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Jimbo sat on the edge of the couch, hands clasped tightly in his lap. His breath was shallow, the quiet of the room thick with the sound of the ticking clock. Terry was in the kitchen, his movements erratic, slamming cupboards shut as he muttered to himself. The smell of alcohol clung to the air, strong and bitter.
"Jimbo!" Terry's voice suddenly broke through the silence, harsh and demanding. "Did you touch my stuff again?"
Jimbo flinched at the outburst, but he tried to remain calm. He had learned over the years that responding with anger only made things worse. "No, Terry, I didn't touch anything. I swear."
Terry stepped into the living room, his face flushed, eyes wild. "You think I'm stupid? You think I don't know what you're doing? You never respect me—never!"
Jimbo stood up quickly, his heart pounding. He had seen this look in Terry’s eyes before. The rage that built up behind them always seemed to come from nowhere. “Terry, please... you're drunk. Let’s talk about this when you’re sober.”
“You don’t get to tell me what to do!” Terry shouted, his fists clenched at his sides. Jimbo backed away, but his legs were already trembling. "I put up with your crap every damn day, and this is how you repay me?"
Terry was too close now, and Jimbo’s instinct to protect himself kicked in. But there was no place to run. His back was against the wall.
Then, as if the weight of his words had finally hit him, Terry stopped. His expression faltered, guilt flashing in his eyes. "I'm sorry. I... I don't know what's wrong with me."
Jimbo’s breath hitched. His chest tightened, a mix of fear and sadness. "You need help, Terry. This isn’t you. This isn’t us. I can't keep doing this."
Terry’s face contorted with frustration, his hands shaking. "I don’t want to hurt you... I don’t want this to be us, either. But... it’s like I can’t stop."
For a long moment, there was only silence. The weight of their reality hung between them.
“I can’t keep living like this,” Jimbo whispered, more to himself than to Terry. “I can’t keep pretending everything is fine.”
Terry’s eyes welled up with tears, but Jimbo couldn’t bring himself to comfort him this time. Not when it felt like they were both standing on the edge of something far more dangerous than either of them wanted to admit.
"Jimbo!" Terry's voice suddenly broke through the silence, harsh and demanding. "Did you touch my stuff again?"
Jimbo flinched at the outburst, but he tried to remain calm. He had learned over the years that responding with anger only made things worse. "No, Terry, I didn't touch anything. I swear."
Terry stepped into the living room, his face flushed, eyes wild. "You think I'm stupid? You think I don't know what you're doing? You never respect me—never!"
Jimbo stood up quickly, his heart pounding. He had seen this look in Terry’s eyes before. The rage that built up behind them always seemed to come from nowhere. “Terry, please... you're drunk. Let’s talk about this when you’re sober.”
“You don’t get to tell me what to do!” Terry shouted, his fists clenched at his sides. Jimbo backed away, but his legs were already trembling. "I put up with your crap every damn day, and this is how you repay me?"
Terry was too close now, and Jimbo’s instinct to protect himself kicked in. But there was no place to run. His back was against the wall.
Then, as if the weight of his words had finally hit him, Terry stopped. His expression faltered, guilt flashing in his eyes. "I'm sorry. I... I don't know what's wrong with me."
Jimbo’s breath hitched. His chest tightened, a mix of fear and sadness. "You need help, Terry. This isn’t you. This isn’t us. I can't keep doing this."
Terry’s face contorted with frustration, his hands shaking. "I don’t want to hurt you... I don’t want this to be us, either. But... it’s like I can’t stop."
For a long moment, there was only silence. The weight of their reality hung between them.
“I can’t keep living like this,” Jimbo whispered, more to himself than to Terry. “I can’t keep pretending everything is fine.”
Terry’s eyes welled up with tears, but Jimbo couldn’t bring himself to comfort him this time. Not when it felt like they were both standing on the edge of something far more dangerous than either of them wanted to admit.