Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 57043 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 285(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57043 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 285(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
“No, they wouldn't.” Renee lets out a laugh that sounds sad and bitter and angry. “They won’t come here.”
“Why not?”
“Because he was on the force.” She looks like she's going to laugh again, but no sound comes out. Her eyes are shiny and bright as her chest rises and falls harder and faster and I'm terrified for her. “The police aren't going to do anything because he knocked on my door. They never do, no matter what happens.”
“He didn’t knock on your door, he practically—”
“Tell them that and they’ll look at you like you’re the problem.” She says like it’s a fact. Like she’s been through this before.
“He can't bang on your door like that. He can't threaten you.” I stress.
“It's his word against mine, and he didn't do anything I can press charges for.”
“The hell he didn't.” I take a big breath and let it out slowly, so I don't get loud with her. “He was threatening you. And I heard every word.”
“Your word matters about as much as mine does when it comes to something actually happening. It doesn't mean anything. They're not going to do anything. If you call them, you'll only make it worse,” she says.
She wipes at her face as I stare back at her.
“Is he an ex?” I ask. Trying to put the pieces together.
Before she can answer I try another solution. “You can get a restraining order.” I know people get those. “You can report this incident and use it to get a restraining order.”
Renee shakes her head and looks away. “Do you know how hard it is to get one approved?”
“I haven’t—”
She cuts me off with that single, sharp word, her body trembling. “You don't know, Griffin. You have no idea.”
“I'm not pretending to have personal experience with it, but it's not nothing. If you can—”
“There’s no way to fix this Griffin. You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Renee snaps. She paces around the living room again and whirls around to face me. Her eyes are so filled with tears that they’re about to spill over.
I’m left standing there not knowing what the fuck to do to make this better.
“You don’t have to do this alone,” I tell her because I don’t know what else to say.
I’ll deal with the police if that’s what she needs. I’ll be the one to make all the calls. I’ll go with her wherever she needs to go. I’ll sit by her while she makes a report. Anything.
She stares back at me and for the first time looks at me like I am not her savior. Like I’m not an escape. “You don't know because you have a perfect family and a perfect life, and you don't know what it's like to live in a world where this is what happens when your mom tries to leave.”
“Renee,” I try. “Your mom—”
“I filed a police report once,” she says, almost shouting. “I've been through all that. I tried to get a restraining order. I jumped through all the hoops they wanted, and it didn't work. All it did was make him hit my mom harder.” My blood runs cold. I don’t understand what the hell she’s talking about.
“That guy hits your mom?” I thought he was after Renee but knowing that they have another connection beyond that he's out of control and knows her somehow is worse. It’s obvious the control and fear he has over her.
Renee laughs again, but there’s not an ounce of humor. She's spiraling, and I need to help her, but when I reach my hand toward her, she jerks away from it.
She seems to realize her state and then backs away, attempting to put herself back together.
“Leave,” she says. “Please leave.”
“There's no way I'm leaving you here alone. I can't leave. Not after that.” She has to understand that, at least. It doesn't matter that we've been sleeping together and pretending. I would stay for any of the people who work for me. I would stay for my friends. I would stay for a person I cared about or someone who just needed my help. Fuck, I would stay for a fucking stranger after that shit.
Leaving her here like this would kill me.
“Get out,” she repeats. “I can’t have you here right now. Leave.”
Renee takes a step toward me, then another, ushering me to the door.
“I’m asking you to leave.” I shove my feet into my shoes.
Renee goes ahead of me and jerks the door open, breathing hard as I go past her.
“I—”
She shuts the door in my face. I can hear her getting her locks back in place, and then I can hear her walk away from the door. A minute later, water starts to run somewhere inside her apartment.
I sit down and lean my back against the door. It's four in the morning, but I can’t leave. I can’t do nothing. I don’t know what the hell to do, but nothing is right here, and I can’t let her go through this on her own.