Hey there, lovelies <3
I just wanted to stop by and let everyone know that this chapter may be tough to read. There are a couple scenes of violence against women and sexual abuse. While they're not grotesque by any means, I thought I'd just put the warning on there in case it's a trigger for anyone that may come across this.
Other than that, I have no new news
Happy reading <3
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*****
Chapter Six: Truths
My students noticed the change; Lara noticed the change. My instructors noticed the change; I noticed it, too.
I was happy. Even accounting for the several calls, texts, and voicemails from my mother and David, I could not keep the smile from my face.
My relationship with Holden hit the ground running. It was too soon, but not soon enough. It was the answer to my prayers.
We spent almost all our free time together and he cooked for me...a lot; he even initiated a dinner with both Lara and me where he was the chef. The two formed an almost instant friendship. Life had made a turnaround, but as I said: there is no intense pleasure without some type of pain lurking in the shadows. That pain, I realized, came in the form of making the break up with David final. I had to get my things from his house.
He refused, of course.
It was times like that when I wished I had a father or brother. I would have just called them and went to David's to gather my belongings with them as my muscle. This situation reeked of incident, which I wanted to avoid.
"I'll go over there with you, Kennie," Lara offered. "You have a key. We can just go when we know he's at work. We won't have to see him."
"I just want this crap settled. I have an interview coming up and I don't want this hanging over my head."
It was the interview I'd been hoping to score since I realized my dream to become an art teacher. I was ecstatic, worried, and petrified all in one. I had thrown all my chips into that one basket, forsaking any thoughts of a backup plan in case I was offered the position opening up at my high school. In hindsight, it was foolish; but, there was no point in regretting it now. I needed to dwell on what was ahead and ace the interview or I'd be jobless after graduation. I needed my head clear to focus on the opportunity before me, but David was making that task impossible with his childish games.
Lara's voice brought me out of my reverie. "David should really get a psychiatric assessment. He's off the hinges. Oh, and speaking of that," Lara reached into her bag and produced a box. "Not taking 'no' for an answer. Here. They can't bug you if they don't have your number."
"Lara...this is too much," I turned the box over in my hands, the bitten apple shining as it reflected the light form the ceiling.
"Holden and I went half and half. Don't worry about it."
"So, you two have been conspiring behind my back?" I grinned at the realization of how well they worked together.
"Could we conspire in your face?" she laughed.
"I could've just changed the number on my old phone, you know."
"It's safer this way, Kennie. I don't trust David. He's crazy and has money; those two are a very dangerous combination."
"I'll get it set up right away. Thank you...so much...for everything."
"We're best friends. It comes with the territory." She gave me a half smile as she zipped her bag.
"If you're ever in a useless relationship for years on end, I promise to slap some sense into you, okay?"
She smiled. "Deal. Hey," she looked at me, her eyes alight, "what about Holden going with us to get your stuff?"
I shook my head. "I don't want him to come."
Her smile faded. "Why not?"
"I just don't want him involved in that."
"He could be your police escort; you know? That type of thing."
"I feel like he's already done too much, you know? I don't want him to think I'm totally useless. He already had to strong arm the guy the first time they met. No," I shook my head. "I want to handle this myself. I want to be the one to drive the last nail into the coffin."
"And I'll put the 'dick flag' right on top as they lower that bitch into the ground."
"That's why we're friends."
Our date was set, our mission sure. We rented a U-Haul and pulled into David's driveway. My skin crawled as I unlocked the door and saw the mess before me. Beer cans, wine bottles; empty, askew decanters lay everywhere. There were empty containers of food that made the place smell like a trash bag left out in the summer heat.
"Let's try to make this as quick as possible." My voice came out squeaky as I tried to breathe through my mouth.
Thankfully, I hadn't moved much stuff over to David's. I sifted through the mayhem, looking for anything of mine I could find.
Underneath a pile of papers and DP Dough boxes, I saw a blue handle poking out from under the mess. My heart stopped as I stooped down and removed the barriers, hoping the handle didn't belong to what I thought it did. My stomach dropped as I realized my suspicions were confirmed. "He broke my grandmother's china set," I whispered, raising the blue and white teacup to eye level. The damask pattern blurred from the tears pooling in my eyes.
My grandmother reminded me of happy times. Her and my grandfather would come to rescue my sister and me for a couple weekends out of each month, taking us to do fun things like fishing, going to theme parks, or traveling up north to Chicago. They didn't even know they were liberating us with each trip. We looked forward to their presence and ran out to meet them when we heard their La Sabre pull into our driveway. They died in our high school years, and about six months apart; it was their will that made me the owner of my grandmother's china set.
"No!" Lara whipped around to face me.
I held up the blue and white teacup I found amongst the trash on the floor, showing the chips and fissures that broke the damask pattern.
"Is there any of it left?"
"I don't know."
"We'll look for it, Kennie. Gosh, what an asshole," Lara said as she began to sift through the trash.
"He knows how important that set is to me," I sniffled.
"And that's probably why he ruined it. Look, in there," Lara pointed to the cherry wood china cabinet that housed my heirlooms. Mercifully, most of the set was intact. "We'll pack those first."
After stowing away my precious items, we went from room to room, throwing my belongings into extra large plastic tubs. I didn't care what order—or lack thereof—my things made it into the tub; my goal was to get out of the house.
As we carried out the last of my things, a car came screeching down the street and toward the house. I recognized the car, much to my displeasure.
How did he always know?! He was always in sync or not far behind us in every move we made.
That I would have to figure out later, but the pressing issue was David's presence when I was trying to make a clean getaway.
"Fuck!" Lara huffed.
"I think we got everything. Let's just get this in and go," I told her.
My hands shook violently, making it almost impossible to load the tub into the back of the U-Haul. Lara, having mercy on me, took it from my hands and slammed the door shut.
David's car door slammed. "What the fuck are you doing?!?" he roared.
I took a deep breath to steady myself. "I told you I was coming to get my stuff."
"And you decided you'd do it while I was at work? Was that your genius idea, Lara?"
Lara did not back down. Not that I expected her to. She crossed her arms in defiance and glared at her adversary. "Cool it, David. We're getting her stuff so she can be done with you for good. She is not coming back, so just let it go."
"Fuck you! You never wanted us to be together. I see, now, it was because you were jealous."
"Of what?! A drunk, lazy ass slob like you? The only thing you have going for you is your money, and I'm sure you're gonna run out sooner rather than later based on your food and alcohol addiction. Step. The fuck. Off."
Another car pulled up.
I groaned. I picked this day to get my things from David because I knew he worked late on Thursdays, and here he was, preventing me from leaving. He ducked out of work just to stop me, he had to have. But who alerted him of my whereabouts?
"Kennedy. You need to stop this behavior at once."
"This is none of your business, Mother." I watched as an older, money hungry version of me walked up the driveway. She was polished in her black, knee-length dress and matching heels. Probably just came from an early dinner or late lunch at the country club.
"Of course it is! David called me as soon as he found out what was happening. You can't do this, Kennedy! Don't you see? You belong together!"
"Mom! This man is abusive! Why have you not gotten that through your head?! He has been violent toward me more than once. I cannot allow that. And, no, we don't belong together. We are through. Over. No more. I don't want him!"
She saw the resolve in my eyes, I could tell. Her own eyes widened as her mouth popped open in surprise. She probably didn't think it would be hard to talk me down from this choice I made; boy was she mistaken. She switched tactics. "You're just worked up. Why don't the three of us sit down and have a talk?"
"You sure as hell aren't gonna be able to sit in there. It's a fucking trash heap," Lara huffed.
My mother turned to glare at Lara. "It is a mess because that's the way David's life became after he lost Kennedy. Give him a chance to explain."
I raked my hands through my hair. "Explain what?! The fact that he can't stop abusing me? You, of all people, should know what that's like. It makes me wonder...would you still be with Richard if he wasn't locked up? I bet you would be, and that's sickening. Money. Is. Not. Everything. We're leaving."
"Hold the fuck on!" David grabbed me by the back of my shirt and I was, mercilessly, dragged backward; the heels of my Converse sneakers skidded against the concrete driveway. Gasps from Lara and my mother surrounded me as David locked his arms around me and hoisted my body into the air, shaking me. "Listen to me, Kennedy! Listen!"
"Put me down, David," I gasped.
