by J.M. Downey
A harshness filled his eyes.
“Ellie, you messed around with a fifteen-year-old girl?” asked Shelly, who wrung her hands together.
Ellie laughed. “No sweet-girl, we messed around with a fifteen-year-old girl.”
“Get out,” Keith shouted.
Katie locked gazes with her sister, whose wide eyes, probably mirrored her own.
“Didn’t tell her about that?” Ellie said, tilting her head to the side, the blonde tresses falling against her cheek.
Keith sprang towards Ellie, grabbing her by the arm and yanking her to her feet. “You’re a worthless whore.”
He dragged her to the door, threw it opened and flung her out. Ellie flew to the floor before she jumped to her feet and ran at Keith, but he slammed the door in her face.
Ellie could be heard shouting obscenities as she banged on the door.
“I’m sorry, Keith,” Amanda said taking his shoulders.
“Why did you bring that whore here? You know I don’t want her around Katie.”
“She said.…”
“Get out of my apartment,” Keith shouted. Amanda grabbed hers and Ellie’s coats and left.
Tears swelled in Katie’s eyes. Her heart pounded against her chest. Keith stood in the middle of the floor, hands planted on his hips, chest rising and falling with each deep breath.
Katie walked over to him. “Did you…?”
“No,” he shouted making her step back.
He was lying. “If you.…” She placed a hand on his chest. He grabbed her wrist and yanked her towards him – a pain shot through her arm. “I said no.”
“You did? Didn’t you?” This was unbelievable. But, it was true. She just knew it. For why else would he be so angry?
“Listen, you are never to talk to that slut again.”
“You’re sick,” Katie shouted. “I’m leaving you.”
“No, you’re not.” He wrapped an arm around her back, holding tight. “You’re mine.”
“Let go of me.” She pounded on his chest. Keith flipped her over his shoulder and raced towards the bedroom.
Shelly ran up to him and punched him in the back. “Let her go.”
Keith spun around and raised his hand to her face. Shelly stumbled back. “Don’t ever,” he said. Keith walked into the bedroom. He dropped Katie on the bed and then rushed out, slamming the door shut.
Katie sprang off the bed and ran towards the door, pulling at the doorknob. But it was useless. The doors were designed to trap people in. A few seconds later the door opened enough so Shelly could walk in before it was shut again.
Both girls’ eyes were glued on the door until a loud sound made them jump into each other’s arms.
“Is there a phone in the room?” Shelly asked.
Katie looked at the one on the nightstand. She shook her head. What could the cops do? Nothing. Best to just wait it out. Katie placed a hand on her head and pushed it down. She shouldn’t have questioned him. Ellie was not someone to trust, so why did she not believe her husband? Because of Ashley. Ashley had opened her eyes.
“I’m going to call the cops.” Shelly let go of Katie.
She was about to run to the phone, when Katie grabbed her hand. “No, we shouldn’t.”
“Why not?”
“He just did this, so he could have time to calm down.”
“He’s done this before?”
“Just once. He does it because he doesn’t want to take his anger out on me.”
“This is wrong!” Shelly’s dark curls fell over her face, half hiding her wide eyes.
She just didn’t understand what it meant to be married. Someday she would. Wives needed to be submissive to their husbands. How many times had the preacher at her family’s church elaborated on that message and it was not being submissive to challenge him in front of her family. Once she got that through her skull, Keith and she would be fine. Besides, it’s not like he hit her. “I don’t mind.” Katie sat on the bed. “The best thing for us to do is just calm down.”
Shelly slowly shook her head. “I don’t like this. He shouldn’t do this!”
“Shh, Shelly. We don’t want to make him angrier. Just sit down. He hasn’t hurt us. He wouldn’t do that.” She caressed her wrist. This was just an accident.
“Why won’t he let us leave?”
“I don’t know.” Katie patted the bed. “Just come sit down.”
Shelly sat down next to her and wrapped her arms around Katie’s waist. Katie held her tight as her sister trembled in her arms. She closed her eyes tight. Keith had raised a hand to her sister, but he hadn’t hit her. Would he have? No, it must have just been a reflex because Shelly had hit his back. He wanted to scare her off. A few tears slipped down her cheeks as her sister began to pray, asking God to protect them.
Please God, protect them and let Keith see the error of his ways. Please.
The door opened, making her flinch. Keith stood in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest - eyes narrowed as he fixed his gaze on her.
“Come here, babe,” he said.
Katie dug her hands into the sheets and pushed herself off the bed despite the fact her sister tugged on her arm.
Keith closed the door behind them, locking it. His eyes still contained the glare, but his face had relaxed. Katie took a deep breath as a chill swept through her. He looked so much like his father.
Keith peered down into her eyes, making her take a step back. “Don’t ever try and run off like that again. Last thing I want is my naive wife and her even more naive sister running around the city, alone, at night. Is that understood?”
Katie looked away. “I understand.”
Keith took her chin, tipping her face upward. “I know what’s best.” He ran a finger down her face, leaving a trail of goose bumps. He bent to her lips, kissing her tenderly, letting the kiss deepen. “What would you have done, Katie? Caught a cab in your pearls and silk pajamas, putting yourself at risk for robbery? Huh?”
She placed her hands on his chest, feeling the sweat under his dress shirt. “You’re right,” she whispered.
“I was protecting you,” he said. “Go tell your sister that.”
Katie turned from him and opened their bedroom door. The black sheets of the bed contrasted with Shelly’s blanched face, making her look dead. She could feel Keith’s eyes focused on her.
“It’s okay, Shelly, he didn’t want us to get hurt, by running around New York City alone. We could have been robbed.”
His glare must have bored into the girl. Shelly leaned back, her hands clenching the sheets as her eyes widened. “I understand.”
“I’m glad you do, Shelly,” Keith said. He turned around. Taking her hand, he yanked Katie out the door before another word could be said.
The next morning, Amanda showed up at their apartment with her dark tresses pulled back into a tight pony tail, which contrasted with the form-fitting blue jeans and light pink cashmere sweater she wore. Katie showed her to the kitchen, where she gathered the plates filled with the remnants of the pancakes she had made earlier. Shelly sat at the table, fumbling with a napkin, her blue eyes wavering, probably remembering last night. The breakfast had been strained with Keith not saying a word, but chewing his food slowly and scrolling through the news on his iPad while she and her sister chit-chatted about random topics, which at the moment she couldn’t recall.
After he left for work, Katie reached for a cup, thinking to pour Amanda some of the hazelnut brew in the coffeepot.
Amanda laid a hand on her arm. “Katie, how are you?”
Katie stilled and turned to look at her sister-in-law, noticing the lightness in her eyes. “I’m fine,” she said.
Amanda smiled. “Can we talk?”
Katie set the mug down and straightened. Had she come to apologize for bringing that snob to her home - a girl whose only goal seemed to be disrupting her life? Katie nodded.
Amanda took her hand. “I’m here to clear something up. K
eith never slept with a child.”
“Why did he get so mad?” Katie asked. And why did she ask that? Did she want him to find out about her question, thus provoking his anger again?
“Ellie is always lying about him, trying to provoke his anger. Can’t you see? He was afraid you’d believe her.”
Shelly leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. “It doesn’t make sense.”
No, it didn’t make sense, but then again so much of Keith no longer made sense to her. It almost seemed like he had decided to rewrite the rules of their relationship and forgot to tell her.
Amanda pushed her lips into a thin line as she turned to look at Shelly, slowly shaking her head. Something must weigh heavily on her mind. She turned back to Katie, her dark blue eyes wavering. She bent to Katie’s ear and whispered, “you have no idea what our father would have done if Keith had slept with a child.”
Katie’s eyes locked with Amanda’s as a chill swept through her.
She could only imagine. Amanda told the truth.
Shelly pulled her sister closer as the receptionist announced last call for boarding. Keith stood behind Katie, looking completely calm and composed except for the glare in his eyes. A warning to behave and not to say a word.
“I will pray for you,” she whispered into Katie’s ear, as a few tears slid down her face. She was actually going to leave her sister with this monster, but there was nothing she could do. Katie wouldn’t listen to one ounce of reason, but had an excuse for all of his actions.
Katie pulled from her. Her smile was bright, but her eyes unsettled. “I’m going to be fine.” She pushed her away. “Now get on that plane before it leaves without you.”
Shelly squeezed her hand. “I love you,” she said before turning and getting on the plane. She found her seat and leaned her head against the window. This morning Katie and she had fought because Shelly had insisted on telling her parents what happened. But as Katie broke down crying, Shelly finally promised to keep quiet – a promise she would have to live with. She would find some way to help her sister before something happened. She wouldn’t leave her sister to face that monster alone.
Katie turned to face Keith, who held out his hand for her, beckoning her to him. She took a deep breath as tears built in her eyes and she went straight into his arms, letting him guide her out of the airport. Once in the limo, Katie leaned her head on the window. Had her sister’s plane left yet? She wrapped her arms around her waist. A piece of her left when Shelly got on that plane. Her old life seemed so far away, untouchable. If she could just be that little girl again, she would make different decisions. She cringed as Keith glided the back of his hand down her cheek.
“We’ll go to Clayton this summer,” he said.
Katie placed her palm over his hand, stopping it. She could never bring him home again. How could she ever trust his anger?
Katie opened her eyes and read 5 a.m. on the clock in front of her. The light sheets covered her body and nothing else. She moved her hand to her stomach. His hand was not there – nor did his body loom over her. A distant sound of repetitive clanking floated to her, a sound she heard many times at night. Katie slid off the bed and walked to the weight room. Opening the door, she leaned her head against the side of it.
Keith glared at the wall as he pulled down on the cords, back and forth. The muscles of his back rippled under his skin as he lifted the weights up; not being fazed by the heaviness.
“What are you thinking?” she asked.
He dropped the weights, the banging sound making her flinch.
He turned sideways in the seat and pressed his hands firmly on his knees, staring at her for a second before he turned to a bat that leaned against the wall. He got up, walked to it, and grabbed it. He raised it above his shoulders and swung the bat, making it swoosh through the air. The confidence in his eyes slipped away, and was replaced with a look of sadness and a strong anger. He stood like that for a second, just a second, before he raised the bat, rested it on his shoulder and turned to look at her; his bangs laid flat against his forehead from the sweat.
“You know, all I ever wanted was to play ball.” He pointed the bat at her. “Think about that the next time you whine about something.” He turned back to the weights, dropping the bat on the floor.
“Keith, I.…”
“We all must sacrifice.”
Katie walked to him, placed one hand on his shoulder and slowly caressed it, feeling the sticky sweat on his smooth skin. “Just promise me something.”
Keith turned around and placed his hands on her hips, pulling her close. “What’s that?”
“Just don’t become your father. He scares me.”
Keith wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her up slightly towards his face. “Katie, there is a reason why the family is so powerful.” He paused and leaned into her face. “I will become my father.”
She grabbed his arms, squeezing.
He bent to her ear and whispered, “but I won’t let you get hurt in the process.”
Katie leaned her head against his shoulder. He sounded so confident that he could protect her from what he knew. But could he? Katie ran a hand down the hair on his neck. Dear Lord, what had she gotten into?
FOUR
Katie walked into the hotel room, dropping the few bags of books on the counter. She glanced at the clock. She had a few hours to curl up and read before Keith came back to the hotel – if he came back. Seattle wasn’t that exciting when there was no one around. She flipped on the TV and watched the news, hoping for more information about the case her husband was so immersed in.
The Wilkersons’ firm was fighting for a pharmaceutical company wanting the town council to give it land for a large plant that would bring many jobs to the area. It was a simple matter, except for the fact the land belonged to 20 families who had been living there their whole lives. The case was making headlines because a top law firm from California, known for its pro bono work, had agreed to work for the families for free. The headlines read ‘Goliath versus Goliath’ over a few acres of land and the news talk shows, constantly talked about the influence that both firms had in the government.
Katie perked up when the lead Wilkerson attorney appeared on the screen, talking about how they had the interests of the whole town in mind.
She shut the TV off. She wanted the families to win. What a small victory that would be. Then she could go home and forget about the case that made Keith come back to their room tense, constantly bickering with her.
A knock sounded at the door, which made her head snap up. Katie stood, went to the door and looked through the peep hole. Amanda. She smiled.
She pulled open the door and hugged her friend. “What are you up to?” she asked pulling the girl into the room.
Amanda flashed her a smile and held up two tickets. “The Lover’s Dilemma at five.”
Katie’s smile widened. She had been wanting to see that movie, but couldn’t bear to go alone. She looked at the clock. It was four now, maybe she would make it back before Keith came home. “Okay.”
She grabbed her coat and slipped out the door, a bounce in her step.
Katie took a long sip of her drink, and popped a piece of popcorn in her mouth, the salty butter melting over her tongue. The hero ran his hand through the heroine’s hair, making sparks of energy flood through her. That was love. Her early days with Keith had been like that. So full of excitement, thrill and mystery of what lay ahead. She leaned her head against the back of the chair. The hero would kiss her soon and everything would be happily ever after.
Katie’s phone vibrated. She got it from her purse and read, “I’m home, come home.” She looked at the screen as the lovers’ lips finally met. She typed: after the movie. She was about to put her phone back in her pocket, when it vibrated. She looked down at the phone, and read “now.” Katie typed emergency? She waited, and got, No, I want you here with me. She poked Amanda in the shoulder, and showed her the message.
/> Amanda whispered, “we’d better go back then.”
Katie shook her head as the girls stood and walked out of the theater.
Once back at the hotel, she said bye to her friend and walked into their hotel room. In the middle of the living room stood Keith with his arms crossed - his brows furrowed.
Something was wrong. “Hey, Keith,” she said, setting her purse down on a table.
He turned towards her with the strong glare in his eyes. “Why did I have to ask you several times to come back?”
“Keith, I was….”
“I don’t care. When I want you home, I want you home.”
“Did you have a bad day?” She walked towards him. Every part of him looked tense, like he had been given the worst news. Maybe the families had gained ground in their case.
“No, when I want you home, I want you home.”
“I was….”
“I don’t care.”
Katie took a step back as every part of her tensed. Couldn’t she just finish a movie? A simple movie. But he thought he ruled her. “You controlling son of b….” Katie’s hands flew to cover her mouth. Dear Lord, she had done it now.
“What did you say?” A redness spread over his face.
Fear prickled the back of her neck as she stumbled backwards. “I didn’t say anything!”
“Yeah, you did.”
Katie spun for the door, racing towards it. Feet pounded behind her. Her fingers grazed the nob, trying to latch on. But his firm hand grabbed her and yanked her back around, to face him. He threw her back against the door, her head banging hard. A hand filled her vision. “Please,” she cried covering her face. “I’m sorry, Keith!”
His hand smacked the door; it rattled under her - matching her shaking form. “Don’t you ever run from me again.”
“I’m so sorry.” Tears slipped down her face. He turned from her, and kicked over the coffee table, sending the beer bottle crashing onto the floor. He screamed a stream of curse words out. Shaking his head, he sat on the couch, crossing his arms.
“I’m so sorry.” She walked over and knelt at his feet. Burying her face into his lap, she let several tears fall. Katie looked at him – his face was so taut. This case made him edgier by the minute. Taking a deep breath, she stroked the buttons on his shirt. She would do any sexual act he wanted, just as long as he let things go. He grabbed her hand, squeezing it - sending sharp stabs through her. “Keith.”
