Goodbye Girl

Emily got to her apartment and unlocked the door. She stepped inside, pulled off her heels, and unzipped her dress so it fell to the floor. She picked her items up then walked upstairs to her bedroom.

She changed into boy shorts and a t-shirt before making her way to the washroom. She decided to call James while she got ready for bed. He answered right away.

"Hey!" He greeted.

That was all it took for Emily to know he was wasted. She sighed, tossing her hair into a bun on top of her head. She pressed speaker and left her phone on the counter.

"Hey, you alri,"

"I miss you, Emily." He interrupted.

"It's been like a week since we've seen each other, James." She laughed.

She switched on the tap. She reached for her face wash while James rambled on about how they should be together. She scrubbed and rinsed before she heard James spewing out Tyler's name. She dried her face off, quickly.

"What was that?" She asked.

"I said that it makes me crazy knowing that little fucker, Seguin, has his hands all over you while I'm in Pittsburgh alone." He hissed.

"James, are you for real right now?" She shouted. "Tyler doesn't have his hands anywhere near me! I told you I wasn't with him or interested in being with him, why can't you understand that?"

"Because I know how you are and I couldn't keep my hands off of you so I know he isn't!" James yelled back. "Don't lie to me, Em!"

"If his hands are all over me, what difference is it from the skanks you take home on the daily?" She almost screamed.

"The difference is, you're mine and no other guy's!"

"No, I'm not! I left you three fucking years ago!" Emily cried.

"That doesn't mean I left you!" He screeched. "You broke my fucking heart, Emily. You killed me."

Emily swallowed hard before the tears fell from her eyes. She hated when he did this to her. He always acted as if she was constantly in the wrong. He never realized the way he acted had a big impact on her decision to stay in Dallas while he went.

A knock on the washroom door, followed by Jamie stumbling in, disrupted the breakdown Emily was having. He fell in front of the toilet, lifting the lid before shoving his face in it. She sighed, kneeling next to him. She rubbed his back while he let out all the alcohol in his system.

"Emily, what's going on?" James spoke.

"Nothing, just shut up for a minute." She called.

Her attention turned back to Jamie. His vomit smelled disgusting and it was close to causing her to be in the same state as him. Tyler knocked on the washroom door before he walked in. Emily looked over to him.

He saw her watery eyes and shiny cheeks and new she'd been crying. He walked over and bent down to her. She avoided his glance.

"What's wrong, Em?" He said in a hushed voice.

She shook her head, still crying. He heard a muffled cough and looked over his shoulder. He spotted Emily's phone sitting on the counter and stood up. She watched him. He picked it up, read the name on the screen, then looked at Em. She shook her head.

"Please don't." She whispered.

"Em?" James's voice spoke.

Tyler took a deep breath. "No, it's Tyler."

"Put her on the phone." James growled.

"She's helping out Jamie. He's pretty si,"

"Emily, get on this phone, now!" James shouted.

She stood but Tyler held his hand up to her. She knew he was about to blow. She walked over to him, grabbing onto the arm he had held out. She sobbed as she cried harder. She didn't want this to happen. She knew James would act in hockey over anything Tyler said over the phone.

"Listen, you fucking prick," Tyler spat. Emily pulled on his arm. "I don't appreciate the way you think you can talk to Emily like she's your property. She dumped your sorry ass, with a good mindset, since you're proving how unworthy of a girl like her you are."

Emily loosened her grip on Tyler's arm but didn't let go. She knew James wasn't always such a dick, but she also know that the way he treated her when he was being a dick wasn't right. She was relieved to have someone defending her but she was worried James would hurt Tyler.

"You can talk to her, like a civil human being, tomorrow, that is, if she can even stand to talk to you." Tyler finished.

"You're only kissing her ass because you're trying to get her on your dick." James hissed.

"No, I'm saying this because Emily is a beautiful, intelligent girl, and it's taking her longer than it should to realize that you're not worth what you've put her through." Tyler stated. "There's some insecurity within your big man attitude which is causing you to believe Emily is into me. I'm flattered, but we're just friends."

Tyler looked at Emily. Her eyes were thanking him. He gave her a small smile. Jamie made a noise so she turned to look at him.

"She still loves you, James." Tyler continued. Her head shot in his direction. "But she's not coming back to you if you don't get a clue."

He hung up and placed her phone on the counter. Emily wrapped her arms around Tyler, crying into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her as he let out a shaky breath. She pulled away and laughed a bit.

"You were nervous?"

"That's the most terrifying thing I've ever done and I hit and get hit by grown men on tiny blades, skating on hard ice for a living." He admitted.

"Thank you a lot, Tyler." She sighed, stepping out of his reach. "But I don't want you to ever do that again."

"Why not?" He asked.

"Because it's my problem! James is my problem! I'm not dragging you into this!" She yelped.

Jamie let out a groan as in telling her to keep her voice down. She let out a breath, walking to her room. Tyler followed her.

"Emily, you're not dragging me into anything. I got into it on my own. No man should ever speak to a woman like he spoke to you, especially someone like you." He defended.

"Just butt out!" She screamed.

He watched as she climbed under her covers. She kept her back to him as she curled up. He sighed, flicking her bedroom light off and closing the door.

Why does she have to be so reserved?

Notes