It was a typical Saturday night. I was sitting on my couch, with a bowl of popcorn and watching a '90s movie, as every Saturday night. Sucks, I know. I'm a 28 years old guy, with no girlfriend or wife, and a dead-end job, all my friends with their wives or girlfriends, and I'm all alone here. But I have made peace with it, cause, sometimes I really think it's all my own doing.
That all being said, you can imagine how surprise I was, when the bell rang; I tried to remember if I ordered anything recently, but I couldn't remember anything. I groaned in annoyance, as I got up to open the door in my black trousers and a batman t-shirt.
And this was time for my ultimate surprise; it was Kate. Well, I guess it could be normal, being that she is one of my friends and the wife of my best friend; but it was weird cause her hairs was a mess, her eyes were puffed and red, there was a cut on her lips, and bruise on her arms.
"Jesus! What happened?" I asked, moving away from the door to let her in. I was confused and scared, about her and my friend, is something wrong?
"Michael happened," She replied, as she walked in to the couch. I closed the door. Michael is my best friend, her husband.
"What the fuck? Why?" I asked, again, confused, as I rushed to the counter and grabbed the first aid kit. "What happened?"
"You know, just the usual, drinking, partying, hookers," she said with disgust, as I opened the kit and checked her bruises; they looked bad. "Only this time, I tried to stop him," she added, as she flinched in pain.
"Sorry," I quickly apologized for pressing too hard as I took out some cleaning cloth and alcohol to clean the cuts and bruises. "And I'm really sorry for Michael; I can't believe he would do something like this."
She gave a single laugh. "HA! You can't believe? Paul, you know him, you have known him since he was a kid; you know how he is, better than me," She said with disgust and a bit of anger?
I sighed, "yah... I guess... but I never thought he could hurt you like this," I said, turning her arm to clean the underside.
I pressed gently as she watched me. I was about to start to say that he loves her, but before I could start, she asked, "Why did you never ask me out?"
I stopped there, froze. My heart was racing. She didn't know, did she? I thought nobody knew.
"Why would I do that?" I ask after a moment of pause, as I try to avoid her gaze, pretending to clean up a bit more.
"Don't bullshit me, I can see it, I always knew. Why did you never ask me out?"
I stayed there, knelt in front of her, not knowing what to say. My hand: froze on her arm. I sighed. And put the things back in the box. "It doesn't matter," I said, and got up to put the kit back.
"It doesn't?" she asked, as I was walking away. "Look at me. I'm being abused here, Paul. He is hurting me every day. You don't care that none of this would have happened if only you asked me out?"
I ignored her and walked to the counter, put the kit back, and stood there; really didn't wanna talk about all these now. I heard her footsteps, walking towards me.
-Turn around and answer me Paul.
- I'm sorry.
- Turn around. Face me. I want a reason. You knew how he is, why didn't you stop me?
- He is my best friend.
- So that's it? You let the girl you love, get hurt every day, cause you wanted to play best friend?
- You don't understand. It's not that simple.