The Lawyer by Alice Bright Read Free Book Online Page B

reminded him. “And do you really think I’m ever going to sleep in that-“ I pointed to the bed, “bed again?”
              “No, I suppose not.”
              “I just have to know, has this been going on the whole time we’ve been dating? Have you always cheated on me?”
              His silence said more than his words ever could, and without glancing back, I was gone.

Chapter 9
                  It’s not that I expected to get married soon, or even engaged, or that I wanted a long term commitment right now , but I had been truly content with Tim. I had been loyal to Tim. I had been kind to Tim. I had loved Tim. He had been my everything and now, with one fell swoop, all that we had was gone. I wondered how I could have meant so little to him when he had meant so much to me. After all, I was the first girl he’d ever lived with and he was the first guy I’d ever done anything with.
              Giving my virginity to Tim had been a natural thing. We were in love. I didn’t regret it at the time, but I sure as hell regretted it now. How could I have been so blind? No wonder we worked opposite schedules: he needed time for me to be out of the house. He had been bringing girls home when I was gone and screwing them in the bed that we shared. What if he had given me an STD? Sure, we practiced safe sex as much as the next couple, but we weren’t as careful as we should have been.
              I sat in my car in the middle of an empty parking lot and cried until I couldn’t cry anymore. Finally, I realized I was going to have to do something about my situation. I needed a place to stay – fast – and I needed to get all of my stuff from Tim’s house. Fortunately,  my parents lived close by and I could stay at their house for a few days while I sorted everything out and found a new apartment, although I didn’t look forward to explaining what had happened between me and Tim. They’d never approved of the relationship in the first place, so I was sure to get an earful.
              When I was sure Tim was at class, I went back to the house to get my things. I loaded my clothes and shoes into my suitcases and laundry baskets and soon my car was almost completely full. I left my blankets and bedding. I didn’t want those anymore. My trinkets, books, and art supplies all went into my backpack, and I loaded my remaining possessions into three black garbage bags. It was amazing how many things I had accumulated since moving out of my mom’s house. It was amazing how many things I never wanted to see again.
              I loaded up my car and finally pulled out of my tiny driveway for the last time. I tried not to cry again but I couldn’t help myself. Things had ended so abruptly, so painfully, that I didn’t want to think about it anymore. I didn’t want to accept that this was really happening and that I been betrayed not only by my lover, but by someone I had worked with and respected.
              I glanced at my cell phone. I should call my mom and see if I could stay with her for a few days. She wouldn’t mind, but she would say I told you so. She was, after all, very sure that I was too young for just about everything. Whether it was buying a car, picking my own major, or even having sex, I just “wasn’t ready yet.” With a sigh, I wondered if I should even bother going home. Was it really worth the anxiety and stress? And would any good come from me going to my mom’s place? After all, wouldn’t it just show her that I was, in fact, not ready for life?
              Suddenly, I remember my recent paycheck. I was no longer on a barista’s budget. While I certainly wasn’t rolling in the dough, I could afford to get my own place. It might take me a few days, but there was a cheap little motel not too far from campus and I could rent a room there for