Chapter 19

He didn't come back until it was dark.

We had our first major blowout.

"You said you didn't like her, but you still hooked up with her?" I yelled.

"Do you even hear yourself?" He stared at me for a second, then sighed. "I went out to handle something."

"Handle something? You mean this?" I hurled the box at him, and condoms scattered everywhere.

His eyes darkened. "You went through my stuff?"

"You bought them, used them, and you don't admit it? You bastard!"

"How am I a bastard?" He snapped back. "I've been looking after you for months. Have I ever let you go hungry or treated you badly? I can't even keep a plant alive for three days. Do you have any idea how ungrateful you sound?"

We kept going at it, neither of us backing down.

Finally, he caved a bit, his voice softening. "What's really bothering you?"

"I just can't stand seeing you with her," I blurted out.

He looked stunned for a moment. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"What's the problem?"
"I'm already 31, isn't it normal to have a woman? Why are you getting jealous? Don't you have your own issues?" he shot back.

"Can't I be jealous?" I fired back.

"Jealousy is for lovers. Do you even know what our relationship is?" he countered.

"So, can't I be your lover?" I finally asked the question that had been eating at me for so long.

"Of course not," he said, realizing how harsh that sounded. He added, "I'm 31, practically your uncle, and you're just a kid."

"Not even in the future?"

"No."

"Got it."

I felt like the ground had been pulled out from under me.

After a moment of hesitation, I grabbed my bag and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" he called after me.

I ignored him, feeling like I was suffocating and needed to get out.

"Stop, are you being a bad girl?"

"Fine, if you leave, don't bother coming back," he threatened.

I couldn't take his threats anymore and bolted out the door.