When Houses Burn

by Laurèn Lee

  James hesitated and looked at me with sad, pleading eyes.

  “Give it to me James!” I roared.

  He slid his phone across the bed, and I picked it up immediately. I already knew his passcode, so I unlocked his cell with ease. I scrolled through his texts until I noticed a number which had contacted him most frequently.

  The last text this number sent had read, “I miss you, baby. When can I see you again?”

  “Lovely.”

  I chose this number’s contact information and pressed, “Call.” The phone only rang twice before a chipper woman answered.

  “Sweetie!”

  My breath stopped in my chest. To hear the woman’s voice stopped me dead in my tracks. This was happening.

  “James, are you there?”

  “Hello, this is James’ wife, Delilah.”

  Silence.

  “Please don’t hang up,” I requested.

  Still silence, but she hadn't hung up yet.

  “I understand you’re having an affair with my husband and I would like to meet with you.”

  “Meet with me?” the woman squeaked.

  “Yes, would tomorrow work for you?”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “I have a few questions for you.”

  “Okay,” she sounded apprehensive.

  “One more thing,” I started. “What’s your name?”

  “My name? It’s Helena. Helena Woodruff.”

  23

  Past- Eighteen Months Ago

  My stomach dropped, and I felt as though someone had slapped me across the face. James had murder in his eyes. He looked like a man who wouldn’t back down. Steven seemed confused as to why I had suddenly stopped dancing and looking around for the source of my terrified gaze.

  “Everything okay?” Steven shouted above the music.

  I shook my head, tried to apologize with my eyes and held my breath as James walked toward us. I don’t know why I felt guilty, I hadn’t done anything wrong, and I had no intentions of doing anything wrong during the night.

  James strode over to us with purpose, and I felt my previous injuries throb much like how rain inspired arthritis to return. The song playing had finished, giving James the perfect opportunity to speak without having to shout over any music.

  “What’s going on here?”

  Steven looked at me to James and back again.

  “Delilah, do you know this man?”

  “Yes. This is my husband.”

  Steven nodded, unsurprised. He knew I was married. I hadn’t kept that a secret. Our interactions thus far had been purely platonic.

  “James!” Sara called out, trying to lighten the mood.

  “Sara.” he said shortly.

  “I think I should be going,” I murmured.

  “Yes, Delilah. Let’s go.”

  “What? No! We just started having fun,” Sara pouted.

  “Not now, Sara,” James warned.

  “Hey, don’t talk to her like that!” Sara’s date, Mike, had said.

  James looked venomous.

  “I’ll call you tomorrow, Sara,” I promised.

  “Are you going to be okay?” Steven whispered.

  “She’s going to be fine,” James said sternly, overhearing him.

  Steven continued to wait for my confirmation.

  “It’s fine, thank you.”

  Just then, James grabbed me by the arm with enough brute force to cause me to call out in pain. Steven had leaped back to my side, and Sara called out.

  “James, stop it!”

  “Get your hands off of her!” Steven shouted.

  Now, the music stopped for good and bouncers closed in on the conflict as patrons all around us stared incredulously. Arguments or scuffles weren’t supposed to happen at places like this.

  “Is there a problem?” one burly bouncer asked.

  “No. We were just leaving,” James answered for both of us.

  Without another word, James grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the bar, much to Sara and Steven’s dismay.

  We didn’t speak while we walked to James’ car. I knew the worst was only beginning. For such a weak man during certain situations, he’d proven to be too aggressive with others. It's a shame his mother wasn’t around to put him back in his place.

  “Nothing was happening,” I started.

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yes, James. This is ridiculous. Why aren’t you still in California with your mother, anyways?”

  “Because I wanted to come home to my wife,” he snarled as he opened his car door.

  I didn’t want to get inside the car. I knew his fury wouldn’t quickly disappear.

  “Did you care about my feelings when you plotted against me with your mother to trap me into seeing a fertility doctor?”

  “That was a mistake.”

  “You think?”

  I finally got into the car and James started the engine. Without waiting for me to fasten my seatbelt, he put the car into “Drive” and sped away. Main Street blurred as we cruised way beyond the speed limit to the highway.

  “James, slow down.”

  “Why should I?”

  “You’re going to get pulled over!” I clung to the overhead handle and held my breath. He had to be going well over twenty miles per hour above the speed limit.

  “Maybe your lawyer friend could help me out of the ticket!” he snickered.

  “What? How do you know he’s a lawyer?”

  “I recognized him the first moment I saw him,” he sneered. “He’s done some consulting for my company.”

  We entered the highway, and the speedometer read well over a hundred.

  “James!”

  He laughed aloud, thoroughly enjoying the evident fear in my voice.

  “We are going to get in an accident. Stop it right now!”

  He ignored me and stepped on the gas pedal even more. We weaved in and out of other cars and created a symphony of honking all around us. James was trying to prove his manhood. He wanted to prove he was man enough to take control of a situation. But, I wished more than anything, he would be man enough to grow up and be the man I married.

  Just when I was about to begin saying a prayer, James slowed down as our exit quickly approached. I let out a huge sigh of relief and put my head back against the headrest. He wouldn’t kill me just yet. I slammed the car door once we’d parked in the driveway and nearly jogged inside. I wanted to be as far away from James as possible. He still seemed angry, and I didn’t want to be his punching bag. Not this time.

  I went upstairs and turned on the shower. I’d lock myself in the bathroom and enjoy what little alone time I had left before James wanted to have another go at me. So much for having a decent evening out. The fun was over.

  I gingerly stepped into the steaming shower and lathered my entire body. I closed my eyes and let the water massage my neck and back. I hadn’t heard James come upstairs, so maybe he’d leave me alone after all.

  Shampooing my hair, I gasped once I heard a pounding at the door. I had assumed prematurely about having the upstairs to myself.

  “I’ll be out soon!” I tried to announce cheerfully.

  Maybe if I pretended nothing had happened, he’d ease up and let go of his temper.

  “Get out now!” he demanded.

  “Why? Is everything okay?” the cheerfulness continued.

  “I said to get out, now!”

  Shit.

  “Just a minute!”

  Nausea returned, and my pulse quickened. I stepped out of the bathroom very slowly with a large towel wrapped around myself.

  “Yes?”

  “We’re not done talking,” he said, pacing the bedroom.

  “What would you like to discuss?”

  “I’d like to talk about having a baby.”

  “James — ”

  “How do I know you aren’t still taking your birth control?”

  “Because I told you I’m not and you can check the medici
ne cabinet for all of my pills.”

  “How do I know you’re not hiding them?”

  “James, this is ridiculous. You know I want a child more than anything, why would I lie and deceive you?”

  “Did you want to make a baby with that lawyer?”

  “Jesus Christ, are you drunk?”

  He strode toward me, and I cowered back against the wall.

  “I don’t believe you’re telling me the truth, Delilah.”

  “Please. Let me get dressed, and we can sit down and talk about this. I am not lying about anything. You’ve talked to my doctors, you’ve seen my test results. I’m not able to carry a child to term. You know this.”

  “There’s nothing to talk about,” he snarled as he ripped away my towel leaving me naked, still against the wall. I instantly tried to cover myself up with my hands.

  I opened my mouth to protest, but he put his hand against my lips, effectively preventing me from speaking.

  “I think we’ll give it one more try.”

  James laughed, sunk his nails into my arms and threw me on the bed. I began to sob as I knew what was coming next. He climbed on top of me, ignored my screaming and pleading, and thrust himself inside me.

  “Let’s make a baby, Delilah.”

  24

  EVENING HERALD

  Suspect in Custody

  Captain Moonie has just confirmed he’s brought in a person of interest for questioning for the murderer of Helena Woodruff.

  “We found hundreds of texts of a romantic nature between the POI and the deceased. There’s clear evidence within their lines of communication this is the man Woodruff was having an affair with before she was killed. Now, we just need to find out if he murdered her too.”

  According to the police department, the man isn’t in custody and came forth voluntarily. His name is James Hedley. Hedley works at a prestigious and well-known construction company in the county.

  Presently, Hedley is fully cooperating with detectives. However, he has claimed his innocence in the murder of Helena Woodruff.

  We will keep the public updated as to the continued events as they occur in the murder investigation of Helena Woodruff.

  25

  Present

  I took a seat at a small table by the window of a local coffee shop on Main Street. It seemed a little too hip for my taste, but it was in a public place and seemed quiet enough to have a conversation without being interrupted.

  I tapped my toe against the table waiting for Helena to arrive. I had an entire speech planned out in my head of what I wanted to say to the woman sleeping with my husband. But, would I have the courage to keep it together long enough to finish my soliloquy?

  “Would you like a refill?” a friendly barista wearing a beanie cap had asked.

  “Yes, please.”

  I checked my watch, and she was due to be here any moment. I hoped she wasn’t the type of person to be late. I wasn’t sure how much more waiting around I could handle. James had begged me not to see Helena. When that hadn’t worked, he became enraged and assumed he could scare me out of wanting to go. This attempt hadn’t worked either. I wouldn’t let him bully me, not anymore.

  “Well look who it is,” Lucas said walking into the coffee shop.

  I groaned. “This isn’t the time, Lucas.”

  “Weird how we keep running into each other,” he smirked.

  “We’re not running into each other. You seem to keep finding me at the most inconvenient times,” I reminded him.

  “What? Is your husband about to stiff you again?”

  “Lucas, please,” I begged.

  “Sorry, Doctor. Just giving you a hard time.”.

  As Lucas went to order a cup of coffee at the counter, a woman entered the shop with a fretful look on her face.

  There she was, Helena Woodruff.

  She glanced over at me and nodded. Either she’d already known what I looked like or she could tell by the look on my face, I was James’ wife. She sat down across from me and fidgeted with her hands. She was gorgeous; I now knew what James had seen in her. Her hair appeared as crimson as a summer sunset. She was thin, yet voluptuous and had a busty chest. If it weren't for her defined crow’s feet, I would’ve pegged her for less than thirty years old.

  “Hi, Delilah,” she mumbled.

  “Hello, Helena.”

  I noticed Lucas turn his head slightly out of the corner of my eye. His ears perked up like a dog listening for his dinner to be set out.

  “Thank you for coming. I wasn’t sure you’d end up meeting me.”

  “I wasn’t sure if I would end up coming either,” she admitted. “What did you want to speak to me about?”

  “Well, for starters, I’d like to know why you’re sleeping with my husband.”

  Helena blushed so deeply, and her cheeks blended in with her poker-straight hair.

  “I’m not sure how it happened.”

  I raised my eyebrows, “Well, then start from the beginning.”

  “Don’t you want to hear this from James?”

  “No. I want to hear it from you. Woman to woman.”

  Lucas sat down at a table not too far from us. He’d still be within eavesdropping distance. He opened up a newspaper and pretended to read, however, I noticed his eyes were stationary. He wasn’t reading at all.

  “We met at work,” she began.

  I nodded, encouraging her to continue.

  “I’m a realtor, and my company has a contract with James’ construction firm. They build the houses, and we sell them.”

  “Wonderful,” I placated.

  Helena’s hands were shaking, but I felt no remorse for putting her in the spotlight.

  “We all went out one night after I sold the last house in the new development over in West County. We went to celebrate. And I don’t know. It just happened.”

  “It just happened? He just kind of fell on top of you with his pants off? You just let a married man have sex with you?”

  She began to cry as my anger rose and rose. I had no pity to offer her. I wanted answers.

  “I knew he was married. I shouldn’t have let it happen. I’m so sorry, Delilah.” She took out a few tissues from her purse and dabbed the corner of her eyes trying to clean up her smeared mascara.

  “Did James tell you he would leave me for you?”

  Helena nodded her head, even though she'd lowered it, so she was staring at the floor.

  “Did you believe him? Did you want him to leave me?”

  She sobbed into her hands, and a barista rushed over attempting to offer her some tea and tissues.

  “We are fine,” I announced forcefully.

  The barista nodded frightfully and left us alone. I’m sure it looked odd, two women sitting together, one obviously upset and the other deliriously angry.

  “I’m so sorry, I never meant for this to happen. I didn’t even know it was possible!”

  “You didn’t know it was possible to have an affair with a married man?”

  “No, I didn’t know I would be able to get pregnant,” she whispered.

  “You’re pregnant?” I gasped.

  “Yes. James is the father.”

  “Excuse me,” I said in a daze.

  I walked to the restrooms, entered a stall, and immediately vomited into the toilet several times. The woman slept with my husband, and now carried his child. She offered him the one thing in the entire world that I couldn’t. She offered him fatherhood.

  I washed my hands and rinsed out my mouth. I couldn’t hide in here forever. Exiting the restroom, Lucas bombarded me. He’d been waiting.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I guess you heard all that?”

  “Yes,” he shrugged.

  “Then you should realize I’m not okay.”

  “Is there anything I can do?” Lucas asked.

  “No, thank you.”

  “Want me to kill her?” he laughed.

  “If anyone is going to kill her, it’s going
to be me.” And I walked away to regain my spot across from Helena.

  “He didn’t tell you, did he?”

  “No. This is the first I’ve heard of the pregnancy.”

  “I’m sorry, Delilah!”

  “Stop saying that,” I boomed, ignoring the looks of the coffee shop employees. “The question is, are you planning on keeping it?”

  She looked at me as though I had slapped her across the face. “Of course, I’m keeping it.”

  “I see.”

  “James wants me to keep it, too.”

  I burst out, “I wish the two of you the happiest of futures.”

  Standing, Helena cowered as though I was truly about to hit her. Damn it, if I didn’t want to smack the sorrow off her face, too. I walked out of the coffee shop, vaguely aware Lucas was right behind me.

  26

  Past- Eighteen Months Ago

  James rolled off me leaving me shaking and numb. I never thought it would come to this, but I guess there’s a first time for everything.

  Within minutes, James’ snores audibly roared within our bedroom. I crept out of our room and went back into the bathroom. I wanted to vomit. I wanted to shower. I wanted to forget. Instead, I lay down on the cold tile and listened to the rhythmic beating of my heart.

  Breathe in. Breathe out. It was all I could do. I felt as though I was in some trance. Time didn’t affect me. I didn’t need to move. Hunger and thirst didn’t exist. I just lay on the floor until I could vaguely hear James’ alarm ringing madly from the bedroom. It was morning now.

  I picked myself up off the floor for the first time in hours. Opening the door a crack, I peered out to see if my husband had begun to stir. The alarm had ceased, but James hadn’t gotten out of bed yet. I opened the door a little wider so I could maneuver out as quickly and quietly as possible.

  I’d go to my office right away. I had a change of clothes and shoes there. I’d grab a coffee on the way. I only had one patient scheduled for today.

  I grabbed my purse and threw on a tee shirt and sweatpants. I had just realized I’d been naked all night. I hadn’t dressed after what… after what had happened. James still hadn’t stirred, so I was able to leave the house unbothered. Getting into my car, I finally felt a tiny bit of relief. I’d escaped. I would be driving away from him now.