by Ivy Jordan
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I blurted.
Rob looked up, his eyes still black, but his smile filled with amusement. “You’ll do whatever I say,” he ordered.
I shook my hand. “No, I’ll scream, and someone will call the cops.”
He laughed. “No, they won’t. A neighbor called once, and you scolded them for interfering with your personal life, don’t you remember?”
Mrs. Carter, yes, I remembered. She called the cops, and I’d refused to press any charges for fear of what he might do after. She’d come to my door that next morning to me answering with a black eye and busted lip. “Oh dear, are you okay?” she asked.
Rob was there, standing behind me at the door, but out of sight of Mrs. Carter. He’d threatened to set a fire in the building in the middle of night, one so strong and furious that it would burn up my neighbors as well as myself if they ever called the cops on him again. I’d pleaded with him that I couldn’t control them, that it was his fault the cops had come. That’s when I got the black eye. I looked at Mrs. Carter with as much anger as I could muster.
“Do not interfere in my personal life ever again,” I scolded with a cold and sour tone.
Her eyes filled with confusion and pain. She was a lovely lady, one so sweet and kind that it crushed my soul to talk to her like that, but what choice did I have?
“Get up; let’s go,” Rob demanded, pulling my arm hard and jerking me to my feet.
His chest pressed into mine, his hot breath so close it washed over my skin like an evil, slithering snake. “I missed you,” he whispered, pushing his lips into mine. I struggled, but he held me tight, pulling me in close to him. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I cried out for help once again.
Rob’s hands moved to my ass. “I’ve missed this too,” he hissed, squeezing my ass cheeks in his hands.
I swallowed hard, realizing that there may not be a life away from Rob. This may be my fate. I wish I’d never left Isaac.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Isaac
I dialed Maddie’s number again, but after only two rings it sent me to voicemail. When I called back, it went directly to voicemail. Panic rushed through my veins at the thought of her being hurt. I was right outside, just steps away from her. I had to go in and help her.
My phone rang as I opened my car door. It was Elijah. “Hey,” I gasped as I answered.
“I’m almost there,” he said.
“I just called her. Rob’s in there with her, the third-floor front apartment. He hit her, took her phone. I’m going in,” I informed him as I headed for the front doors to her apartment building.
“I’m only a few minutes from you; don’t go in yet. Wait for me,” he pleaded.
I couldn’t wait. Maddie was hurt. I heard the slap that landed across her soft face. If I waited, even a couple minutes, there was no telling what could happen. “I can’t,” I hung up the phone and shoved it into my pocket.
My hand pulled at the door, and I rushed inside. Up three flights of stairs, I prayed she was okay with every step. I could hear her scream from inside the door, but it was locked. I slammed my shoulder into it as hard as I could, but it barely budged. My shoulder burnt from the impact, but I couldn’t quit. Another slam into the door and it gave a little more. It was obvious there was a deadbolt locked, and pushing through was going to be a hard task, if not impossible. Beth’s words floated in my mind: “Call the cops.” But I couldn’t, at least not yet.
“Maddie!” I called out, hoping she’d hear my voice through the door and know she was going to be saved. I needed her to feel some comfort. From the sounds of her screams, she was already terrified.
A door opened behind me, a little old man with thin black hair stepped out into the hall. “I have a key,” he said, his voice shaky.
My eyes widened as I nodded at the man to open the door. “Are you the man who’s been paying Maddie’s rent?” he asked. I nodded. It must’ve been the landlord. Thank God for small miracles.
“Mrs. Carter called me earlier when she heard commotion next door. She worries about Maddie; we all do,” the man said as he opened up the door.
I pushed it wide and found Maddie on the floor, Rob on top of her, and her skirt pulled up around her hips. Her bright eyes were glossy with tears, and her bottom lip trembled as she looked in my direction. I lunged towards Rob, tackling him from atop her and taking him to his back. Maddie pulled her knees to her chest, sobbed violently, and shook back and forth as my fist slammed into her ex’s face. His strength was something I hadn’t accounted for, and I wasn’t in the shape I’d been in when still in the military. He grabbed my neck, choking it hard as I struggled to pull from his grip. My throat swelled and started to burn from the force his hands delivered.
I lifted my arm again, forgetting about removing his grip and slammed into his face, once, twice, three times. He released. He let out a loud growl as he rolled me to my side, and then to my back. Soon I felt the impact of his fist slamming into my nose, and then my jaw.
My eyes drifted to Maddie. That look of fear in her eyes sent adrenaline through my body, and a new strength emerged with a vengeance. I bucked from the ground, grabbing Rob by the throat like he’d done to me, and threw him off of me. I quickly got to my feet as he stumbled to his. He lunged towards me with his head down like a bull charging a red flag. I stepped out of the way, pushing him past me and into the wall head first.
Red and blue lights flashed through Maddie’s apartment window as I tried to make my way over to her. She stood quickly, that look of fear still in her eyes, and ran towards the door. “Whoa,” a familiar voice sounded, and then Elijah entered the apartment with Maddie in his arms.
She wrapped around his neck, sobbing uncontrollably as he patted her back gently and gave me an approving nod.
The police arrived shortly after Elijah, stopping to talk to the landlord first. I sat down on the couch, staring at Maddie in Elijah’s arms, remembering the look of fear she’d had in her eyes, not only for Rob, but me as well. I knew once she talked to the cops, I’d probably be arrested, or at the very least, brought in for questioning.
Elijah peeled Maddie from his arms as the cops approached. One of the officers took her aside, out of the apartment where I couldn’t hear or see. Elijah walked over to me, sat on the couch next to me, and patted my leg. “You just couldn’t wait, could ya?” he chuckled.
“He was on top of her; I think he was trying to rape her,” I sighed, watching two officers escort Rob out in handcuffs. “I couldn’t wait.”
“I know. You did good,” Elijah said with a pat on my back.
An officer moved into the apartment, approaching myself and Elijah on the couch. “I understand you are the one who broke this up,” he questioned, his dark eyes looking directly at me.
“Yes,” I admitted.
“How did you know she was in distress? Did she call for help?” he probed.
“I called her. I heard him slap her as he screamed at her to hang up the phone,” I explained.
“Well, it’s a good thing she has friends like you,” the officer smiled and then handed me a pen and paper. “If you don’t mind, write down your statement,” he added and then walked away.
I wasn’t sure what to write down, at least not about why I was outside her apartment, or why she’d taken off from me and ran to him. “Just stick to what happened from the phone call til now,” Elijah said as if he’d read my mind.
I nodded, breathed in hard, and then exhaled slowly to calm myself down.
“What do you think she’s telling them?” I whispered to my friend without making eye contact.
“It doesn’t matter. I’ve got your back,” Elijah boasted.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Maddie
I was shaking as the officer asked me what happened. I was embarrassed, but I told him the truth, all the way from when I ran to Miami to get away from him and lost my memory. “I was coming home to jog my memory,” I sighed, leaning
against the wall outside my apartment.
“So, you were traveling with Isaac?” he asked.
“Yes,” I admitted.
“How did you end up with the assailant?” the officer probed.
Tears fell from my eyes, and I began to shake. I wasn’t sure how to explain what happened without causing Isaac trouble. I didn’t want to see him in trouble, at least not after he saved me. I remembered we were friends, and I remembered his kindness, helping me get to Miami and away from Rob. “I started remembering, and I talked to Rob. He sounded so sincere, so desperate to see me, so I left Isaac and took a bus,” I explained.
The officer seemed satisfied with what I said, not questioning anything about mine and Isaac’s relationship. “Once he picked me up, his tone started to change, and I remembered how awful he’d been to me. Isaac was told by the doctors to let me remember on my own, so he didn’t tell me about Rob,” I added.
“Is he going to stay with you now?” the officer asked. I quickly shook my head. I didn’t want Isaac to stay, even though I hated the thought of being alone. He’d betrayed me, lied to me. I couldn’t trust him, not fully.
“I’m fine. I just want to be alone,” I insisted.
The officer explained that Rob was being taken to jail and would be held without bond until court in January. I was relieved that I didn’t have to worry about him coming back to harm me, and relieved that my memories were back, even if some were uncomfortable and made me sad.
“If you need anything, just call,” the officer handed me his card. His eyes were dark and intense, his face chiseled and masculine. He was a handsome man, a kind man, and something about him reminded me of Isaac.
“Thank you,” I said softly, walking back inside my apartment.
Isaac and Elijah were standing near my couch with an officer by their side. I didn’t want to speak to him, not yet, and maybe not ever. My heart ached at the mere sight of him. I loved him. But, it wasn’t real. He tricked me.
The officer patted Elijah and Isaac on the back and then moved towards me. “You okay here, ma’am?” he asked. I nodded and fought back my tears.
“Do you want us to stay?” Elijah asked as he approached me. The officers were already gone, and the apartment was already feeling lonely.
“No, thank you,” I mumbled.
Isaac kept his distance, a few feet behind Elijah. His eyes penetrated into my soul, making me want to reach out, wrap my arms around him, and fall into his arms. “Are you sure?” Elijah asked again.
“I’m sure. I need time alone, to process everything,” I explained.
I waited until Isaac exited the apartment before following Elijah to the door. I wondered if he knew what Isaac was doing this entire time, and if so, why he’d allowed it. I smiled and shut my door, locking each of the locks and then double-checked that they were locked.
I was alone in my apartment. I was totally alone in my life.
My eyes scanned the room, taking in every single item. Some I remembered, some I didn’t. It wasn’t home, at least not yet, not now.
Pictures of Rob and I were all over the place. I took each one from the tables, from the walls, and shoved them in a basket under my coffee table. I wished I hadn’t remembered him at all.
It was late, and my eyes were heavy. I walked into the bedroom, pulled open each of my drawers until I found some comfy clothes, and quickly changed into them. I climbed into bed with my laptop and my phone that the cops retrieved from Rob’s pocket. I hadn’t turned it back on yet, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to. If Isaac tried to call, I wasn’t ready to talk to him, and it didn’t appear I had anyone else in my life.
I browsed through my laptop, checking my social media accounts. I was a personal trainer, not a yoga instructor like Isaac told me. No wonder I didn’t find a connection with the exercises, but I did in the gym near his home.
All of my accounts seemed to be for business, except Facebook, which seemed to only have pictures and Rob and me together. I started deleting them one by one and then blocked his name from my accounts. I changed my password and looked through my friend list. My memory started to come alive as I looked through each of their pages. A knot formed in my gut as I realized there was no one I was close to. My page was filled with acquaintances, and a few friends from school and from college that I knew I’d lost track of.
I stared at my grandmother’s dolls sitting in the chair near my bed and let the tears fall from my eyes. I missed her badly. Having her memory back was like losing her all over again. “What happened to me?” I sobbed. “When did I become this person that allowed someone to control me?”
My eyes grew heavier and heavier as I slid into my bed. The comforter was heavy but soft and my mattress so fluffy that I sunk into it like a bed of feathers. All I wanted to do was sleep, to remember, and to forget.
There were no bad dreams, no nightmares of being hurt. There were only dreams. Dreams of Isaac. I couldn’t push him out of my mind, no matter how hard I tried. I could feel his touch, taste his kiss, and smell his cologne. I tossed and turned, my heart aching for him as my body squirmed beneath the heavy comforter. It would take time, but I’d forget him.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Isaac
“You sure it’s a good idea to stay?” Elijah asked, his small travel bag in hand.
I’d spent the night at the hotel near Maddie’s apartment and I had no intention of leaving until I knew she was okay. “I’m sure,” I replied.
Elijah patted me on the shoulder before leaving the hotel room we’d shared the night before. I still wasn’t sure what Maddie told the police, or completely convinced I wouldn’t be arrested if I showed back up at her apartment. It was a chance I had to take.
Her phone was still turned off. I tried calling twice the night before and once already this morning. It went straight to voicemail.
With Elijah gone, the hotel room felt empty and lonely. I sat on the edge of the bed with my travel bag next to me. Maddie’s wallet was inside, the excuse I was going to use to see her, but there was also something else I’d bought for her, for her birthday. I wondered if she realized that I’d lied about that as well, if she knew, in fact, that today was her birthday.
I made so made mistakes, but I knew in my heart of hearts that I made them for the right reasons. I grabbed a clean outfit and moved into the bathroom. My arm was stiff and sore as I reached for the faucet in the shower. I undressed, climbed inside the small tub, and pulled the curtain closed as the water rushed over my aching body.
Images of Maddie on the floor with Rob atop her floated in my mind each time I closed my eyes. I didn’t want to think of what he was about to do to her, what he would’ve done if I hadn’t gotten inside.
I lathered up the hotel washcloth with the tiny bar of soap and ran it over my body. There were bruises on my right arm, my ribs on the left side were sore and tender, and my back felt like it had been stretched beyond its capabilities. I quickly rinsed, shut off the water and grabbed the small towel hanging on the rack near the shower. I wasn’t sure I was ready to have Maddie turn me away. My heart ached at the thought of her hating me as I dried off and dressed.
What am I going to say? I had no idea.
My phone rang, causing me to flinch as it blasted into the silence of the room. I rushed towards it, hoping to see Maddie’s name on the screen, but it was Beth. She was calling to tell me ‘I told ya so’ no doubt.
“Hey, Beth,” I answered, ready for her lecture.
“Isaac, Elijah called and told me everything. Are you okay?” her voice was filled with concern.
My defense softened as her voice carried through the phone to my ear. “Yes, I’m fine,” I replied.
“I just want you to know, I’m proud of you,” her words shocked me. Proud of me?
“I know how much you love her, and I’ve seen she loves you too. I can’t imagine what would’ve happened to her if you hadn’t stayed so close.”
My eyes were welling up with tears
. I swallowed hard and cleared my throat to keep my emotions intact. “Thank you, Beth, but I really messed things up for us,” I choked out.
“Elijah told me you stayed behind; what are your plans?” she asked.
I didn’t have any. My pause was long, and I could hear Beth sigh on the other end of the phone as she waited for my response.
“You have to have a plan,” she said softly.
“I’m going to return her wallet,” I stated firmly without mentioning my plans to give her a birthday gift. “I can at least see if she hates me,” I added.
“She’s probably really confused, and yes, angry, but I doubt she hates you,” Beth advised. “Call me if you need anything,” she added, and then hung up once I agreed.
My stomach growled from hunger and fear. I have to do this before I lose my nerve. I grabbed the items I planned to give to Maddie and rushed out of the hotel room. The elevator was slow, as if trying to detain me from what I planned to do. The rental car still had Maddie’s address in the GPS, but I didn’t need it. I could find my way to her with my eyes closed. My heart would lead the way.
I parked in the same spot I’d been in the previous night. My little black rental car was right below her window. In the daylight, it was hard to tell if lights were on or not. There were no shadows in the window like before, and I feared the possibility that she’d left, found a friend to take her in, protect her, and not lie to her like I had.
The round man with thin black hair that had let me inside the night before walked out of the front doors. I climbed out of my car, quickly greeting him as I walked towards the apartments. “Thank you again for your help last night,” I extended my hand.
