Emancipation

twenty one

I've successfully avoided James for a complete day. I came home around eight last night, making sure to take the stairs so that I don't run across him in the elevator hallway. He hasn't called me, so something tells me he isn't making a lot of efforts to get in contact with me either.

While that thought hurts, it also leaves me a little relieved because I don't know what I would say to him, or where could things possibly go from here.

I decided to not skip breakfast today, in fact I woke up early so I can take a shower without any chance of running into him and have food without his presence at the breakfast table.

Just as I'm pouring milk on my cereal, I notice another presence in the kitchen and turn around to see Chloe who's glaring at me with her arms across her chest.

"Where were you last night?"

Her question makes me scowl as I stare at her stance, making me scoff as I resume back to my food, eating my breakfast, completely ignoring her presence. I don't want to spoil my mood this early in the morning when she's still in her night clothes, so it's too early for the drama.

"I asked you something." She hisses, her eyes moving to Shanley who just leaves after the glare.

Just as I'm about to pick up the spoon again, she tightly wraps her hand around my wrist, stopping me and the unwanted touch immediately takes me back to that night, a cold shiver running through me as I stare at her. My breathing turns shallow as I mentally pray for her to leave my hand.

The anxiety grows in my stomach as my thoughts become clouded with the images of Richard's tight grasp on me as he pushed himself against me which only burns deeper in my head as Chloe continues to glare at me, her grasp turning tighter.

"Leave my wrist." I manage to whisper, trying my best not to choke on my words as I stare at her.

She laughs humourlessly, "Or what? You didn't come home last night and he couldn't even finish his meal. What games are you playing with Jim?"

Her words just continue to twist my already aching heart as I try to keep up with my emotions. My eyes remain fixated on her hand on mine as I take deep breaths. I should've just skipped breakfast again.

"Chloe." I hear James's voice behind me and I close my eyes, a knot forming in my throat that I can't seem to gulp down.

"Jim, she was bad-mouthing me to my face." Chloe accuses almost immediately, without even blinking as she lies through her teeth.

Is she a fucking psychopath? How can she lie so smoothly?

I stare at her, keeping my other hand on her grasp and forcefully freeing it of the grasp on my wrist. She stumbles back a little, a dramatic grasp leaving her as she looks back at James, "You see that? Now she's pushing me away."

Tears are brimming my eyes as I try to even my breaths but to no avail so I just put my head in my hands, praying for my surroundings to disappear as I take deep breaths through my mouth, sucking up the tears as a choked breath leaves me, a sob wrecking through me.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

I need to be alone, I need to leave the kitchen and this house. I can't stand to be around any of them right now. James is by my side a second later, his hand resting on my shoulder which immediately makes me flinch away as I look up at him, horror surrounding his eyes.

"I— uh." He removes his hand as he takes a step back and I close my eyes to avoid looking at the hurt in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" I hear Mrs. George's voice as she enters the kitchen, looking at the scene in front of her. She immediately comes to stand in front of me. "Are you not able to breathe properly?" She asks and I nod, tears finally leaving my eyes.