Chapter 06
The night everything broke…..
I stepped back into the apartment and shut the door quietly, locking it. I breathed another sigh of relief, turning around, but the couch was empty.
Shit.
Out of nowhere a hand slapped me across the face, causing me to fall back against the door.
“Where the hell were you, Becks?” Clark growled at me, drunkenly. His bloodshot, hateful eyes met mine.
“I just took the kitchen trash out.” I responded, keeping my eyes down. It was always best not to make eye contact. Anything I said or did when he was like this could cause it to be worse.
“Bullshit!” he yelled, grabbing me by the arms and throwing me onto the floor in the dark living room. The only light was the flickering from the television. It was still blaring and the sports announcers were droning on about some stupid statistics of the last game. I landed on my side hard enough to be vaguely alarmed, wondering if I’d lose the baby inside me after only knowing of him or her for such a short time.
“Who the hell were you meeting to fuck?” Clark screamed, standing over me. He clenched his fists by his sides repeatedly.
“WHAT?” I asked, floored. He had never accused me of cheating, and I didn’t know where this was even coming from.
“Is that why you turned me down last time? You dumb bitch. No one else could ever want your fat ass. Who’d you find that was desperate enough to fuck you?” he asked menacingly. “Your pussy is mine. No one else could ever want it. Only I know how to fuck you right.”
“Clark, I haven’t been with anyone but you…” I stammered.
“SHUT UP!” he was on top of me before I could blink. His calloused hands wrapped around my throat squeezing tight. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to even fight at this point. I had no one and nothing anymore. No one to bail me out. No one to run to or call. He had my phone, my wallet, and car keys. He had taken them from me weeks ago. I hadn’t been out of this apartment in months by myself.
His hand went into my leggings and underwear forcing itself between my legs. Two fingers roughly plunged up into me and I cried out. I tried to squirm away, but he just jeered mockingly, thrusting his fingers hard in and out of me a few more times. Tears were streaming down my face.
“Hah,” he laughed, “Dry as a desert.” He withdrew his hand, wiping his fingers on my neck.
“Knew you couldn’t find anyone to fuck you like I can.”
He stood up, “Get the fuck up off my floor and clean yourself up, Rebecca. I don’t know why the fuck I put up with you. You’re an ugly, fat fucking cow!”
I stood up shakily, fixing my pants, and hurried back to my room. This was proof that I needed to disappear. Get somewhere safe and file for divorce, then change my name and run. He couldn’t know about the baby. The courts would take his side, he would get partial or full custody. He knew people and I was no one.
That was even if I survived this marriage long enough to give birth.
When I got back to my bedroom, I took the hottest shower of my life. I laid on the floor sobbing. The water was scalding my skin but I didn’t care because I didn’t feel like I would ever be clean again. Knowing no one would hear me or come save me and that I had to save myself, was so daunting.
Stepping out of the shower, I dressed quickly in black leggings and a black shirt. I grabbed the biggest bag out of the closet and filled it with enough clothes to last me until I got a new job somewhere else. Finally I pulled my jewelry box open and took out my grandmother’s diamond necklace. I could pawn this and pay for a divorce and a ticket to anywhere but here. I pulled a loose floorboard out from under the bed and pulled a stack of cash out that I’d managed to put there before he made us join accounts. Fifteen thousand dollars in cash was all that was left from my parents passing.
Placing the board back and zipping up the bag, I put my ear to the bedroom door listening. The television was still blaring. I opened the door slowly, thanking all the entities of the universe that it didn’t creak this time. Shouldering the bag I moved up the hall and glanced over to the couch. He was gone.
This was it. This was probably the only chance I’d have. I glanced around the apartment and knew I wouldn’t miss a single thing about it.
I looked to where my keys and wallet were supposed to be and saw they were missing as well. He’d gone for more beer. The gas station he frequented was just up the road. I didn’t have long.
Sprinting to the front door and stepping outside, I did the only thing I could do. I took off running.
Now
“And, after a fiasco of court proceedings where he fought the divorce, here we are.” I finished, taking the last drink of my wine.
Monica gaped at me.
“I’m sorry,” I started “I know that was a lot, but you asked, and I figured since you were at Nat’s school you should know, and…”
“Don’t apologize,” she intervened softly. “You needed to get that off your chest. And, the asshat…he doesn’t know about her?” she asked.
“No. We moved every few years. I’d get signs of him tracking us down and would run again. The last town we were in for three years and hadn’t ever gotten a sign, so I moved us one last time to be sure,” I said.
“Wow,” she breathed, “I cannot imagine. You are so incredibly strong, Becks. You deserve so much more than you’ve had given to you. You know that don't you?”
I teared up, smiling at her, “I have Nat. She’s made everything worth it. And hopefully we’re finally done running and I can have a little bit of a life now too.”
“Well, girlfriend, you’ve definitely got a friend in me. Maybe some of your badassness could rub off on me!” Monica chuckled.
I laughed out loud, “I’m not sure it was so much being a badass as it was survival instinct.”
Monica reached over grabbing my hand, “You are a badass, Rebecca Wareman. Don’t ever let anyone tell you any differently.”
I smiled in return, “I think I’ll keep you around, Monica. You’re good for my ego!”
We spent a couple more hours talking about Monica’s past.
I found out she had been married previously and divorced, although she was still in contact with Trevor, her first husband. They’d been high school sweethearts and married young, getting pregnant quickly. He had started drinking heavily and wanting to go to parties all the time. He’d voiced regrets about wasting his childhood and she’d given him an ultimatum. When he walked, she had refused to give him a second-chance. Her older daughter, Lacey, was his, and he had her on alternating weeks as he lived in the area still where he was a firefighter. They had started a hesitant friendship and he was even close with Lucas and Paul now. We chatted until the sun set and I glanced down at my watch, noting the time.
“I think I need to get home to my bed,” I stated. “With Nat being here, I may be able to finish a romance novel I’ve been working on for days.”
“You’ll have to give me the name,” Monica replied, standing and grabbing the empty bottle as I collected the wine glasses, “I love a steamy read.”
I grinned, Maybe I had finally found someone who got me.
After kissing Nat goodnight and promising Monica our next girls’ night would be out on the town, I climbed into my vehicle and started it. Glancing down I noticed the tank was almost empty.
“Dammit, Becks,” I muttered, reversing and heading to the nearest gas station. I hated filling my car up. It was such an easy task but something about it annoyed me.
Once there, after being unable to find my debit card, I leaned against my car watching the numbers rise. I completely zoned out, smiling to myself over the night’s events, and feeling like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders.
“Rebecca Wareman,” said a deep, masculine voice, causing me to jump and drop my bag onto the ground. I glanced up, meeting Lucas Marshall’s gray eyes.
“I’m sorry. I honestly didn’t mean to scare you, I thought you noticed me pull in,” he said, bending to pick up my bag for me. He looked a little concerned at my reaction, and guilty. I felt bad for making him feel like that just because of my jumpiness.
I took my things from him that he had gathered, noticing his patrol truck on the other side of the pump.
“No, I think I was lost in my thoughts,” I replied, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
His eyes tracked my movements as he leaned one arm against my vehicle beside me and smiled down at me. Oh my, the doorframe lean I thought to myself, feeling my cheeks redden. He was so much taller than me and made me feel smaller than most men had in my life. There was something about it that I liked very much. It was weird. You’d think something like that would make someone with my history cautious. Instead it made me feel so safe. Maybe it was the badge?
“What are you up to tonight, Becks?” he asked, smirking like he knew the effect he had on me.
“Oh, you know, I was just over at Monica’s, hanging out.” I stammered, like an idiot. The pump clicked off, and he grabbed it for me before I could, replacing it and closing my gas tank. Damn. It would be nice to have someone like him filling my car up from now on. Pull it together, Rebecca.
“Ah, you two would make quite the fearsome duo.” he smiled at me.
“She seems like she’d be a good friend,” I responded. “Nat, my daughter, and Lexi have hit it off and are having a sleepover. I’m just going to go home and read a book.”
Lucas nodded, “Sounds like an exciting Friday night. No date planned?”
“I’m single!” I blurted out like an idiot, for sure turning beet red this time.
His gray eyes seemed to warm, crinkling at the corners as he smiled, looking me over, “Well that’s every other man’s loss, isn’t it?” he asked smoothly.
Yep. I’m definitely redder than a tomato right now.
“Would you want to go out sometime?” he asked.
“Me and you?” I responded, weakly.
“Well that’s the idea, babe,” he laughed outright this time.
“Um….” The term of endearment struck me dumb for a second. Great answer, Becks. You’re starting over, made a friend, it's now or never. “I guess?” I finally said. Shit. Did that come out as more of a question?
“Your enthusiasm is astounding,” laughed Lucas, gently prodding me with his elbow. He took my phone out of my hands where I played with it nervously and typed away on it, handing it back.
“You’ve got my number now, can I get yours?” he asked, handing me his cell phone.
I took it from him, entering my information shakily, before returning it.
“I’ll text you details later,” he said, straightening up to his full height causing me to crane my neck a bit. God, this man was hot.
“You have a good night, Becks.”
“Night,” I squeaked, turning to get in my car, wondering what the hell had just happened.