Obsessively Yours (Joe & Ella 1)

Joe nodded and we turned to walk away.

“Make the most of it mate, she’ll be back in my bed soon enough.” Adam said behind us.

Before I could react Joe spun round and punched Adam right in the face. He spun a half turn and fell to the floor knocked out cold on the ground. None of us made any effort to crouch down to him to check he was ok. The bouncer, knowing who we were, walked over and picked Adam up under each arm pit and dragged him to a bench to recover.

We walked straight out of the garden, through the bar and out to the street to escape what had turned into an utter nightmare. The fireworks I’d wanted weren’t quite what I had got.

“You sure you’re gonna be alright on your own with Rocky over there?” Robyn asked looking genuinely concerned. “He looks like he’s ready to commit a murder.”

“I’ll be ok, he wouldn’t ever hurt me, it’s not in his nature.” They didn’t look convinced but I knew Joe, I trusted him.

We hugged our goodbyes in the street and went our separate ways. Joe held my hand tight as he walked me to his car and opened the passenger door for me. Once he was in his side and starting the car I turned to him, “talk to me.”

He stayed quiet shaking his head and gripping the steering wheel in a vice like grip.

“What do you want me to say Ella?”

“You do know that whole scene was complete and utter bull shit don’t you. I wouldn’t go back to him, ever.”

“And that’s meant to make me feel better?”

“Yes” I was confused now, I didn’t know what else to say.

He rubbed his stubbly chin, “Do you know how humiliating it was to walk in and watch someone propose to you like that. You’re supposed to be mine and you were huddled in a corner with him looking all cosy standing close together, letting him touch you. I stood watching you for a lot longer than you realise you know.”

“I didn’t let him touch me. I didn’t even want to talk to him but I thought if he had the five minutes he was begging for he’d leave and I wouldn’t have to see him again.”

“You won’t see him again.”

“I know! You don’t have to tell me that, I don’t want to! This isn’t my fault you know. I haven’t done anything wrong.”

“You shouldn’t have talked to him at all. You let him control you. That pisses me off.”

“He didn’t control me. I chose to listen to him and I chose to tell him to get lost. I can make decisions for myself Joe.”

“So if you walked into a bar and saw me chatting in the corner with a woman and she was telling me I was the love of her life and stroking my arm, leaning in for kisses and getting down on one knee to propose to me you wouldn’t be angry? No?”

“Well when you put it like that no I wouldn’t be happy, but you know what Adams like. You know I hate him.”

“You hated me a few months ago.”

“Oh my God you cannot compare that to this. Joe if you’re gonna spend the rest of tonight making me feel like crap for something that was out of my control then just turn the car around and take me back to Robyn’s, I just don’t have the energy for this.”

“Is that what you want?”

“NO! I want you to see this whole farce for what it is. A big fat joke.”

“I can’t help feeling like you made me look like a fool tonight.”

“Adams the fool. Seriously Joe this conversation is done. Forget it please. I don’t even want to give another minute of my time talking about this.”

Joe didn’t respond just kept driving until we came to his building. He skidded into the car park and stalked out of the car without coming to my side to let me out.

“I’ll let myself out shall I?” I whispered to myself.

We got in the lift and travelled up in silence. This whole evening was a disaster. When we entered his apartment I pushed past him and went straight down the hall to the bathroom and locked myself in. I needed time away from his brooding to get my head straight. I sat on the bathroom floor thinking about everything that had happened. The timing tonight couldn’t have been worse. Why did he have to see that? I felt nauseas. I stood up to look at myself in the mirror and give myself a mental pep talk.

‘Keep your head Elle, you haven’t done anything wrong. Yes he’s pissed but you didn’t ask for any of this. It is up to him to get over it and move on. If he can’t do that it’s his issue, not yours.’