Codependancy

Lucas had always preferred his own company. Living alone in his modest house in the small coastal town of Seabridge, he valued the simplicity of a quiet life. His days were spent woodworking in his shop, followed by evenings fishing by the docks or reading by the fire. He wasn’t one for drama. After a string of failed relationships, he had come to appreciate his independence.

"I don’t need anyone else making my life more complicated," he often thought. 

That changed the day he met Tara. She was unlike anyone he’d ever encountered—radiant, magnetic, and full of life. Tara had just moved back to Seabridge after years of city living, bringing with her a whirlwind of energy. She was an artist, constantly talking about her feelings, her latest project, or how the world didn’t understand her. Lucas was captivated at first.

At a local gallery opening, Tara approached Lucas with a bright smile. “You have a calming energy about you. I like that,” she said, her eyes lingering on him.

Lucas, unaccustomed to such intense attention, smiled awkwardly. “I guess I’m just used to the quiet around here.”

Tara laughed. “Maybe that’s what I need in my life—less noise, more calm.”

Their relationship progressed quickly. At first, Lucas enjoyed the excitement Tara brought into his life. But soon, her constant need for validation and attention began to wear on him. She would demand his presence at all hours, bombarding him with texts and calls whenever he wasn’t with her.

“Lucas, where are you? Why haven’t you called me back?” Tara’s voice was sharp one evening after he hadn’t answered her calls while working in his shop.

“I’ve been in the workshop,” Lucas replied calmly, holding the phone to his ear. “I told you I’d be working late today.”

“You always say that!” she snapped. “But I needed you. I had the worst day ever, and you weren’t there. It’s like you don’t even care.”

Lucas sighed, rubbing his temple. “I can’t drop everything every time you have a bad day, Tara. I’m here now.”

“That’s not the point! You should have known!” Her voice grew shrill, almost panicked. “How can you not *feel* when I need you?”

Lucas stayed silent, his stomach tightening. This wasn’t the first time she had reacted like this. Over time, it became the norm.

As the weeks passed, Tara’s behavior became more erratic. She craved Lucas’ attention constantly, as though his mere presence could solve all her problems. When he tried to create space for himself, Tara would explode into fits of emotional outbursts that bordered on the hysterical.

One night, after Lucas declined to attend a last-minute dinner party with her, Tara showed up at his door unannounced, tears streaming down her face.

“You don’t love me anymore!” she cried, pushing her way inside. “You’re avoiding me. I can feel it.”

“Tara, I just wanted one quiet night to myself,” Lucas said, keeping his voice steady. “We’ve been together every day this week.”

“And you’re saying that like it’s a problem?!” she shrieked, her eyes wide, hands trembling. “I gave up my everything for you! You said you wanted this, us! Was that a lie?”

“Tara, calm down,” Lucas tried to say, but she wasn’t listening.

“Calm down? Calm down? You’re the one pulling away! I bet you don’t even care if I just disappear, do you?” she accused, her voice rising with every word. “I could leave, and you wouldn’t even notice!”

“You’re being dramatic,” Lucas said, though he regretted the words the second they left his mouth.

“Dramatic? I’m being dramatic?” Tara’s expression turned cold. “You think I’m overreacting? Well, maybe I should just go find someone who doesn’t think my feelings are a joke.”

She stormed out, slamming the door behind her, leaving Lucas stunned. 

The next day, Lucas received a barrage of messages from Tara, alternating between apologies and accusations.

“I’m sorry, I just love you so much and I don’t know how to deal with it,” one message read.  

“You’re making me feel crazy, Lucas! Do you even realize what you’re doing to me?” read another.

That evening, Tara showed up at his house again, this time with a new tactic. She sat on his couch, tears welling in her eyes, her voice low and pleading.

“I need you, Lucas,” she whispered. “I don’t know what I’d do without you. You’re the only one who understands me.”

Lucas felt a wave of guilt wash over him. Maybe he had been too distant. Maybe he wasn’t doing enough to support her. But deep down, he knew that no matter how much he gave, it would never be enough. 

“I can’t keep doing this, Tara,” he said quietly. “You’re asking too much from me. I need my own space, too.”

Tara’s expression hardened in an instant. “So, you’re just going to abandon me? After everything I’ve done for you? You’re heartless.”

Lucas took a deep breath. “No, I’m not abandoning you. But I can’t be everything for you. No one can.”

Tara’s response was explosive. She jumped to her feet, her face twisted in rage. 

“You’re a monster!” she screamed. “You’ve been leading me on, making me think you cared, but you’re just like all the others! You’re cold, Lucas. Cold and unfeeling!”

“Tara, that’s not true,” Lucas said, trying to keep his voice calm. “You’re twisting everything. I’ve always been honest with you.”

But Tara wasn’t listening. She grabbed her coat, her voice shrill as she continued to berate him. “You think you’re so calm and collected, don’t you? But you’re cruel! I hope you rot alone in this miserable house!”

With that, she stormed out, leaving Lucas standing in stunned silence.

Days passed without a word from Tara, and for the first time in months, Lucas felt the weight lift off his shoulders. He was free—free from the constant emotional rollercoaster that had become his life. His friends noticed a change in him immediately.

“You look... lighter,” Mark said when they met up for drinks. “Like you’ve finally let go of something heavy.”

Lucas nodded, realizing just how much of himself he had lost trying to keep Tara happy. 

But one evening, just as Lucas was beginning to settle back into his routine, his phone buzzed. It was Tara. The message was simple but loaded with implication:

“I miss you. Can we talk?”

Lucas hesitated before replying. He knew what would happen if he let Tara back in. Her histrionics, her manipulation, her need to control—it would all come rushing back. He had already walked that path, and he wasn’t willing to do it again.

He texted back: “No, Tara. I think it’s best we go our separate ways. Take care.”

As he hit send, Lucas felt a sense of finality. For the first time in a long while, he knew he was doing the right thing—protecting himself, standing firm against her emotional manipulation. Tara’s need for control had no place in his life anymore.

Lucas stood on his porch, breathing in the cool night air, finally free from the emotional storm that had consumed him. He had learned a hard truth: love wasn’t about control, and no amount of guilt could make him sacrifice his peace.

“It’s time to get back to what matters,” he thought, walking inside, his heart finally at ease.