“Liberty”
Jul 19, 2019The slap went across my face. Then back across the other way. Then a kick to the shin and another kick to the other shin. Then she kicked me in the balls and I could no longer hold myself up. I dropped to the ground, holding my groin, feeling like I was going to throw up. She stood over me, hands on her hips, a grin on her face.
“Aw, is the wittle baby hoit?” she mocked. “What kind of west coast bitch are you? I thought you wanted this.”
Tears in my eyes, I groaned, “I thought I did, too. But I didn’t know you’d be such a cunt.”
She kicked me hard right in the gut, and my lunch had no choice but to evacuate. I was going to be lying there for a while, my face in a puddle of my own sick. Better my sick than someone else’s, I guess. I’ve seen her beat up other people and it’s never pretty. She doesn’t care whether they’re a dude or chick, straight, gay, black, white, whatever. The more she can take on at once, the better she feels. She’ll kick all of their asses and have them knocked out in each other’s sick, where the rats crawl around them all night.
She sat down on the ground next to me and lit a cigarette. She blew the smoke in my face.
“You know I do it cos I love you.” She caressed my face. “You wouldn’t stick around if you didn’t love me, too.”
She was right. I loved her. But I also hated her. She was so much more honest and blunt and cruel than I thought she would be. But I’m a fucking masochist and I have things to prove to all the friends and family who wondered why the fuck I wanted to be with her. LA, she loves you and will treat you well, like you deserve. But they didn’t know what I deserve, they didn’t know what I want. LA was too bland and boring. We were together for far too long. I needed space. I needed a break.
Liberty could see the nostalgia on my face. “You’re thinking about that bitch again, aren’t you?”
The pain in my crotch had subsided. I rolled onto my back and lay there, spread out, staring into the sky. I could see people walking by, looking at us, hurrying along, not wanting to involve themselves in anything they need not be involved in.
“I am. I’m thinking about how much nicer she was to me. And I didn’t realize it until I came here to be with you.”
She put her cigarette out on the ground and threw the butt at my face.
“Then fucking leave. Go be with her like all the other whiney little fucks.”
I thought about it. I looked at Liberty and made a move to get up. She grabbed me by the shirt collar and stuck her tongue in my mouth. Goddamn she could kiss. I started getting hard. She pushed me away and I stood.
“Get the fuck out of here,” she said and lit another cigarette.
I stood for a second, staring down at her, and turned to walk away. One step and I felt my legs get pulled out from under me. The next thing I remember is opening my eyes and feeling such a hot pressure on my face. I was in bed. I didn’t even need to touch my face to know it was broken. I turned my head and Liberty was next to me smiling.
“Good morning, handsome. Hell of a fall you had last night.” She put her head on my chest and we held each other.