"Did she do that to your lip?"
"Yes. She was pretty pissed. After she hit me, I took off before things could escalate. That's how she ended up with my phone. I left it sitting on the counter. Jesus, I'm so sorry you had to put up with all of this tonight. Please, Jess, I don't want to stand here for another minute without kissing you. I've had a shit night and I'd love to forget it with you. When I'm with you, the world goes silent." His last words make my heart stop. I feel the silence, too, but I'm nowhere near ready to forget.
"Brett, I'm really confused right now. I don't know what, or who I should believe. I need some time alone to think.”
"Can you please tell me what poison she injected into your brain? I can't be your anti-venom if I don't know what she bit you with tonight." Crap. He's right. I don't know if I believe him, or if I will ever be able to trust him again. But I have just enough belief in his words and hope in my heart to make me tell him everything.
"She told me she was your wife, and she loves you, but you have a wandering eye. Your apartment is just to save you the commute home when you work late. You have two children, and they suffer the most from your infidelities. Oh, and she asked me if we had slept together." I can’t help but look down at my feet, partially embarrassed, but predominately terrified of how he is going to respond. Which parts are true, which parts are lies?
Out of the corner of my eye, I see him reach up and grab the bridge of his nose. He takes in a quick breath before closing his eyes for a second, then snatching up my beer bottle hurling it across the room. I've seen Brett mad before, and I've seen the angry ogre, but I just witnessed this man go nuclear.
Stunned by his violent outburst, I instinctively take a step away from him and push my hands up between us to keep him from following my retreat.
"You're scaring me," I choke out before my throat closes, blocking any further words. This seems to snap out of it, and his face flashes shame before he starts to apologize.
"Shit! Come here, gorgeous. I'm sorry." But I can't move. I stand staring at him as his mood drastically changes directions, yet again.
"Can we talk about this tomorrow? Please, just let me have some time."
"Okay,” he answers resigned. "Let me explain something first. Jess, I have been living in a fog. I can't tell you that this will work out between us. Hell, after tonight, I'm not sure if this isn't already ruined. I'm a mess. I'm angry half the time and a miserable bastard the other half. You're a good girl who deserves someone who can open themselves up and actually offer you something. You deserve more than I can probably ever give you. I don't know if I can handle even saying the word forever again.
“So with all of that said, I'm sorry for scaring you tonight. I'm just so frustrated. I think I have used every cuss word I know at least fifteen times tonight." He tries to crack a joke, but it only sounds sad. "I feel like Sarah is determined to completely ruin me, even more than she already has.
"I'm broken Jess, but I need you to hear these words before I go. Trust me, I know saying this makes me a selfish bastard, because I've seen you cry three times in the five days we have been together. But for me, these last few days have been an awakening. I now see the sun behind the fog, and it's a damn good feeling.
“I'm sorry about all of this, I truly am. Please believe me, and think about what I've said. I can't promise you anything more than tomorrow, but maybe one day, the fog will disappear leaving only sunny days ahead." He doesn’t stall even a minute longer. He simply walks to the corner, cleans up the broken glass, then walks out the front door.
Just as the door clicks, I hear a breathy "Whoa!" come from behind me. I turn to see Kara standing in the hall.
"Are you okay?" she asks, walking a few steps in my direction before checking the door to making sure Brett really left.
"No."
"Come here, girl." She walks over and slings an arm around my shoulders. "You understand you're the sun in that scenario right?" She tries to comfort me.
"What if I don't want to be the sun?"
"I don't think you have a choice. Do you think a man like that is going to let go of his only way out of the fog?"
"How much did you hear?" I ask needing advice.
"All of it."
"Do you believe him?"
"He's telling the truth, Jess." She answers with an absolute certainty to her voice.