Let us write a story sentence by sentence.

but instead i just watched as arlo took charge. when he touched freya's shoulder i thought i was going to scream. i know all he was doing was trying to support her, but it didn't make a difference to me. my man was touching another woman.

'i'm gonna go call the police.'

as i started back across the road i heard freya's voice. i stopped and turned to face her.

'what freya?'

i looked arlo. looks like he was going to let me handle this. he raised his eyebrows at me as if to say this situation was between family. which i guess is how it should be.

'and go where freya? you can't run from vincent forever. you have to face him otherwise you'll just be looking behind your back all the time.'

i started again for my place to call the police.

'god freya. this is not about just you anymore.'

i walked to my sister and placed my hand on her belly.

'you have a child growing inside you. that is such a gift. you have to think about her now. cut vincent loose. get on with your life. you have to do this. for you. and for your baby.'

i could feel the tears coming. i turned away before either freya or arlo could see. i felt a hand on my shoulder and shrugged it off.

'leave me alone.'

i looked at my sister.

'i don't fuckin' know. just tell him it's over? he beats you freya. you could throw his arse in jail if you wanted to. threaten him with that.'

a car came along the street and beeped it's horn at us. we ignored it.

i looked past freya to arlo for some sort of unconscious help. he smiled.

'that's the thing freya. i didn't handle it. that is why i'm the fuck up remember?'

'well your car was stolen. that's a start isn't it. you don't have to mention vincent but you should at least report it. and you know what else. vincent will expect you to do nothing just like you always have, but it's really up to you. can we go back inside my feet are freezing.'

'well that's it then. looks like we'll have to get you a bus pass. let's go arlo it's too cold out here for me.'

as we walked back to my place, i felt arlo's hand slide into mine.
when we got inside, freya went into the kitchen to boil the kettle and arlo and i went back to bed. i couldn't sleep so i traced my fingers up and down arlo's back while he protested without much conviction.

i heard her crying and hoped if i ignored her, she would just stop. arlo rolled over to face me.

'you know you should go talk to her. it can't be easy.'

freya's back was to me, but when she heard someone else in the room she turned around. i'd never seen her so sad. or distressed for that matter.


'i can't do it anna. i can't do this on my own. i need him.'


it was then that i realised that freya was thinking about going back to vincent. how serious she was i couldn't tell. but i knew that if i didn't say anything at all, she would walk out my door and go back to that son of a bitch.

was this what it felt like to have someone dependent upon you? was this feeling weighing on my body something davey and everyone else felt whenever i went off the deep end? responsibility was a bitch if this is how it felt. now i know why i'm not a people person. it's cause they've all learnt to stay away from me and in return i've learnt to live without them. i looked at freya. i really didn't know what to say to her. i knew that any advice i gave to her would be confrontational, irrespective of who else it involved. i leant over and took both her hands in mine.

'i'm so sorry freya.'