped away. He wasn't gonna take advantage of me anymore. I stated, "I should go." Then I rushed back to the front door. I added before shutting the door, "Don't call me."