Her words hit me right in the core. I feel like I’m in a boxing ring getting punched over and over again. In the stomach, right hook to the cheek, left hook to the jaw and then an upper cut to the chin until I’m knocked out flat on my back.
“No one should have to wait their entire life to know what it feels like to be loved or in love. Why should I? Because some middle aged, lonely woman can’t cut the fucking umbilical cord to her son and get a fucking life?”
“I’m proud of you Hillary. Bevan has told me that pretty much every relationship Jameson has been in has ended because of Marcie’s bullshit. Break that cycle and she won’t know what hit her.”
“Thanks. I don’t know about you but I’m ready to get out of here. Want to go to Dawn’s for a coffee?” I ask.
“Yeah, let’s go.”
As we climb out of our booth and make our way to the front of the restaurant Tess and her sister round the corner from our right at the same time and bump right in to us. Her sister loses her balance and falls on the ground.
“You fucking bitch! Watch where you’re going! You knocked my sister over!” Tess shouts.
“You bumped in to us! We were walking straight towards the exit! You should have looked first before coming around the corner!” I shout back.
“I’m fine Tess. I wasn’t looking where I was going anyway.” Her sister tells her.
“Stay out of this.” Tess replies.
“What’s your problem, Tess?” Lily asks.
“This has nothing to do with you Lily.” Tess says with a sneer.
“So what exactly is your problem then?” I ask.
“Take it outside ladies!” The manager exclaims from behind the counter. I apologize and we walk out to the parking lot. As we walk outside I feel what I think is a rock hit the back of my leg. I turn around and Tess and her sister are right behind me and Lily with pathetic shit grins on their faces. I stop dead in my tracks and turn around to face Tess.
“Why don’t you have your little sister wait in the car for this?” I suggest.
“Don’t tell me how to handle my sister, Hillary.”
Her sister walks away anyway and gets in Tess’s car.
“Oh, for God’s sake Tess grow up!” Lily interjects.
I step up closer to Tess so I’m right in her face. “You listen me to right now Tess Boudreaux. I don’t know what your problem is but considering you’re the piece of skanky trash that thought she could end my relationship with Jameson so you can have him for yourself, you are all wrong. If I ever find out that you tried to contact him to tell him some bullshit story or anything in that regard I can guarantee that pretty little smile of yours won’t be so pretty anymore.”
Tess stands up taller, almost as if she’s stepping up to a fight. “Hillary, it’s a free country. If I want to talk to Jameson I will. And I’m pretty sure he’ll talk to me too. We’ve been friends for a very long time. We have history. Marcie adores me. I have her on my side as well. She’s told me many times she wanted me and Brody to break up so Jameson and I could be together. She called me two weeks ago to get me to seduce Jameson in a night of hot sex. I still have the message on my phone if you don’t believe me. He’s always had a crush on me. We’ve kissed before you know. He said he loved the way my lips tasted…”
BOOM!
My frustration took over. I couldn’t hear anymore. My blood was boiling. My fists were clenched so hard I was digging my nails in to my palms. Any longer I would have drawn blood. I didn’t know what else to do. I have a great right hook, so I punched her. Knocked her to the ground.
“Holy shit!” Lily exclaims, while covering her mouth to mask her laugh.
“You bitch!” Tess shouts at me from the gravel parking lot ground, while holding the side of her face.
“You should have kept your fucking mouth shut but no, you kept talking shit. Well, I bet you wish you’d shut the fuck up now. I warned you Tess. Maybe next time you’ll listen. For your sisters sake I hope she doesn’t take after you, or your cheating father. Yeah, everyone knows about that too. Now I know where you get it from. Don’t ever talk to me again.”
I walk away towards Lily’s car with her right behind me. My whole body is shaking. My adrenaline is at an inconceivable level. My chest feels tight. My air way feels constricted, almost like I’m having an anxiety attack. I’ve never done anything like that before.
Sitting in the car I close my eyes and take a few, long deep breaths to attempt to calm my nerves. Lily puts her hand on my thigh and gently rubs it in her silent attempt to tell me to calm down. In through the nose, out through the mouth.