Chapter 9 #2
Hal clasps my hand in his and shakes his head fervently.
“No, I’m so glad you trusted me enough to tell me what happened.
Every day you show me how strong and brave you are.
It just breaks my heart to know that your ex hurt you that way.
None of it was your fault. Damien is the one to blame.
You’re right, he is a shit-stain of a human being. ”
That makes me chuckle. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you swear before.”
He flushes. “It’s not a regular part of my lexicon, but I think it’s warranted in this case.”
“No kidding.” I lean against the back of the couch, letting my head fall back, and close my eyes. “You could say I’ve had real shitty luck when it came to men.”
Until now.
Hal pulls me into his arms and hugs me tight. “You’re safe now. I won’t ever let anyone hurt you again.”
His words, so earnest and full of promise, shatter the carefully constructed wall I’d built to hold back all my pain and suffering.
But sheltered in Hal’s embrace, I let the floodgates open fully, in a way I haven’t allowed myself to until now.
Maybe because I worried I wouldn’t be able to pick myself up again if I did.
With Hal at my side, though, I’m secure in the knowledge that he’s got my back and will always lift me up.
I never thought I could trust someone like this again. But as usual, Hal’s proven me wrong in the very best way possible.
I let out every ounce of anger and anguish I’ve been holding inside until I feel like I’ve wrung myself dry and there are no tears left to cry.
Grimacing, I pull back and wipe my snotty, tear-streaked face.
I probably look like a fucking mess right now, and my eyeliner’s for sure gone to shit, but I feel a fuckton lighter.
A weight I’ve had to carry for so long isn’t as heavy anymore.
My story isn’t quite done, and I’m not sure if I should tell him the last part, but I need to get it off my chest. To unburden myself, as Dr. P likes to tell me.
Hal’s been a rock through this all so far, and I know he won’t bail on me.
In fact, his steady, reassuring presence has made this whole process very freeing.
I know my trauma is hard for him to hear, but he hasn’t run screaming and his attitude toward me hasn’t changed. He’s still the same big, sweet, loving sasquatch I’m pretty fucking sure I’m already head over heels for.
Hal pulls a handkerchief out of one of his apron pockets—one he clearly embroidered—and hands it to me.
I give him a watery smile. “Always prepared. Thank you.” After I wipe my face and blow my nose, I say, “Okay, there’s more, but we can leave it for later if you want.”
Hal nods and levels an encouraging smile at me. “If you want to share it with me, then I want to hear it. Whenever you feel ready.”
Where the fuck have you been all my damn life, you big, lovable softie?
“After I got away from Damien, I kept moving around a lot, never staying in any one place too long. It wasn’t easy—I had lost touch with so many people when we started dating—but there were still a few that let me crash on their sofas while I tried to avoid him.”
Hal’s eyes glitter with warmth. “They sound like tried-and-true friends. In your hour of need, they didn’t hesitate to help despite your absence in their lives. For all the horrible Damiens out there in this world, there are also wonderful people worth believing in.”
“Totally. Found family can be better than the real deal. I bet the town magic would let those friends of mine in without a problem.”
Hal’s eyes sparkle. “We should invite them to come and stay at the B&B for a reunion.”
“I’d really like that,” I say, my voice coming out hoarse.
Then, I take a steadying breath and continue.
“While Damien was out on bail, I just kept trying to stay low while I waited for his court date to be scheduled. But I should have known he wouldn’t let me go that easily.
I changed jobs, started working at a salon a few train stops from our old neighborhood, made sure to never stay in anyone’s space more than a couple of nights at a time, but he eventually tracked me down and started stalking me.
After he caused a scene at my new salon and the cops were called, he disappeared again.
I filed a restraining order on top of the warrant out for his arrest, but he was able to stay below the radar for a while.
I was terrified he’d kill me before the cops caught him.
” I clench my teeth, my jaw tightening as I remember those days.
“Damien just got deeper into stealth mode. Meanwhile, I was losing my fucking mind—constantly on edge, never knowing when or where he’d show up next… ”
I trail off and gather my words for the next part.
“Eventually, he got his chance. Some coworkers had started walking with me to the train station after our shifts, but one night, our schedules didn’t match up because someone called in sick.
One of them offered to stay late, but I didn’t want to be a hassle, so I left the salon alone.
About two blocks away from my stop, the asshole came outta the shadows like a real fucking nightmare in the flesh and jumped me. ”
I inhale sharply, then slowly exhale a couple times, hoping the breathing techniques my therapist taught me can calm my racing heart.
“He dragged me into an alley and beat the everloving shit out of me, more than he ever had before. Biting, kicking, punching, screaming at the top of his lungs—the fucker was trying to kill me.”
Hal makes a sharp noise and grabs my hand, his touch doing more than any breathing shit to calm my pulse down. I entwine our fingers and continue.
“The plus side, I guess, is that I don’t remember a whole lot of what happened after the first few blows to my head.
” I let out a weak laugh. “Some firefighters leaving a bar after a birthday celebration passed by and saw what was going on. They scared Damien off, called the cops, and did on-site trauma care until the ambulance arrived. Their medical training came to the rescue big time. But I still ended up majorly fucked up, was in the hospital for over two weeks this time. I won’t catalog every injury, but it was the bad concussion and some serious bruising to my left kidney that had me under observation for a while.
The docs said it was kind of a miracle I didn’t have worse internal injuries.
This assault was added to the charges against Damien, but now the cops finally found him and took him into custody.
Based on my documented injuries and multiple witnesses, the fraud charges, the past assault charges, and his criminal history for assault and battery, Damien ended up pleading out in the end.
He got three years, with the possibility of parole after eighteen months.
It all gave me some breathing room to figure out what to do next so I’d never encounter anyone like him ever again.
I stayed with friends and tried to plan out those next steps. ”
“Thank the Goddess,” Hal whispers. “And thank you to all the people who helped you during this horrifying ordeal.”