by C. J. Corbin
I frowned at him, “No pajamas?” I asked.
Kevin opened his arms, “You always preferred me like this before we went to sleep.”
“Yeah well now I prefer pajamas in my overnight guests.” I snapped back.
“I’m not a guest. This used to be my place too.”
My lips pursed and I spoke with a low even voice, “This was never your place. Ever.”
Kevin changed the subject, “Did you make me a snack too?”
“Here.” I handed him my plate. “Don’t get crumbs all over the place.”
He laughed, “You always hated the crumbs. Guess you still do.”
I walked toward my bedroom.
Kevin called out to me laughing, “I guess your plans got cancelled with your boyfriend. That’s too bad. But, if you need a good roll in bed you can call me.”
I fought against turning around, but I did, “And then who would you call to do the job?”
He glared at me. I walked into the bedroom and slammed the door. I blew out my breath. I know I should not have said anything, but I have a big mouth. That big mouth used to get me a beating. He was good at hitting in places that most people could not see, though he did give me a black eye a couple of times. He was infamous for catching me off guard, usually in the dark, one of the reasons I always kept lights on in the house.
I gave the dogs their biscuits. I turned all the lights out except a small night light and checked outside the window. The only dim light I could see next door was probably from Michael’s laptop. I smiled. Not all was lost. We would talk in the morning. I climbed into bed and snuggled into my pillows thinking about the last time I had been in my bed. It had been a long day and I was tired.
I awoke with light streaming through the windows. Michael was spooned against me with his arm wrapped around me. I wriggled my hips back against him. He was not ready yet, but I would change that condition quickly.
“Let’s make love.” I whispered.
“Liz, I knew you’d come around.”
Something was wrong. Why was Michael calling me Liz? Why did his voice sound so funny? Why was the hair on his arm black?
I screamed, turned over, and pushed Kevin away from me.
“What are you doing in my bed?” I shouted.
I could hear the dogs barking in the living room. Why were the dogs in the living room? I backed further away from him. My head still was not clear. I was still wearing my nightgown, which was a good thing.
“Get out of here.”
Kevin lay back down. “Come on Liz, you know you want it. You even said it.” He pulled the covers away from his body and stretched. He was naked. His excitement was becoming more evident. “Let’s not waste a good thing.” He stretched again and rolled over on his side. He stroked himself and began to grow larger.
I was not going to watch this performance. I turned my head away and this was my undoing. He moved so fast and I did not see him coming. Wrenching me by the hair, he had me quickly pinned underneath him. I struggled and even though we were the same height, I did not have the added benefit of his extra weight and muscles. He straddled both of my legs to keep them still. Both of my arms forced above my head and he pinned them down with just one hand. In the struggle, my nightgown had risen above my hips. At that moment, I wished I had worn underwear because it would have made it more difficult for him.
Clearly, I knew what was coming. “Kevin, please don’t.” He was not listening to me. His free hand was frantic under my nightgown. I cried again. “Kevin, don’t.” He pinched my breasts hard and I cried out, “Please you’re hurting me.”
He growled at me, “I know how you like it.”
He pinched me roughly again and moved one leg between mine to force my legs open. When I resisted, he backhanded me across my face. The hit made me gasp and even though he did not break the skin of my lips, the pain felt almost as bad as a punch, but he knew a punch would have left a mark. His knee dug into my thigh to keep my leg still while he pushed my other leg further apart. I could feel the hot tears running down my cheeks.
“No, you’re hurting me. Please stop.” I begged and continued to struggle. I could not think. He was not going to stop. I knew if I complied it would go a little easier for me, but I wanted to fight. I did not want this to happen. “Kevin, I’ll tell…”
He interrupted me, “What you’ll tell Don’s dad? It’s your word against mine. I’m your ex-husband. You invited me to spend the night. Everyone saw you in the slut dress and shoes yesterday. No one would believe you.”
“No Kevin. I’ll tell my dad.” I said it with finality. I knew what Kevin was going to do to me. I would not be able to fight him off now.
It took him a moment to think. My father was a retired cop. My dad had friends who were cops, and he had friends who were not cops. Those were friends, who had gone straight, but they were still fearsome and Kevin knew it. He uttered a profanity and then he let me go.
I scrambled up quickly and ran to other side of the room. “I want you out of here now. I do not want to see you again, ever. Do not contact me again. Nothing. Do you understand?” The tears were still streaming down my face.
“God, you’re a touchy bitch.” He got up and sauntered toward the door. He turned once more before he reached the door, he had gone soft again, and he reached down to handle himself. “You’ll never know what you missed.”
I just went into the bathroom, closed the door, and locked it. I sat on the toilet stunned.
Ten minutes later I heard his car engine, and I crept out of the bathroom. I tiptoed out into the kitchen and checked the back window. His car was gone. I let out a sigh of relief.
A quick glance at the microwave clock showed ten minute past seven. I ran into my bedroom and quickly pulled on my jeans and a shirt. There was no worry about underwear. As I ran through the house and sprinted out the back door, I prayed that Michael would have gotten a late start. The jeep was gone.
I knocked on the back door and Tammy answered it quickly, she must have been in the kitchen.
“Tammy,” I took a breath, “Did I miss your dad?”
“Elizabeth, they just left. You missed them by just a couple of minutes.”
“Oh no,” I said leaning against the doorframe with my eyes closed. My head started to hurt from Kevin pulling my hair.
“Yeah, Dad talked to your ex-husband for a few minutes. Then after your ex-husband left, Dad ordered Katy and the boys in the car and they left. Dad was really angry.”
“What?” I questioned. “Tammy can I come in, I’m not feeling very well.” She moved from the door and followed me into the kitchen. She poured me a glass of water while I sat at the kitchen table. “Kevin talked to Michael?”
“Yeah, I didn’t hear the entire conversation, but he told Dad that the two of you spent the night together last night and decided to get back together again. He said that he was looking forward to being our neighbor.” Tammy paused, looked down at her hands, and then back up at me. Her eyes looked hurt and betrayed. “I can’t believe you would hurt my dad like this.”
I tried to take her hands but she pulled away from me. The tension between us was thick.
“Tammy, whatever Kevin told your dad, it was a lie. I am not getting back together with my ex-husband. I did not spend the night with him. Well, he did stay in the house, but that is all. Your dad knew he was staying at my house, because I called him last night.” I shook my head and covered my face with my hands. My head started throbbing now and it was making me nauseous. “I’ve got to go home and try to reach your dad to clear up this mess. Are you still coming over for pizza tonight?”
She looked at me, trying to see the truth in my eyes, and I do not know what my eyes showed. “Do you still want me to come over? I mean now that you’re back with your ex-husband. Will he be back tonight?”
I closed my eyes and sighed. “Yes Tammy I want you to come over tonight. Kevin will not be there, he will never be there again. We are not getting back togethe
r. Kevin was lying. I don’t know why?” Well I actually did, but that was a more complicated explanation than I could handle now.
My head was pounding when I walked into my kitchen. I took two aspirin first, and then picked up the phone. I dialed Michael’s cell phone, and it rang and then went to voice mail. I wanted to talk to him not to the voice mail, but I had no choice.
“Michael, it is Elizabeth, please call me back I need to talk to you.”
That was the best I would be able to do for now. I stripped the sheets in both rooms. I wanted to burn the sheets but my practicality got the better of me. I washed the sheets in hot water. Twice. Then I took a shower, as hot as I could take it. My headache had lessened but it was not gone completely. I remade my bed and put on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. I looked at my cell phone. Damn! How had I missed the call?
The voicemail was from Michael. It simply said that we would talk when he got back from his trip. Had he forgotten that when he got back I would be gone for two weeks? I called his cell phone again. The voicemail picked up immediately which meant his phone was off.
“Michael, we really need to talk. Tammy told me what Kevin had told you. He lied to you. We are not getting back together. Please call me back I need to speak with you.”
I lay down to take a nap. My head started to hurt again and I did not feel like doing anything else. When I awoke, the headache was gone and I felt better. I was hungry too, which was always a good sign. I checked my cell phone, and again there was another message. How was I missing these calls?
I listened to the message and it made me angry. Michael again said that we could talk about our relationship when he got home. I called his phone again, and the phone rang four times before it went to voice mail. Was he screening my calls? I could feel the irritation build in me.
“Michael, this is Elizabeth. Since it appears you really don’t want to talk to me,” I ignored the fact that he had been returning my calls and that my phone had gone to voice mail too. “We won’t have the opportunity to see each other face to face for another 3 weeks to discuss our relationship.” The way I said relationship it sounded as if there were quotation marks around the word. “What really gets me though is your jump to believe Kevin without bothering to talk to me first. So maybe we don’t really have a relationship,” again with the quote marks inference, “to talk about. Furthermore, perhaps our intimacy was a mistake since we don’t have a relationship.”
I ended the call and turned the phone off. I was not prepared to talk to him but wanted to get the last word. I was like that when I was angry.
The television would keep me company. After I made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, I plopped down in front of the television with the dogs. Both dogs helped me by eating the crusts and I ate the soft interior. We watched a romantic movie on one of the women’s channels.
I felt like crying, but the tears would not come. I was fuming at both Michael and Kevin. This morning had been more than Kevin had ever done to me. His sex play had always been rough which I had never enjoyed, but this morning there was a mean nastiness that was frightening. He had used the violence to excite himself. Had I not used the dad card, Kevin would have forced sex on me. My father scared him. I am sure somewhere along the line my dad had a talk with him because Kevin had always cut a wide circle around him. What had Kevin said to Michael that made him so angry? It made me sad that Michael had believed him.
It was late in the afternoon and the ringing phone made me jump. I heard Michael’s voice on the machine, “Elizabeth it’s Michael. Please pick up the phone. I know you’re home.” I frowned, so much for screening my calls. Tammy had probably told him I was home. I picked up the receiver on the table next to the couch.
“Michael?” I answered, not sure of my own voice. My body began to tremble.
“Elizabeth, I tried reaching you on your cell phone, you must have it turned off because it is going straight to voice mail.”
I was so happy to hear his voice. His voice sounded only tired, not angry, as I had feared. “Oh Michael…” I trailed off because the tears started coming down my face. “It was awful, really awful, and then when Tammy told me that Kevin had spoken to you, he lied to you…” I stopped short again, because I could not talk and cry at the same time.
“Babe, what’s wrong. Elizabeth, tell me what happened.” The concern in his voice took over the tiredness.
“Michael,” I snuffled, but the tears were continuing to stream down my face, “tell me you’re not mad at me.”
“Babe, I’m not mad at you. Elizabeth, you’re worrying me, can you stop crying to tell me what happened?”
I wiped my eyes and blew my nose on my t-shirt. I started to explain what had happened with Kevin this morning and stopped short of finishing the story when Michael interrupted me. “Oh shit Elizabeth, did he rape you?” The anguish in his voice was unmistakable.
I started crying again. Reliving the episode just brought it back to me in waves. “No,” my voice shook, “no, he stopped.”
“Elizabeth, I can rearrange my schedule here. I’m coming home to be with you.”
“No Michael. You don’t have to do that. I’m okay. I’m just a little shaky.” I gave him the rest of the story including threatening Kevin with my dad.
“Oh, babe, I’m so sorry, when Kevin spoke to me I jumped to the wrong conclusion. I should have stayed and talked to you first, but damn,” he paused, and then continued softly. “He handed me your panties from yesterday and told me you had sent them over as a souvenir. I couldn’t believe it. I just exploded when I saw them.”
“He handed you my panties? Oh Michael, no wonder you reacted the way you did. Kevin could not have possibly known what that underwear meant to the two of us. It was just a lucky chance on his part.”
Michael’s voice became serious, “Are you going to press charges against Kevin?”
I hesitated a moment, “Michael I just can’t.”
“Why not?” He questioned me.
“Michael, what I said about my father was serious. My dad would hurt Kevin if he ever found out. I’m not protecting him, but I am protecting my dad. I don’t think he meant to do what he did to me this morning. I doubt that he will bother me again.”
Michael sounded unconvinced, “I don’t know after what he pulled with me, I think he’s capable of anything. At the very least you should get a restraining order against him.”
“I’ll think about it, okay?” I promised.
“Okay.” He said. “I’m sorry Babe. I should have better control of my temper. I was glad I had the plane trip to think things through and I realized what an ass I had been.”
“Michael, are we okay now?” I asked.
“Do you forgive me?”
“There is nothing to forgive.” I said softly. “By the way, what did you do with my underwear? It is part of a matching set.”
He laughed, “They were my souvenir weren’t they? I have them in my carryon bag.”
I exclaimed giggling, “Michael you didn’t?”
It was good to hear him laugh, “I didn’t know what to do with them. Truthfully, now I’m glad I have them.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, Tammy lent me your new book, I especially like page 75. I think we should try it.”
“Page 75?” I hesitated a moment and then giggled, “Oh, page 75. I don’t really think that’s physically possible, you know, creative license.”
Michael laughed low, “Trust me I’m working it out in my head.”
I was happy we had gotten to the easy part of talking with each other again. I felt refreshed again and the tension that Kevin had caused was slipping off my shoulders.
“Do me a favor, call Tammy, and let her know we’re okay again. She gets a bit possessive of her dad, especially when she thought I had hurt you.”
“I will,” he said. “Is she staying with you tonight?”
“Yeah, she should be over in a little while.”
“Thanks for keepin
g an eye on her for me. Since Katy is gone, I’m glad she has some company. It was lucky she didn’t hear the entire conversation I had with Kevin. Tell me, did he ever hit you, besides today?”
“Yes,” my voice became quiet. “But, it wasn’t all physical. Most of it was mental and emotional.”
“I’m sorry Elizabeth,” he said softly.
“It’s over Michael. I need the pain to be behind me so that I can get on with my life.”
“I know.”
As we reached the end of the conversation, I asked, “Call me again tomorrow night, okay?” I knew my voice sounded hopeful, but I could not contain it.
“I’ll call you every night Babe,” he promised.
When I hung up the phone my heart was lighter, he had left me with a warm, happy feeling. My problems with Kevin were behind me.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The dogs started barking while I was changing my t-shirt. Tammy had called and she was on her way over. When I answered the door, she looked like she was ready for a sleep over. Both dogs were with her too. Since she would be caring for Topper and Samantha while I was on the book tour, we wanted all the dogs to be as comfortable as possible with each other. We put her stuff in the guest room and agreed on the pizza ingredients. The pizza would be half vegetarian and half meat.
Tammy groaned when I ordered a salad to go with the pizza. “You’re as bad as my dad making me eat salad!”
I smiled at the comparison liking the compliment. “Hey, count yourself lucky, I’m letting you drink a cola. Do you miss Jason yet?”
Tammy frowned and threw herself on the coach in drama queen fashion. “Miss him? I’ve thought of nothing but him all day long.” She said with emphasis. Jason, Don, and Debi had driven down to Palo Alto since he would be starting at Stanford the following Monday. She frowned again, “He’s not answering any of my text messages either.” Tammy waved her phone at me.