Griffin:Please Claire, talk to me.
Griffin:I’m lost without you.
Griffin:I’m scared. I need you.
Griffin:If you ever cared about me, about us, you’ll call me.
Griffin:I’m begging you. I don’t think I can go on without you.
Griffin:I won’t stop until you answer. I just need to hear your voice, please.
His face lights up my screen and the green and red buttons stare at me. Accept and ignore. Which one should I choose?
Maybe if I answer, he’ll stop blowing up my phone?
Because the opposite has only resulted in him calling and texting me every few hours and continuing to beg me to reach out to him.
Against my better judgment, I accept the call.
“Hello?” I bite my lip and wait for which version of him that will show up.
“Claire, thank God.” He’s out of breath. “You had me worried. Are you okay?”
“Yes, Griffin. I’m fine.” I maintain my composure.
“Good, I’m glad.” The nice Griffin is here, but for how long? “We’re going to get through this, okay? Together.”
I shake my head to rid myself of his stupid words. Is he really this dumb? “Griffin, hold up.”
He cuts me off. “I know you were drinking. You didn’t mean what you said. It’s okay. I know you’re sorry.”
Is he freaking serious right now?
Griffin continues in his cool and calm voice. “We all make mistakes. I forgive you.”
It’s everything I can do to not explode from every single thing he’s implying.
“Look, Claire, you can make it up to me. How’s that sound?”
I try and try and try to hold back the tidal wave of fury, but I can’t.
“Have you lost your mind? I meant every single word I said to you last night. Especially the part about being done. I don’t have to be drunk to acknowledge the truth. You’re horrible to me. You have been for a long time. Do we have to even mention thecheating? You’re a disgusting pig, Griffin.”
He doesn’t bother playing pretend anymore either. “Oh, and you’re any better? Don’t act like you aren’t already fucking around. All those early mornings and late nights at some place called Bram’s…is that where you’re meeting him? Did you forget I can still see your location?”
“Meeting who? Are you listening to yourself right now? You’re accusing me of sleeping around because I found decent coffee?”
“Don’t lie to me. I knew the moment you told me you were going out west that you’d fuck the first guy who gave you any attention.”
I stand from the couch. “I don’t have to listen to this anymore. There’s no point in trying to convince you of something you already have your mind made up over. And if that’s the story you have to tell yourself to sleep better at night, knowing you’restillmessing around with Shelby, then so be it. I couldn’t care less. Forget my number, forget I ever existed.”
He starts to mouth off again, but I don’t allow it to happen.
I disconnect the call and throw my phone onto the loveseat next to me. I grab a nearby pillow, holding it to my face to muffle the scream that leaves my body.
How can one person be so incredibly infuriating?
He managed to manipulate me into accepting a phone call, only to turn it around and makemethe bad guy somehow. The craziest thing of all is he probably actually believes the things that he says.