CHAPTER 9 | Abby
?CHAPTER 9
Abby
T he frantic thrashing on the front door wakes me up from a dream that I no longer remember. My racing heart sounds loudly in my ears, almost muffling the noise from the front door. My whole body freezes as the pounding continues. A muffled yell reverberates under the closed bedroom door, not allowing me to hear the words.
Sam should not be home yet. It’s only been a day. And he wouldn’t be pounding on the door either. I can’t put my thoughts together long enough to even begin to understand who might be outside that door. I don’t want to find out, at least not alone. My hand is on my phone before I process what I’m doing. I find Dallas’s name and start typing, hoping to God he is still awake. I glance at the time after sending an SOS text, realizing it’s almost three in the morning. There’s no way he’s still awake.
To my relief, my phone dings and I immediately hide it under the covers, clenching it so close to my body that I might absorb it. I hope to God whoever stands on the other side of that door didn’t hear my phone. My eyes go wide as I adjust to the dark room. I wouldn’t dare turn on a light. No one can know I’m here.
“Open the door, Abby!” I hear louder than before. A male’s voice. Not Sam’s voice. I don’t recognize the angry shout that threatens me. I glance at my phone, thankful to see Dallas’s reply.
D: I’m coming
Please hurry. Do I call the cops? They might listen to me on this one. No. Sam would surely find out. Who else knows I live here other than Meredith? Just Dallas now. Then it dawns on me. Sam’s friends. He’s threatened this before. I never thought he’d actually do it. When he called asking whose place I was at, that was enough motive for him to get suspicious. He doesn’t trust me. Not that I’m surprised.
“I have a key.” the man says calmer this time. A warning. He will come in. “Open the door and this will go much smoother.” A key? How? A useless question. I know exactly who gave it to him. Another knock, then silence.
A long enough period of silence tells me to get up and check the front door. My body moves, but my mind is still cowering under the covers. The bedroom door opens without a sound, and I peer out into the empty dark living room, the front door sitting just beyond the couch. It’s still closed. No more pounding on the door, but I keep my eyes trained on the spot where the handle would be. For a moment, I think I’m free, but then a small click sounds loudly in the quiet apartment as the latch unlocks, and the handle starts to turn.
Somewhere in me, my instincts kick in and I run to the door, pushing on it with all my strength. I’m met with strong resistance as the intruder pushes harder. “Abby, don’t fucking do this. Let me in, and we can talk.”
I don’t respond. I plant my feet behind me, angling my body even more, hoping the leverage will keep him out. My small frame does little compared to the force of the other guy. He pushes only a few times before I fall backward, bracing myself with my arms outstretched behind me.
“Now, why did you have to make this difficult? You probably woke up the whole building by not letting me in when I asked.” Shane stands in front of me with a smirk on his face. The darkness keeps me from seeing the rest of his features, but I can make out the outline of his shorts and tank top. The light from the hall makes his silhouette seem huge as I look up from the floor.
“What do you want, Shane?” I ask, hoping I put enough grit behind my question.
He snorts before answering. “What do I want? I don’t want anything. Sam, on the other hand, wants to make sure you’re keeping in line.” He closes the door behind him before finding the light switch. I squint as my eyes adjust to the light. His short brown hair sits messy on top of his head, and his dark eyes do little to soothe my fear. “Then again, since Sam’s not here, we could have a little fun.” He takes a step closer.
It’s an effort to gather the little bit of willpower I still have left. “Get lost, Shane.”
A wicked laugh echoes through the apartment. He purses his lips and nods lazily. “Sam saw that you went to someone else’s house after the party last night. You weren’t home when he left for the airport. Poor thing was scared you’d gotten lost. But to his surprise, you were only a few blocks away.” His conniving tone works its way into my head, making me start to panic. Where is Dallas?
“He already called me. This is between me and Sam. Not you. Now leave.” I don’t move but force a defensive eye at him.
“Now, now. You don’t really expect me to leave without getting a solid answer, do you?” He eyes me up and down. “And maybe a little extra.” He raises an eyebrow as he folds his arms, taking another step closer. “I just need to know whose house you were at.”
A sudden burst of anger makes me stand up, fists clenched, ready for a fight. It’s probably a comical scene from an outsider’s perspective, but at the moment, I feel like I’m ready to defend myself. “And then what? You’ll beat me like Sam does? I’m done with him. Done!”
Shane takes another step toward me, and I lift an arm, preparing for the first hit, but it doesn’t come. Instead, I hear the door. Shane turns around just as Dallas clocks him in the cheek, sending him stumbling backward toward me. “Get the fuck out of here!” Dallas yells.
Shane laughs. “So, this is your new pet, huh? Your knight in shining armor?” He wipes some blood from his nose, streaking it across the back of his hand.
“I said get out before I call the cops!” Dallas points to the door and takes a step toward him.
Shane stands, squaring up with Dallas. No one makes a move. Shane is a few inches taller, but Dallas is built better. Far better.
Shane’s jaw clenches repeatedly before he shakes his head and starts toward the door. “I won’t hurt your pretty boy face tonight,” he addresses Dallas, then turns to face me. “This isn’t over, Abby. Sam will not be happy to hear about this.” He turns the corner, slamming the door behind him.
Dallas runs over to me, hands gripping my shoulders. “Are you okay? Did he touch you? I swear to God if that motherfucker touched you—”
“He didn’t touch me,” I cut him off, looking to the floor. Dallas hangs his head as he lets out a long breath of relief. His brown hair hangs in his face, slightly damp. “Thank you,” I muster, as a tear escapes. He looks up, worry staining his expression. His eyes trail to where I’m sure the bruise is quite prominent now. I can see the anguish all over his face. A thumb meets my cheek, wiping the tear away. My eyes close as I feel the warmth of his hand move to cradle the back of my neck, fingers entwining in my hair.
“I got here as soon as I could.” He seems disheartened like he’s afraid he did something wrong.
“I know.” I pause, looking at those warm brown eyes. I bury my face into his shoulder, clenching the back of his shirt as tightly as I can. The pain in my cheek screams, but I don’t care. I press harder, forcing my mind to relax. His hand moves to brace the back of my head, the other now wrapped around my waist. For the first time in a long time, I realize I feel safe. I don’t remember the last time someone held me like this. Dallas’s hot breath on my neck sends a shiver down my spine, but I don’t move. We stay like that for a long time. Embraced in endless security. I feel weightless.
When I finally pull away, Dallas moves us to the couch. Neither of us says anything for a moment. “Are you sure you’re okay? You’re not hurt?” His voice is soft.
“I’m okay. I promise.” A hand still rests on my back, softly caressing up and down the length of my spine.
“We need to call the cops,” he says, reaching for his phone.
“No!” I yell, stalling him. “Please, don’t call the cops. I don’t want to get anyone else involved. Sam is already upset. I don’t need another reason for him to be mad at me. It wouldn’t end well.” I look down at the bruises on my arm and feel the light throbbing of my cheek, a reminder of last night.
“Abby, you’re not safe here. The cops can help you find this guy. I got a good look at him. I can relay the information.”
I take a deep breath. “I already know him. He’s a friend of Sam’s. But you don’t understand, Sam will have my head if he finds out the cops got involved.”
“I won’t let that happen.”
“You don’t know Sam. He knows people. Too many people.”
“I know people, too. My mom’s an attorney and a pretty good one at that.”
“Please, don’t call the cops,” I plead. “Please.”
He sighs as if finally accepting my answer. He looks around momentarily but I’m not sure what he’s looking for. “You can’t stay here,” he asserts firmly.
The lump in my throat builds as reality sets in. “I know.”
Dallas helps me put together a duffel bag of my things before we walk out the door. I glance behind me through the open door. “We can come back for more. But at least for tonight, it would be best if we get you to a safer place.” He shuts the front door but stops short in the dimly lit hall. “One more thing. Does Sam have your location?”
“Yeah. He uses the same app everyone does,” I admit.
“Can you turn it off? I don’t want him finding you.” Dallas says sternly.
“I ... I don’t know. He gets really mad when he doesn’t know where I am.” The thought of disobeying Sam sends my heart racing, but I remind myself this is simply my body's gut reaction.
“He’ll have to go through me if he wants to get to you.”
I sigh but pull out my phone. The location setting in my phone hasn’t been touched in who knows how long. I hesitate at the simple click of a button while memories of that last time I turned it off clang through my head.
“Do you want me to do it?” Dallas offers with an outstretched hand.
“No. I need to do this.” I stare at the screen. One tiny button. That’s all it takes. So why am I struggling with this? Deep breath in, deep breath out. I hold my breath and click the button. It gets shoved back into my bag before I have a chance to change my mind.
By the time we arrive back at Dallas’s apartment, it’s nearly four in the morning. He unlocks his front door, guiding me in with a soft hand on the small of my back. It’s dark save for a small glow of the light over the stove. “My sister is asleep on the couch,” he whispers, nodding toward her. He pauses in the kitchen. “Do you want anything to eat or drink before we get you back to bed?”
“No, I’m okay. I’m just tired.” He leads me down the hall, back into the bedroom I was in less than twenty-four hours earlier. I didn’t think to change out of my pajamas before coming over here, so I’m thankful the black lacy tank top and matching shorts provide enough coverage that I don’t feel overly exposed.
He pulls back the navy-blue striped comforter and sets my duffle bag on the floor at the foot of the bed. “You sleep here. I’ll take the couch in the living room.” He turns to leave.
“No!” I say, stopping myself quickly. “I, um ...” I take a deep breath before continuing. “I don’t really want to be alone. Can I sleep on the couch, too?” I ask.
He looks to the living room for a moment before answering my question. “With Rose already asleep out there, there’s only room for one more.” He pauses to think. “You take the bed. I’ll take the floor.” He starts to grab a blanket from the chair in the corner and grabs a pillow from the other side of the bed. He plops the pillow down before gently laying the blanket out as well. “Do you need to change or anything? I can leave the room if you do. Or, the bathroom is just outside in the hall,” he says, pointing his thumb over his shoulder.
“Are you sure you’re okay on the floor?” I ask, sitting down on the edge of the bed. It creaks under my weight.
He pulls the blanket over his chest. “I’m practicing for my role as a rug in case I ever get cast.” He chuckles. “Yes, I’m okay.”
I let myself laugh, too. “Okay.” I twist, slipping my feet into the soft fabric. My head easily relaxes into the pillow, taking in the faint scent of linen. His detergent maybe? Once I stop hearing Dallas’s shuffling, I close my eyes and focus on my breathing. The air conditioning kicks on, the hum lulling me to sleep. As tired as I am after such a twisted night, my ears still listen for, well, anything. My eyes are ready to spring open at a moment’s notice. My jaw is sore from clenching it so tightly. And above all, the pit in my stomach leaves me scared to fall asleep.