The Art of Love

by Celya Bowers

“I told you my reasons. Now if you’re really looking for a job, I’ll take back everything I said. But you’re going to have to prove to me that you’re not trying to hurt that girl.”

  Robert stood. “Well, I guess we’re done.”

  Jared had the nerve to look sad. “Yes, we are.”

  With that, Robert walked out of his brother’s office. He was more determined than ever to make Peri pay for all she had done to him. Mostly, he wanted to make her pay for dating that man.

  CHAPTER 23

  Peri held the tiny white stick up to the light. “How am I supposed to know if it’s positive?”

  “It will have a plus or minus sign,” Kyla said.

  Peri looked at the stick again. “What if it’s blank?”

  “That means I haven’t peed on it yet, silly.”

  Peri was that nervous. Sunday morning, as she was getting ready for church, Kyla came by with a pregnancy test, blubbering something about missing her period. Ryan was in Seattle and wouldn’t be back until Tuesday, and Kyla didn’t want to do this alone.

  Peri didn’t know who was more excited. They were in Peri’s master bath. Kyla was sitting on the toilet and Peri was sitting on the edge of the garden tub, trying to read the directions on the box.

  “Just give me the damn stick, Peri. It can’t be this difficult. I thought I just had to pee and the stick did the rest.”

  Peri knew how important this was to Kyla. “You weren’t on the pill?”

  “That’s why I got married,” Kyla said, taking the stick out of Peri’s hand. “Ryan didn’t use condoms, either. I always wondered why this hadn’t happened sooner. We’ve been married almost ten years.”

  “I know. It just wasn’t your time, I guess.” Peri watched Kyla. Would she pee already? “How long does this take?”

  “I’m not a circus act, Peri. I can’t do this with you standing there tapping your feet and watching me. Wait in the bedroom.”

  Peri sighed. “Okay.” She threw the box in the trash and walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

  Peri walked to the front of the house and peeked out of the window. There he was. She had half a mind to approach him, but before she did that, she had to tell Brendan everything that had happened between her and Robert.

  She needed closure.

  “Peri!”

  Peri ran to the bathroom and opened the door without knocking. “What?”

  Kyla was standing in front of the bathroom sink and looking at the stick in wonderment. “Oh, my God. I’m knocked up. Ryan knocked me up!” She held the stick up to the air. “I can’t believe this is happening to me.” She couldn’t wipe the tears away fast enough.

  Peri hugged her friend. “I’m so happy for you, Kyla, and, for the record, you’re not knocked up. You and Ryan are married.” She stepped back from her friend. “Are you happy?”

  Kyla nodded. “Can you just imagine Ryan’s face when I tell him?”

  Peri imagined he would be jumping up and down with joy. “Yes, I can. Call him.”

  “No, I want to be sure before I tell him, and I definitely can’t tell him this over the phone.”

  Peri was about to argue the point when Kyla mumbled something and headed for the toilet. “Well, I think that solves that.”

  Kyla moaned. “I already threw up twice this morning. Is this what I have to look forward to?”

  Peri remembered the brief time she was pregnant. “Yes, I’m afraid so.” She’d never told Kyla about the pregnancy or the miscarriage. “How far along do you think you are?”

  Kyla stood and washed her face. She reached under the cabinet and grabbed one of the extra toothbrushes Peri always kept on hand. “A few weeks. I had my period last month.” She had a goofy smile on her face.

  “I guess that look means that you remember the incident.”

  Kyla took a deep breath. “And how. Ryan was on top of his game that night. I still get a shiver just thinking about it.”

  Peri laughed and walked back into her bedroom. Then it hit her. As Kyla’s pregnancy progressed, how was she going to be able to stand looking at her? She was going to have to conquer her demons, and fast, or it was going to cost her the best friend she ever had.

  * * *

  Monday morning Peri awoke with a new agenda. She was taking her life back. She took the day off to prepare for her task. First she had to confess to Brendan about Robert, which she was going to do that night over dinner. Then tomorrow when she accompanied Kyla to the doctor, she would tell her friend everything. Her confrontation with Robert would be her last item of business. Then she would definitely be done with the whole awful mess and she would be able move on with her life, hopefully with Brendan.

  She dialed his office number. His secretary put her straight through. “Hey, baby.”

  His voice always made her feel better about everything, no matter what was wrong. “Hey, Brendan. How do you feel about dinner tonight at my house?”

  “As long as breakfast is included, I’m all for it. What’s the big news?”

  “I have something that I need to tell you, and I want to do it face to face.”

  “Sounds serious.”

  She took a deep breath. “It is. How about six?”

  “I’m already there.”

  * * *

  At exactly six that evening, Peri let Brendan inside her house. She noticed Robert parked across the street. Part of her wanted to wave at him, letting him know the game was up, but the other part of her wanted to give him a taste of his own medicine.

  “You look beautiful, Peri,” Brendan said. He leaned down and kissed her. His hands lingered on her hips.

  “You know what that does to me,” she admonished him. She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a kiss that he would not soon forget. “You look handsome.”

  “I came straight over. I didn’t like the sound of your voice earlier.”

  She closed the front door and led him into the living room to the couch. “Brendan, this is going to be hard for me to say, but I feel that I must.”

  “I’m listening.”

  She’d practiced this all day, but now, faced with the moment, she couldn’t force the words out of her mouth.

  “We are going to sit here all night if we have to, but make no mistake, you will tell me,” he said.

  “T-tell you what?” He wouldn’t dare ask her about the past before she could tell him. Memories came crashing back and tears sprang from her eyes.

  “About Robert abusing you.”

  Peri wiped her tear-soaked face. “How?”

  “I could see the signs, honey. You were so hesitant to even go out on a date with me. You were so withdrawn when we first met. You don’t get that gun-shy by a simple case of the cheats.”

  Peri moved closer to this man who seemed to know her better than she knew herself. In a shaky voice, she began her story. “During the last twelve months of our dreadful relationship, Robert had taken to hitting me.”

  Brendan stroked her arm. At first she jumped, then she relaxed against the feel of his hands; it seemed to help. “Why?”

  “I wouldn’t give him money, like I had in the past. I had joined the gym, at the doctor’s request. Robert also told me no one else would ever want me because I was a fat, black bitch. I think it all started when he lost his job. He became very insecure and he started taking it out on me. Also I had gotten a promotion and a large raise at work.” She took a deep breath and continued. “He had been smoking pot and his company did random drug testing—.”

  “He was bloody well caught. Why did the doctor request you go to the gym? You weren’t overweight when I met you.” He was still caressing her arm.

  “There was an eighteen-month time span between the two events. Plus, I had a miscarriage at that time.” She said it softly, as if it were the weather or a traffic report.

  “What?”

  “About two or three months after Robert got fired, I found out I was pregnant. He said it was my fault. He knocked me down and
started kicking me. He said it was my fault for getting pregnant. At the beginning of our relationship, he was a kind and sensitive man, but in the last year he changed.”

  “He started using drugs,” Brendan said. He took a deep breath. “I know there’s more.” He held her tighter.

  “Yes, now that you mention it, major amounts of money started going missing. My mutual funds had gotten cashed in, without my knowledge.” She was crying now. She felt totally exposed. How could she ever have been so dumb? Why had she trusted that man with her life?

  “Honey, shh, it’s all over. I will never let anything happen to you. I will never hit you.”

  Peri still tried to talk. “I know that, but the worst part of all this mess was, I never told Kyla. She just thought he took my money and dignity. She didn’t know about my miscarriage or the physical abuse.”

  “She never saw any bruises?” He winced as he asked the dreaded question. He could not imagine anyone hurting her on purpose. He shuddered at the pain she had endured.

  “No, I didn’t meet her until after all that had happened. I met her the first day I went to the gym after being released from the doctor.”

  “No one knew.” Brendan kissed her neck and hugged her tighter.

  “I think my family suspected. No one said anything.” Peri smiled at the memory of her mother being a mom. “She would send me crisis hotline numbers, self-help books, but I never out and out told her. Since she didn’t really care for him anyway, it would have been one more thing she didn’t like about him. He probably met my parents three times in five years. I don’t know how I let him come between me and my family. No real man would do that.”

  Brendan nodded absently. So many things made more sense now. He understood why her independence was so important to her and why she had to maintain it at all costs. He pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her face and whispered into her ear, “I love you, Peri. I will do everything in my power to make sure you never hurt like that again.”

  She nodded and cried harder.

  Brendan knew those tears were for all the pain she’d endured alone. He didn’t know what to do. He could only console her and let her purge her soul. He’d never actually known a victim of domestic violence. He hated Robert for the pain he had caused Peri and for the child he made her lose. “What made you say enough is enough?”

  Peri took a deep breath and continued the story. “I saw my face after I was rushed to the hospital. Robert didn’t take me, my neighbor did. After he beat me and took off in my car. He left me to bleed to death. Luckily my neighbor heard the fight and came over. The doctor told me that I had miscarried and, since I had gained so much weight, I probably couldn’t have carried a child anyway. I knew something had to be done. I saw my face in the mirror. One of my eyes was swollen shut. I had bruises all over my face, a knot was growing on my forehead, and two of my ribs were broken. I knew I didn’t want to live like that. The next day my family showed up at the hospital. It was the first time I’d ever seen my father or my brother cry. My neighbor had called and told them what happened. At that moment I vowed I would never let a man come between me and my family ever again. After I was released from the hospital, I went down to the police station and filed assault and battery charges on him. I also have a restraining order against him, still to this day. Because of the severity of my injuries the district attorney’s office got involved and filed charges against him, too. He was brought to trial and was sentenced to six years. He got out of prison four years early. I sold that condo and bought this one. I just couldn’t live there anymore.” She took a deep breath and looked at Brendan through teary eyes.

  “Peri, I am so sorry. If I could take the past away, I would. In a heartbeat.”

  “Brendan, it wasn’t your fault. The past haunted me for the last two years, but now I am free. In Ireland, after we had that fight, I kept having flashbacks, but you’re not Robert. You are the first person I’ve told. Thank you.” She laid her head on his chest.

  Brendan listened for a while to the silence in the room. He heard Peri’s deep breathing, signaling she was asleep. He gathered her in his arms and took her to her bedroom, placing her in the bed. He got in beside her and held her as close to his body as possible.

  She was exhausted and emotionally drained. He pondered what he should do next. Without another thought, he got her dressed for bed, being careful not to wake her. He placed her gently under the covers. She never woke up. Most of the night, he just watched her sleep. He would have to call his mother in Ireland for some guidance.

  A few hours later, Brendan quietly walked downstairs to the kitchen. He knew it would be early morning at his parents’ home. He quickly dialed the number, and after explaining the situation to his mother, he listened to her answer.

  “Bren, you will have to give her time. I could tell when she was here that something was troubling her. You will just have to leave it be for now.” His mother attempted to keep the sadness out of her voice. “That girl has had her share of sorrow, so don’t you go troubling her.”

  “I’m not, Mum. I just don’t know what my next step should be. I’m glad she told me. I mean I knew something was wrong, but I never envisioned this.”

  “It means a lot if you were the first person that she’d told about the attack. You’ll have to let her set the pace.”

  * * *

  The next morning, the smell of bacon tickled Brendan’s nose awake. He opened his eyes and noticed Peri was not lying beside him. After a quick shower, he went to the kitchen and smiled at the picture before him. Peri, dressed in a T-shirt and shorts, had fixed breakfast. His kind of breakfast with scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, and toast. She was putting food on the table when she noticed him. “Hungry?” She smiled at him.

  He smiled back. “You bet.” Brendan sat down and started eating. They ate in silence. He looked at Peri, and she was looking at him with tears in her eyes. “Come here.”

  Peri stood, walked around the table, and sat in his lap. Brendan put his strong arms around her, as she laid her head on his shoulder.

  “Peri, nothing you told me last night will change my feelings for you,” he said and kissed her cheek.

  “Brendan, I couldn’t be any happier than I am at this moment. The reason I told you about my past with Robert is that I’m ready to move on with my life. I’ve let him have too much control over me. I know he’s outside watching me, hoping to strike at the right moment. The old Peri would have cowered in a corner, waiting for the fateful blow.”

  He’d noticed the changes in her as well. “But what has the new Peri been plotting?”

  “I don’t know yet, but it’s going to be a payback he won’t soon forget.” She kissed him. “Thank you for being so patient with me. I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I’m so glad you’re in my life.”

  He didn’t want to break the spell, but he had to know. “Did you do this because of the box I found this morning?”

  “What box?”

  “The pregnancy test.”

  “Oh, that. Sorry, that was Kyla’s. She asked me not to tell anyone until she can tell Ryan today.” She stared at him. “Are you disappointed?”

  “Maybe a tiny bit. But we have plenty of time for that.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “It means that we’ll talk after the holidays.”

  * * *

  Later that afternoon, Peri and Kyla sat in the office of Dr. Ilena Porter. Kyla was nervous and it was Peri’s job to calm her best friend down. Peri felt so much better now that she had finally lifted that rock off her soul.

  Kyla cleared her throat. “Peri, is something wrong with you and Brendan?”

  Peri shook her head. “No, why would you think that?”

  “You’ve been super quiet. Is it because we’re in the OB office? If this is too much for you, I understand.”

  “No, Kyla. Brendan and I are fine. I’ve been mulling over how to tell you something. Brendan says
I should just say it and be done.”

  “What is it?”

  “We’ll talk about it later,” Peri said. “How about we get some food and I’ll tell you the whole story?”

  Kyla looked at her. “This is about Robert, isn’t it?”

  “How did you know?”

  Kyla laughed. “Peri, we’re best friends. We share. Granted we don’t share every detail of our lives, but you purposely don’t tell me anything about Robert and there can only be one reason. He either abused you or he cheated on you or he had a baby outside of your relationship.”

  Peri nodded. Why did everyone know her better than she knew herself? “You’re right, Kyla. It’s about Robert, and it’s about him abusing me.”

  Kyla wiped her eyes. “I suspected as much. You had all the battle scars of an abused woman. I had hoped that I was wrong, but you were so scared of Brendan in the beginning.”

  “I thought I was hiding the past pretty good. Brendan figured it out before I told him, too.”

  “I didn’t know how to reach out to you. I tried so many times to get you to the victims’ support meetings, but I never could get you to go.”

  Peri was confused. She didn’t remember Kyla wanting to take her to any meetings. “When?”

  Kyla smiled. “I probably shouldn’t admit this to you, but remember all those times I tried to get you to go to poetry night at the rec center?”

  “Yes,” Peri said, feeling like she’d just been had. “So I’m guessing there weren’t any poetry readings going on?”

  “Nope.”

  Her friend’s attempts to help her without her knowledge touched her heart. Peri leaned over and kissed Kyla on the cheek. “Thank you so much for being my friend and caring so much.”

  “Peri Reed, don’t you dare make me cry before I go in to see the doctor!” She smiled as she wiped away tears. “You know I’d do anything for you.”

  Peri sniffed, trying to hold back more tears. “Same here, Kyla. Aren’t we a hot mess! Two women in the OB office crying, and we haven’t even seen the doctor yet!”

  Kyla laughed. “You’re right.”

  “Kyla Stone, the doctor will see you now,” a nurse said.