Man subdues angry girlfriend and changes everything.
(Short Story)
Looking back on it now, it was a turning point for us. We had been dating for a little over a year, and things had gone from fairly fantastic, to routine, to downright ugly. We were arguing over every little thing, it seemed; completely at odds with one another. I can't speak for Rob, but for me, it wasn't purposeful or anything. Things were just unsettled between us, I guess.
My dad used to always say,
Shit or get off the pot
. We were at that point in our relationship where we were stuck somewhere in between. Constipated, I guess. We weren't ready to commit, but not ready to quit, either. Sort of stuck in that dead space, going nowhere but in a circle, and frustrated as hell. Yeah, constipated. Only, I don't think either of us was aware of it at the time.
So, there we were, in the middle of a nasty bout of over-the-shoulder zingers, followed by the usual silent treatment. It had been going on for days. I don't recall exactly what started it, but that was hardly relevant by the time Friday of that week rolled around.
I thought it was a little strange that Rob wasn't home from work by the time I arrived. He always got off work before I did. But it wasn't something that caused alarm immediately. I mean, I didn't exactly make it a habit to keep that close of tabs on him at all times. By the time the sun was setting, however, I was starting to get worried. Okay, to be more accurate, irritated. His absence was irritating me.
I don't recall what time he strolled through the door, but I do recall letting him have it before he could even remove his hand from the doorknob.
"Where, the
fuck,
have you been?"
He briefly held up a plastic bag and then let his hand drop back to his side as he walked briskly toward the bedroom.
"So...
What
?! You went shopping and didn't have the decency to call me?"
"Yeah, I guess so."
"Did it ever occur to you that I might want to do something? It is Friday night. Would've been nice to get together with some people from work."
"Then why didn't you? I don't care if you go out with friends."
"I thought we were doing something."
"Like what?"
"I don't know.
Something
."
"We haven't done anything on a Friday night, or hardly any other night for that matter, in weeks. Fuck, maybe months. Why should tonight be any different?"
"That's not the point. You could have called, you inconsiderate
bastard
."
Rob drew a deep breath in through his nose. His eyes closed as he slowly emptied his lungs of air. When he opened his eyes, his pupils were large, black marbles, and his jaw was clenched tight. I could feel my heart rate quicken.
He's pissed now.
I instinctively took a step backward. Rob had never struck me, shoved me, or even threatened me before. But he'd never looked quite the way he did at that moment. I knew I'd pushed him too far. It was a combination of events, the culmination of a miserable week of nastiness.
He clenched his fists and then released them several times, as if readying himself for physical action; all the while, staring straight at me, or rather through me, with those ominous eyes. A chill crept up my spine leaving a trail of gooseflesh in its wake. I could still hear my last word hanging in the stagnant air between us.
His voice was a menacing whisper that I had to strain to hear.
"I've had enough."
His tone, his eerily quiet manner, and total stillness, sucked the fire right out of me. I was frozen in place. My mind spun in meaningless circles trying to process his words.
We'd had our share of fights over the previous few weeks, but it was never like this. For every name, every insult I dished out, he matched me to the tee. He was as quick with his tongue as I was, and not at all shy about it. And loud. Our fights could shake the rafters loose. This was different.
Rob took a step backward and then turned toward the dresser. He dumped the contents of the plastic bag on top and sorted through the items, plucking a couple of things from the pile before spinning back toward me.
I'm not sure I even noticed what he had in his hand. His deathly glare seemed to paralyze me as he moved closer.
"Rob, I..."
"Shut up, Cynthia."
I don't know if it was his use of my formal name, instead of
Cindy
, that startled me, or just his overall demeanor. Or it could have been what he was holding in his hands, and I just don't remember. Whatever it was, I was literally frozen with fear.