The Honeytrap Heartbreaker

3.

After the accident when it was just Ella and her father things changed quickly. She was never the favourite child anyway and she accepted that a long time ago but with everyone else gone her father was fast to blame her for everything. Although she was only sixteen Ella was left with running the house, her dad went to work occasionally but he was usually too hungover to get up every day. The first time he hit her was her mom's birthday. They ordered her mom's favourite takeout and ate in silence as Ella stood to clear the plates without even saying a word he stood up, slammed the plates to the floor out of her hands and punched her in the face. He took his bottle of whisky and went back upstairs.

She had to spend the next few days inside, there was no way she could explain this to people. He began to hit her more frequently after he got away with it the first time, punches became beatings and he'd get more inventive in time as well as learning where the bruises would be visible. Each time it was followed by a chorus of 'I wish it was you who died that day, it was your fault.'

His words echoed in her head as she wondered aimlessly down the road. On auto-pilot she found herself sat at a bar, she asked for vodka and the bartender looked shocked when she said she didn't want a mixer. She threw the first one back as if it were water and it was filled back up, after two more the bartender left the bottle and strolled off in search of conversation. Ella was oblivious to everyone and everything around her; she couldn't see anything but the bottom of the glass.

"Ella right?"

She didn't ever turn her head, she poured herself another drink and the stranger sat next to her.

"I'm Jake. We met at Jenna's birthday party last night? You were Adam's date?"

She rolled her eyes in his direction. She didn't recognise him but she was so close to a vodka coma she wouldn't have recognised herself. She went to refill her glass when he grabbed her wrist. His hand was about the size of her forearm.

"Don't you think you've had enough?"

She snapped her wrist out of his grip and filled the glass to the rim.

"Do you want me to call Adam?"

"Seriously, I do not know you. Go away. Do not call Adam. I am a grown woman and if I want to sit here and drink I have every god damn right this is America."

"Whatever."

He walked off and Ella dropped back into her glass.

She woke up a few hours later passed out on her sofa. Her head was fuzzy and it felt as if she had swallowed cotton wool. She didn't move. She knew she'd be sick if she moved. The toilet flushed; her thoughts raced immediately...who the hell is in my apartment? Did I bring them here?  What if it's a burglar? Burglars have to pee too...Is it a man? Did I sleep with him?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of a man in the doorway.

"Oh. you're awake, I'll get going."

The man leaned over her and the sofa and grabbed his jacket.

"Before you do, who the fuck are you and why are you in my apartment?"

"Charming. I'm Jake, as I said earlier we met at Jenna's birthday party yesterday. I'm also the guy that stopped you from getting arrested a few hours ago."

She did not remember any of this. She was so confused she couldn't even murmur a reply.

"I'll take your silence as a thank-you. Bye Ella."

She looked at the clock, it was 10.30pm. She didn't realise it was even possible to be this drunk at this time. The only word she could get out was fuck. This whole day was a complete write-off. She potentially ruined her relationship with the only family member she cared about, spent way too much money on vodka, drank way too much and then let a complete stranger take her home because apparently she was going to get arrested. All she wanted to do was ring Adam but he'd probably be out and his first question would definitely be about June and she really wasn't ready for that.