Page 37 of Affliction
I’m standing out onthe back deck of the house that Preston and I moved into together two years ago. When he finished school, he moved back and bought us a home. It’s a two story house that sits tucked back in the woods off of a back road. The closest neighbor is about two miles down the road and we’re about half an hour from both of our families. The warm spring breeze blows my hair around my face as I stare down at my feet. Tears gather in my eyes as Preston continues to shout at me. We’ve been fighting for at least a week now, and I honestly can’t remember what started it anymore.
“Seriously, Lizzy, what the fuck is your problem? Why the hell would you think this shit is okay?” Spit flies from his mouth and hits me in the face when he leans down to get eye level with me. I learned a long time ago that arguing back with him does no good. If anything it makes it worse. Right now, he’s mad about the fact that I answered his phone when his father called earlier while he was taking a shower.
“Preston, I just wanted to let him know that you were in the shower. I know he gets upset when you don’t answer. I was just trying to help.” I whisper as the tears fall on the porch in rapid succession.
“Yeah? Well it doesn’t fucking help! You don’t help! You don’t do anything but cause more problems than you’re worth!” He screams and gets closer to my face. I try to take a step back but he grabs onto the front of my shirt and yanks me forward.
“Look at me when I fucking talk to you, you stupid bitch! How many times have I told you? Mind your goddamn business and don’t touch my shit!” He shoves me forward away from him and my foot catches a loose board on the deck causing me to fall. He turns to storm toward the house to go back inside as I hurriedly stand on my feet and rush behind him.
“Preston, please, I am so sorry!” I beg and reach out to him hoping if I can just get my hand on his shoulder it might be enough to calm him down. He turns quickly and raises a hand. I flinch and take a step back.
“Don’t fucking follow me, Lizzy. I can’t stand to look at you right now. I don’t want you inmyhouse.” My heart cracks a little. When he gets angry, he likes reminds me that anything I have is thanks to him. When he calms down, he apologizes and usually takes me out for a nice dinner or buys me something I’ve been eyeing but haven’t had the nerve to ask for. And then we’re good for a while. Right now I just want to skip to the part where things are better, and he looks at me like I’m his world again. I’ve seen that look less and less lately, and I would give anything to see it again.
“Babe, what can I do to make it better? I really was just trying to help. But I won’t do it again, I promise.” I plead through broken sobs. Tears and snot mix together on my face and he looks me up and down. His lip lifts into a disgusted snarl.
“You’re so fucking pathetic, Lizzy. What don’t you understand?Huh?You don’t help. Ever. You’re fucking lucky I still decide to putup with your ungrateful ass. You might want to get your shit together before I finally decide I’ve had enough and leave you withnothing.”He says through gritted teeth, the vein in his forehead looking like it’s going to explode. He turns back around and opens the sliding glass door that leads into the kitchen. I follow behind him still sobbing.
I think it’s better if I just leave for a little while. I’ll drive around for a bit before I come back. Hopefully by then he’ll have calmed down and I can apologize.
I reach in the door to grab my keys that hang on the hook next to it. Pain suddenly explodes in my arm before my fingers even touch my keys. I scream and look down to see my arm stuck between the door and its frame.
Did he? He wouldn’t. H-he slammed the door on my arm.
Preston looks down at me through the glass door. His eyes are black and there’s nothing behind them but rage. He holds onto the handle of the door keeping my arm stuck. I try to pull my arm free but pain sears through it as he pushes the door closed harder, causing me to scream. An evil grin appears on his face and he pulls back slightly on the door. I hurry to try to pull my arm out but before I can, he slams it shut again on my hand violently. The bones in my hand crunch and pain radiates through my whole arm now.
“Preston!” Panic grips my throat. “Preston! Please open the door! My hand!” I scream through sobs.I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. Why would he do that?My arm and hand throb as my heart smashes to pieces when I look up to see him still smirking at me. My mouth opens to say something but all I can think of is how bad this hurts.I just want him to open the door.
Just as that thought comes in, he cracks the door open just enough for me to pull it free before he slams it shut again and flips the lock. Cradling my arm to my chest, I stare after him as he turns his back to me anddisappears into the house. I walk around the wrap around porch to the front door, but it’s locked.I’m stuck out here.
I walk to the steps that lead into the driveway and sit down. Tucking my arm closer to me, I hunch myself over it and let the tears flow freely as I rock back and forth trying to will the pain to stop. After a moment, I take a deep breath and look at the cars parked in the driveway. My Audi A4 is locked, that I know. But Preston sometimes leaves his BMW i8 unlocked and I know he has painkillers in his glove box. I step off the porch and over to the vehicle and try the handle.Of course. Today would be the day he decided to lock it.
I hear the sound of ESPN blaring through the surround sound from inside. I turn and stare up at the house for a minute before I begin to walk down our long gravel driveway towards the main road. After about ten minutes I determine Preston isn't following me and pull my phone out of my back pocket. I scroll through the contacts before hovering over the one name Iknowfor a fact I can call at any time. But that one name is also the one person Preston would lose his shit over me calling.Fuck it.I tap on Uncle Nick’s contact and he answers on the second ring.
“Princess, what’s wrong?” He asks in a panicked voice. I haven’t spoken to him much since Preston and I moved in together. They don’t get along very well and I want to keep the peace at home as much as I can. I still see him every couple of weeks. I’ll drive over while Preston is working and spend a couple of hours with him before I hurry to get home before Preston does. A lump forms in my throat and I’m unable to speak. I do my best to take a calming breath and bat away the tears that continue to stream down my cheeks, but I fail. Hearing his voice makes me want to crumble.
“Uncle Nick.” I croak and the lump becomes larger. A sob breaks through and I nearly fall over on the road.
“Where are you kiddo? I’m coming. Just tell me where you are.” I hear his fingers snap, probably to get George’s attention, and then a garage door opens. Two car doors slam shut and an engine roars to life.
“I’m walking down my road. Heading towards your house.” I finally manage to say looking over my shoulder.
“Where is he?” Uncle Nick’s voice comes through in a low growl.
“He’s inside the house. I just needed to get away for a little bit. Everything’s okay I swear. I just needed to leave for a bit.” I rush out. I can’t let my uncle know what Preston did. He’d kill him. I think Nick has a feeling things with Preston aren’t as good as I say they are, but I can’t let anything happen to Preston. I love him. He’s just under a lot of stress right now with work. And if I had just let his phone ring, this wouldn't have happened. I also don't want anything to happen to Nick. If he kills Preston, he’ll go to prison.
“What did he do?” He bellows over the line.
“Nothing, Uncle Nick. I was just going stir crazy and wanted to hear your voice. You don’t have to come get me, I'm fine.” I lie.
“Too late. George and I are on the way. I’ll be there soon, just keep walking.” He says in a calmer tone. The promise that he will be here calms me down and more tears flow.
“O-okay.” I whisper. We hang up the phone and I pick up my pace. I look back over my shoulder and when I see I’m still not being followed, I release a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding. I wipe my face and pull myself together.
Soon after, Uncle Nick’s car pulls up along the side of the road next to me and I rush to the back door to get in. I don’t wait for George to open the door for me and rip the handle open then drop down into the back seat. Uncle Nick reaches across and pulls me into his arms and wraps me in a bear hug.Don’t cry. Don’t cry.
We ride in silence the rest of the way to his house and I calm down. Pulling into the garage, I exit the vehicle on autopilot. Walking to the door that leads inside, I twist the knob and push the door open.
“Oh my God. Lizzy! What happened?” Marie rushes to me before I can even step over the threshold. She also wraps me in a bear hug and ushers me through the kitchen and up into my childhood bedroom, leaving Uncle Nick behind in the kitchen. When we’re behind the closed bedroom door I finally speak.
