by Lexy Timms
Talia thought for a few seconds and then said, “Why were you so cold to the man at Hendrick’s?”
“The man at Hendrick’s?” Katherine asked, taken aback by her question. It was the last thing she was expecting Talia to want to know about.
“Yeah, he was super cute and nice, but you wouldn’t even look at him. When I spotted you across the market, I thought you were in trouble. I don’t know how to explain it. It was like all the blood had left your face. You were scared of something and I darted through the deli to get by your side. I just wondered what could bring you that much fear,” Talia spoke carefully, choosing her words deliberately as she looked directly into Katherine’s eyes.
It was obvious she was genuinely concerned, and that wasn’t something Katherine was used to. Lonesome was Katherine’s normal—carrying her burdens and baggage alone was something she was used to. Asking for help had never been her forte, but now with help being offered in such a genuine and thoughtful way, she felt like it was a blessing she couldn’t turn away.
Talia had proven to be kind and safe. She was the first person Katherine had invited into her apartment, and so far she wasn’t regretting it. Since she had arrived in San Francisco, Katherine had been praying for the day she would feel comfortable and safe in her new home. Now, she had a friend offering her a level of comfort that she hadn’t experienced since before she was married.
“Okay.” It was one word, but it meant so much. Katherine was agreeing to finally tell the story she had bottled up for years. It was time, and she was ready. “If this becomes too much for you, feel free to stop me at any time.”
Intrigued by her warning, Talia scooted closer, taking a sip of her wine as she peeked over the brim of the glass, not wanting to miss a thing. Katherine took a deep breath and large swig of her wine before beginning what she knew would be a difficult story to tell.
“I was in an abusive marriage. Well, it wasn’t always that way. At least I like to think it wasn’t. My husband, Tim, was always very controlling, but I thought it was more a personality trait than a flaw. He had to be in charge of everything—where we went to eat, who we could have over the house, how often I could hang out with friends—you know, stuff like that.” Katherine paused to search Talia’s eyes for the disgust she thought would be there.
But Talia was listening closely, her eyes filled with an emotion she wasn’t expecting. If she was reading her right, it felt like Talia was empathizing with her, and it was the confidence Katherine needed to continue.
“He was always so busy at work, I thought his outbursts were because of the stress he was under. First, it was over little things, like how short I cut my hair. I thought it was cute that he was so invested, always with an opinion about how I should style my hair. Then, things got more intense, and he wanted to control every part of my life. When I look back on it, I see that a glaring red flag I missed was when he forced me to give up my career.
“I was on my way to a promotion I’d been working years for. Tim thought I should take some time off to start a family, but I had never wanted to be a stay at home mom. Even if we did start a family, I wanted to be a working mother. That wasn’t acceptable for Tim, so he bought the company I worked for and discontinued my entire department.”
Katherine shook her head thinking back to the hurt she had felt. Tim refused to even discuss the decision, swearing it had nothing to do with her and was strictly business. There was never an apology, as with all the other transgressions she learned to forgive her husband for. Tim acted when and how he wanted without any regard for the woman he had vowed to spend the rest of his life with.
“It’s crazy to hear myself say this aloud, but even those things weren’t big deals to me. Sure, I got upset when they happened, but it was all forgotten pretty quickly. Now that I think back, I feel like I wasn’t myself.”
It was a realization that Katherine had struggled with since she left. Two years of her life would just have to be chalked up as absentee time, when she was physically there, but acting as someone else.
“Don’t be hard on yourself, Katherine. You were as strong as you could be,” Talia argued. It was the first time Katherine had ever seen her friend so serious. Usually, she was the cheery, carefree girl everyone loved at work, but now she was deadly serious.
“I know, I know.” Katherine nodded, wiping the lone tear that slid down her cheek. “But I should have left the first time he put his hands on me.”
With that, the tears flooded, remembering the lowest point in her life. Katherine still carried the shame of staying in a marriage with a man who had no respect for her and it ate at her every night.
“It’s okay, Katherine. You made it through, sweetie. You survived. How did you get out?” Talia asked, leaning closer as she began to slowly rub her hand up and down her back.
“I ran.”
It was only two words, but in short it was the entire story. Katherine didn’t have a plan or any friends or family she could depend on when she left. Even if she did, she wouldn’t have involved them for fear of putting them in harm’s way.
“One day, I just packed two suitcases. I planned to run when he wasn’t home, but some part of me wanted him to know that I was leaving, so I told him to his face. Don’t get me wrong, I had policemen there with me, but it took a lot of courage,” Katherine smiled, remembering how good it felt to walk out of Tim’s house knowing he couldn’t stop her.
“I bet it did. How long ago was this?”
“I left two years ago.”
“And what since?” Talia asked, scrunching her eyebrows in anticipation.
“Running.”
Again, Katherine was short, finding her answer in the least amount of words. It had nothing to do with discomfort, because Talia was right, sharing had lifted a load from Katherine’s shoulders. She was happy to finally admit to someone how her marriage had become a living hell. It felt good to get it all out, so she kept going.
“I’ll stop in a place for one or two months, but Tim always finds me. In New York, he came close to getting me, so I figured I’d come closer to home. Distance wasn’t going to be enough to keep him away.”
“He’s still after you?!” Talia’s voice neared a screech.
“Yes. He tracks me down, then tries to threaten me to come with him,” Katherine admitted, shaking her head. It was outrageous how much she had to deal with, constantly running from a life she never wanted.
“Have you ever contacted the police?” Talia asked. It was a reasonable question, but also a clear indicator she had no idea who Katherine was up against.
“He’s one of the premiere defense lawyers in the country. When I went to the police, they told me my case was circumstantial at best, because I didn’t have proof. Tim would always tell me that he could beat any case I brought against him, and the one time I did have the courage to go to police, he found out. That was a long night. He tortured me for hours, calling me disloyal and beating me until his own hands were bleeding.”
“Oh, Katherine! Come here,” Talia urged, pulling Katherine into her arms.
Finally, Katherine was able to release all of the built-up emotions she had been carrying around for years. In Talia’s arms, she felt safe enough to share her darkest secrets. She was surprised at how freeing it felt to let go and bare it all. After only knowing Talia for a short period, Katherine thought she might have made a lifelong friend.
Chapter Ten
Ben
“SO, TELL ME ABOUT HER!” Rachel demanded, as she lounged in a leather loveseat in Ben’s office.
The two had just finished up a business meeting when Ben sought some much-needed advice. Seeking discretion, he asked Rachel to follow him to his office before he told her about how badly he had blown it with Katherine.
Unable to control her laughter, Rachel had laughed for a full two-minutes before speaking and Ben found it difficult to take her seriously.
“What do you mean? What’s there to know?” He asked, chuckling
softly.
“What about her caught your attention?” She asked.
“Her eyes.” Ben’s answer was swift, because he had been visualizing Katherine in great detail more than he cared to admit.
“Well, that was quick,” Rachel raised one eyebrow, impressed by his answer,
“You haven’t seen them. Her eyes are mesmerizing, as blue as the Mediterranean Sea,” Ben looked up towards the ceiling as if recalling a wonderful memory.
“You really have a crush, O’Leary,” Rachel teased, using Ben’s last name as she did whenever she was giving him a hard time. It was a joke that had lasted between them since their sixth-grade gym teacher insisted on calling everyone by their last names.
“It’s not that, Rachel. I just need to know what’s best,” Ben explained, running his fingers through his hair as he struggled to wrap his mind around the situation. He was deeply troubled and that was strange to him. While he thought Katherine was beautiful, she certainly wasn’t the first beautiful woman he had seen.
After initially wanting to win her over, Ben had decided he needed to let Katherine go. In retrospect, he felt like he should have backed off when Katherine first turned him down at the bakery. She made it very clear that she wasn’t interested in going out with him, but he had still pushed further.
“It’s not as bad as you think,” Rachel shook her head at Ben’s dramatic behavior. It was unlike her boss to be hung up on a woman, so she was soaking up the rare occurrence.
“You didn’t see the look on her face,” Ben countered, recalling the fear in Katherine’s eyes. She was terrified of him which left him feeling horrified.
No longer interested in winning her over, all Ben was looking for now was to apologize properly. For whatever reason, Katherine had made it clear she wasn’t interested in dating him. He needed to respect that.
“I bet the look on her face when you send her fifty roses will be even more memorable,” Rachel challenged.
“Roses? That’s not too romantic? I don’t want her to get the wrong idea,” Ben said.
He had worried about coming across too strong as he tried to decide the best way to approach her. It was the reason he asked Rachel for advice in the first place. Ben wanted to make sure that Katherine understood his position. She didn’t have to go out with him, he just didn’t want her to fear him.
“Roses sent to a house are romantic. Roses to a job can mean many things. And just to be safe, only a dozen,” she advised him confidently. Much more than an assistant, Rachel had served as Ben’s resident relationship expert for as long as he could remember.
Just then, a soft knock at the door caught their attention. Turning to face the door, smiles erupted on both Ben and Rachel’s faces when they realized just who was interrupting their meeting.
“Will! Get in here!” Ben yelled, greeting his long-time friend as he rose from his desk.
Will Brighton was Ben’s closest friend in high school, and they had remained close ever since. As the head of the leading charity event planning organization in California, he always had a reason to pop in on Ben, his ultra-successful best friend.
“Rachel, how are you?” Will asked, ignoring Ben as he stared into Rachel’s eyes. She was beet red, and Ben took notice. A while back he had noticed that his two closest friends seemed to have an attraction to one another. They were both too wrapped up in their careers to notice one another, but Ben always thought they would get along great.
“I’m good, Will. How are you?” Rachel asked, in a tone much different than the friendly voice she used when speaking to Ben. This tone was sultry and seductive, reserved only for Will. Ben knew he was on to something with their connection.
“I can’t complain. It’s such a pleasure running into you,” Will grinned, before turning his attention to Ben, who was closely watching the two of them.
“Don’t mind me, I’m just sitting in my office being ignored,” Ben joked, holding his hands at his side.
“Knock it off, big shot!” Will threw back, sharing a laugh with Ben before the two men embraced in a hug. It had only been a few weeks since they last saw each other, but with the bond they shared, that was a long time.
“What’s been going on?” Ben asked, extending his arm to invite Will to sit just as Rachel was rising from her seat.
“I have some emails to get out yet, so I’ll let you two catch up,” Rachel excused herself, already walking towards the doorway.
“See you soon!” Will called after her to Ben’s amusement.
“So, to what do I owe this unexpected visit?” Ben asked, once he was alone with Will.
“Get your briefcase, you’re going home for the day,” Will announced, making fun of the fact that Ben never dressed like a typical CEO.
Without question, Ben tapped a few keys on his computer to announce his early departure to the executive team. It was rare for him to leave work early, but whenever Will stopped by the two of them usually made sure to have a good time.
“Where are we headed?” Ben asked.
“I was thinking we could get a bite to eat,” Will suggested as the two old friends walked out of the office.
Deciding it easiest to walk, since Ben’s office was located in a trendy neighborhood filled with popular restaurants, Ben and Will made their way to Migos, a Mexican restaurant. Ready for an enjoyable time, Will ordered four shots of tequila as soon as they were seated at their table.
“Wow! You must want me to write a big check,” Ben joked. He knew his friend was always in need of donations, and a new charity event was typically what brought him to Ben’s office.
“I do have a new event coming up, and that’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” Will grinned, caught by his friend.
They were only teenagers when they met, but over the years Will and Ben had helped each other through the pitfalls of college, careers, and countless charity events. While their careers landed on the opposite sides of the profit line, they were both extremely passionate about what they did.
Unable to choose one charity to devote all his time and efforts to, Will instead chose to create a career that allowed him to work with over a dozen charities every year. His laid-back attitude not only made him a great fit for friendship with Ben, but also to work with a variety of organizations around the world.
“Here are your drinks,” the blonde-haired waitress announced as she sat the four small glasses filled to the brim on the table.
After downing the two shots, they each ordered a burrito as they caught up on life. With such busy schedules, it was rare that they got to spend an afternoon just being friends. Ben laughed as he heard about Will’s latest charity crisis before sharing his big news about large breed dog accessories.
“It’s not like you needed any more success, but congratulations, man. That is gonna be huge!” Will slapped the table as he spoke to add emphasis.
“Well to hear Rachel tell it, I need to focus on my personal life a little more,” Ben shared, looking forward to hearing Will’s perspective on the issue.
“I’m sure she knows best. I was going to tell you to bring her to this event, by the way,” Will said, squinting his eyes as if he had just come up with the idea, but Ben knew better than to believe that.
His old friend had been crushing on Rachel for too long for it to be a coincidence. For years, Ben had wanted to find a way to set the two up, but now Will was giving him the perfect opportunity. He was certain that if he could get Will and Rachel together, they would hit it off.
“You should bring her,” Ben shrugged, trying to downplay his suggestion.
“I should bring Rachel?” Will asked, although he was sure he hadn’t misheard him.
“Yeah! You two would hit it off. Plus, it’s a charity event, so there’s no pressure at all,” Ben reasoned.
Will shook his head while contemplating Ben’s proposal. Watching his friend’s face, Ben decided against telling Will about Katherine. It was too personal, and he still didn’t know what he would do
or if it would work. The last thing he wanted was another set of judgmental eyes, poking fun at his mishap.
“I’ll think about it,” Will finally said.
Ben knew he had pushed his friend far enough, so he chose not to pry any further. If Will wanted to get in touch with Rachel, he knew how. For now, he just wanted to enjoy his afternoon instead of playing matchmaker.
“Here you go, fellas,” the waitress said, as she arrived carrying a tray with two plates. After setting the plates in front of Ben and Will, she left them to enjoy their meal.
For the next hour, the two friends hung out discussing all the details of Will’s upcoming charity event, and who Ben could expect to see there.
All Ben’s thoughts led back to Katherine, however, and how he could ever convince her to forgive him. He wanted it to be lighthearted, so he tried to convince himself that he didn’t care much about the girl. But sitting across from his best friend, he knew that Katherine had gotten under his skin, because all he could think about was her.
Chapter Eleven
Katherine
“CHIN UP!” THE INSTRUCTOR barked.
Katherine was stepping out of her comfort zone again, this time at the gym. After noticing an opening in the self-defense class, she decided to sign up. What she didn’t expect was the one on one attention that Katie, the instructor, gave her.
It was just the two of them in the ring, after no one else showed up for the early session. Initially, she was intimidated, but after reminding herself why she was doing it, Katherine decided to take a leap of faith.
Running from Tim wasn’t that great of a life plan, so she had to prepare for the inevitable confrontation if she ever had a chance of reclaiming a normal life. Katherine hated to think of herself as weak, or defenseless, so learning how to protect herself was empowering.
With every punch thrown, she could feel her confidence building. More than she needed to develop a new personality, Katherine felt she just had to break down all the walls she had built up to protect herself in her marriage. Tim was so controlling and abusive, he made her believe she was worthless.
