Even If It Hurts -H.S. AU

H -60

"Will you just pick something?" I groan as I lay between Violet's legs with my head on her tummy as she flips relentlessly through TV channels.

"Everything is boring." She argues flatly, munching on a potato chip she just put in her mouth and clicks another button.

It's Sunday, and I'm dreading tomorrow when we're forced to leave our happy little bubble to go back to work. I grab one of the sage green throw pillows she convinced me to buy and press it against my exposed ear, to drown out the TV.

She made me take her shopping yesterday- I say that like I didn't jump at the idea immediately. She said I owed her new lingerie, since I keep ripping hers, and who am I to argue with that? We also wandered into a home goods store and I was so enthralled with the way her eyes lit up at the decor around us, I convinced her to let me spend an ungodly amount of money on stuff for this place. Our place.

Waking up this morning, I couldn't help but smile as I looked around my previously dark, dreary apartment when I found little touches of her everywhere. She stuck warm lamps on every end table and pillows with matching throw blankets on the previously cold, black couch. There's a decorative centerpiece on the kitchen island and dinner table, along with new chairs that match the decorations in the living room. A bust of one of the Greek goddesses sits on my vinyl shelf, overlooking the room and I try not to make eye contact when I pass her.

It overwhelms me how much I missed living with the touch of a woman. How much I missed her.

"For the love of God, Violet. Would you just-" I pick my head up to look at her and cut myself off when I find an appalled look on her face as she stares at the TV. I follow her gaze to the glowing screen and my skin heats when I find a familiar face.

"What the fuck is he doing?" She mutters angrily and turns the volume almost all the way up.

"...there's been an abundance of speculation circulating the city in recent weeks..."

"I fucking hate when he uses his lawyer voice and adds in unnecessary big words." Violet grumbles watching Alex speak at some kind of press conference downtown. "He used to do it when we fought, like he was smarter than me."

"He's not." I say firmly, and sit up, watching the screen and wondering what the hell he could possibly say on this monstrously public platform. My stomach twists at all of the possibilities.

"...asked here this afternoon to comment on the allegations against my father and I'm prepared to do just that."

Violet inhales a surprised breath and I turn to watch her face closely as she pushes her bag of chips to the side and leans toward the TV a little.

What the fuck is he going to say? If he throws her under the bus, I swear to god-

"I take full responsibility for the package sent to the State's office accusing my father, Attorney General Vincent Pearson, of multiple affairs and evidence regarding fraud from his own law firm."

My mouth drops open in shock at his words as I face the TV before I slowly turn my head toward Vi again. Her jaw is clenched, her eyes blazing as she watches her ex-boyfriend cut off any questions and leave the podium. She's fucking seething.

"Why would he do that." She drones out, her voice so low I can barely hear her. "Why the fuck would he do that!"

"Violet-" I reach toward her, but she's already leaping off the couch, sending her snack and the pillows we bought yesterday flying everywhere.

"I'm going down there." She grumbles.

"The fuck you are, Vi." She finally turns to look at me and I decide to tread lightly based off the piercing look in her eye. Her mind is already made up and there's no way I'm going to change it. "Just- let me come with you."