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Blooshed on the doorstep

Love can turn to hate so easily....


Published by: Amy Thompson
Published on: 3rd March 2011

Funny how you can look at someone you once loved and feel…nothing. Can’t even imagine ever having those heart-racing, stomach-flipping feelings with them. And yet once they’d been the centre of your universe.
That’s how I felt about my boyfriend Anthony. Four years ago, when we’d met through friends, I’d fallen for his broad shoulders, blue eyes… and the fact he supported Manchester United!
Now I stood in front of him and all I felt was sadness.
‘You used to be such a laugh,’ I shrugged. ‘B-but things have changed…’
Anthony, 24, had changed after losing his job with a cleaning company two years ago. He’d started drinking and accusing me of cheating.
‘It’s over,’ I told him. ‘I’m moving out.’
‘Babe, please, let’s give it another go?’ he begged me.
‘I can’t,’ I shrugged. ‘You’re not the bloke I fell in love with any more.’
I knew he couldn’t afford the rent himself so, to be fair to him, I agreed to stay in the house until we’d found our own places.
But, whereas we used to love staying in together, I started spending most of my time avoiding Anthony by going to my sister Sarah’s house…
‘You should tell him to leave,’ she said, rolling her eyes as she answered the front door to me a few days later.
‘He’s going through a difficult time,’ I protested. ‘I can’t just chuck him out.’
‘Well, if I were you…’
‘Does your sister ever stop?’ a voice chuckled behind me.
‘David!’ I gasped, spinning around. He was Anthony’s cousin and a close friend.
‘Hey,’ he beamed, giving me a hug. ‘How are you?’
‘Not bad,’ I smiled. But David, 18, saw through me.
‘Still getting over the break-up?’ he asked.
I nodded. He might have been 10 years younger than me, but you’d never know it. When me and Anthony were together, he was constantly at our house, always offering to make tea and cook dinner. And now he knew exactly what to say.
‘I know what’ll cheer you up,’ he grinned. ‘I’ve brought my Lee Evans DVD round.’
He was such a sweetie. Hard to believe he and Anthony were related sometimes.
Over the next few weeks, we met up regularly at my sister’s. He always had a new DVD to watch.
Soon, thinking about seeing him brought butterflies to my stomach. It was the oddest feeling. I realised something – just like you can see someone you’ve loved and feel nothing, you can look at someone you’ve felt nothing but friendship for and get the stomach flip.
Since spending more time with David, I’d seen this charming, considerate and funny side I’d never noticed before.
I was falling for him!
Not that I could tell him. He was Anthony’s cousin after all!
What if I made a fool of myself and lost a good friend?
But as David walked me home one night, he seemed distant. ‘What’s wrong?’ I asked, worried.
‘Nothing,’ he said. ‘It’s just…
I really like you.’
I’d never expected him to feel the same.
‘I-I like you, too.’
When he kissed me, I wanted it to never stop.
Back home, though, I felt bad. I had to be honest with Anthony. Maybe he’d be okay with it. After all, we’d broken up two months ago. Only…
‘David?!’ he spat when I told him. ‘No way!’
Anger bubbled inside. ‘We’re not together any more,’ I told him. ‘And you’re dating other people.’
‘It’s different, he’s my cousin,’ he fumed.
But there was no getting through to him. He refused to see what a hypocrite he was being – I wasn’t bothered that he was seeing other people.
A month passed and, while me and David grew closer, I steered clear of Anthony. Whenever we did bump into each other, he barely spoke to me.
For an easy life, I didn’t flaunt my relationship with David. We’d meet at my sister’s most of the time. This weekend, though, we were going to a party, then staying at my dad’s.
When we rolled in at 1am, I couldn’t wait to curl up in David’s arms.
But as soon as we got through the door, my phone bleeped with a text from Anthony. Tell David to come outside, or I’m coming in.
‘I’ll go and talk to him,’ he sighed. ‘Try to calm him.’
Before I could object, he was gone.
Scrambling off the sofa, I went after him.
The minute I got to the front door, I froze.
Anthony was hunched over David on the pavement, pummelling him.
‘Get off!’ I yelled. I leaped on to my ex’s back, and heaved with all my strength. Somehow I managed to prise him off.
David took his chance, backing away. But Anthony ran after him.
‘Traitor,’ he hissed angrily, lashing out.
I had to stop this! Racing up the road, I rounded the corner as David took a blow to the ribs. He doubled over, staggering backwards.
‘Are you okay?’ I asked.
‘Yeah,’ he groaned, clutching his side.
While he went back inside, I glared at Anthony. He smirked.
‘What the hell were you doing?’ I fumed. ‘I’m calling the police.’
‘Don’t care,’ he shrugged. ‘I’ve just stabbed him.’
My stomach clenched, I felt sick. ‘Y-you what?’ I gasped.
How could someone knife their own flesh and blood?
Suddenly, I noticed the scarlet splatters leading right up to Dad’s front door…
‘No!’ I gasped, racing to David.
He was inside, but so pale. ‘I don’t feel right,’ he mumbled. He hadn’t realised he’d been stabbed!
I rushed forward just as he collapsed. Cradling him in my arms, I sobbed. ‘Wake up! Please, David, please!’
 Suddenly, Dad appeared. ‘Call an ambulance,’ he shouted, grabbing a towel and pressing it on the wound.
Hands shaking, I dialled 999. In minutes, an ambulance arrived.
The police had already caught Anthony and arrested him.
At hospital, the news wasn’t good. ‘David’s been stabbed with a four-inch blade,’ the doctor told me. ‘He’s got a punctured lung and lost a lot of blood. We’ll do everything we can.’
He’d been stabbed in the lung? Oh my God!
For three agonising hours, I paced the corridors. Would I lose David before we’d had a proper chance to be together?
Finally, the surgeon told me he was stable, that he’d be okay. I almost knocked him over, I was in such a hurry to reach David’s side.
‘I thought I’d lost you,’ I sobbed.
‘Don’t be daft,’ he winced. ‘I’m not going anywhere.’
True to his word, as soon as he was better, he proposed. The stabbing made us both realise how important we were to each other.
In August last year, Anthony Perry admitted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm at Grimsby Crown Court.
He was sentenced to two years in prison.
Now when I think of Anthony, I don’t feel anything. I feel disgust that he could hurt someone that way. Things could so easily have been worse for David…
And, although he tried to split us up, he only succeeded in bringing us closer. I know I’ve seen the genuine David – a sensitive, loving, gentle man I want to spend the rest of my life with. We’re expecting our first baby in June. I’ve no doubt that our love will never fade.
Emma Riley, 29, Immingham, Lincolnshire