A Will To Change (Hope) (12 page)

“None of your business. Give me my phone back.” I was surprised when he gave it up without a fight. 

“Are these your special flowers, Gabby?” he asked, walking over to the vase on the counter.

I didn't answer. I just glared at him with pure hatred. He lifted his arm and swept it across the counter as the vase came crashing down on the ceramic tile floor, shattering in a million pieces. I bent over to try and salvage my flowers, but it was too late. He stomped on every single one, flattening them like a pancake.

“You are such a bastard,” I said, instantly regretting my words. Unfortunately, I knew what he was capable of doing when he was drunk. He yanked my hair and pulled me up, grabbing my neck and pushing me up against the wall. He pressed his thumbs into the sides of my neck and panic started setting in as I was finding it hard to breathe.

“Well, maybe I wouldn't be such a bastard if you weren't such a slut.”

I knew I had to do something to break free. I lifted my knee and he quickly removed his hands to protect himself from what he knew was coming, not allowing it to have the effect that I was hoping it would. I broke free and tried to get out the front door, but I wasn’t quick enough. He grabbed my arm and pulled me back. “You are nothing but a piece of garbage, and that's all you ever were. My parents were right about you.” I turned my head, unable to look at him. “Look at me when I talk to you, fuckin’ bitch!” he shouted as his fist met my face. I fell to the floor, cowering down and covering my head. I was shaking uncontrollably, trying to halt the pain. I sat on the kitchen floor, hysterically crying, hoping that this was it and he would just walk away. I never thought of myself as anyone's punching bag and always stood up for myself, but Evan was well over six feet and I was just a little over five so there was no competition. 

When I heard the bedroom door slam, I quickly got up, grabbing my purse and my phone. Not knowing where I was headed, I ran out of the apartment. I knew anywhere was better than there. My face radiated with pain and I could already feel it swelling. I stepped out onto the sidewalk, feeling totally distraught as I finally flagged down a taxi. 

“Where to?” the driver asked, looking in his review mirror. He quickly turned around at the sight of my face. “Miss, are you okay?” 

I nodded as the tears rolled down my face. I didn't know where to tell him to take me because, the truth was, I had nowhere to go. Rochelle was working and I really didn't want everyone at work knowing anyway. I contemplated for one brief second at giving him my mother's address, then stopped myself. “Do you need me to take you to the hospital?” I shook my head and quickly rambled off the address of the one person that I knew would be there for me - Will.

My eye was swollen shut by the time I arrived at Will’s. I paid the driver and made my way up to the second floor, realizing that I should have called him first. I wasn’t even sure if he was home. If he wasn’t, what the heck was I going to do? I was just so tired and I hurt so bad, all I wanted to do was sleep. I took a deep breath before pressing the buzzer on his door. I was so thankful when I heard footsteps on the other side. I tried my best to stop my tears when Will opened the door and immediately focused on my eye.

“Holy shit, Gabby! What the fuck happened?!” He immediately turned around and my good eye focused to the half-naked girl sitting on his couch. “Janelle, you need to leave!” he demanded.

“Oh, my god, Will. I am so sorry. Just call me later.” I felt like such an idiot. I had no right to just barge in on him like this. He grabbed my arm and pulled me into his apartment.

“What the hell, Will?” the girl said as she quickly slipped her shirt over her head and approached the door. She looked at my eye and covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh, my god! Are you okay?”

I nodded, turning my head in embarrassment. “I’ll talk to ya later,” Will said, quickly closing the door behind the girl.

I looked up at him, no longer able to keep up my strong façade, melting into his arms and completely breaking down.

I took Gabby’s hand and led her over to the couch, then got her some ice and a shot of Jack. I handed her the shot glass. “Here, slam this down. It will help with the pain and calm you down.” She lifted it up to her lips and choked as she chugged it down.

I held the ice on her eye as she trembled uncontrollably. “Gabby, what happened?”

She shook her head and tears rolled down her face. “I just didn’t want him ruining my flowers, Will. But he did…every single one of them.” She sobbed and I pulled her closer. I felt absolutely horrible for her. The pain in her eyes. The pain in her voice. Everything about her tonight hurt me deep inside, making me want to kill the son of a bitch that did this to her.

“Who, Gabby?” I asked, already knowing the answer. “Did your ex-boyfriend do this to you?” 

She looked up at me and nodded. “I shouldn't have said anything to him. I called him a bastard and it set him off. I know how he gets when he's drinking.”

“This isn't the first time that he's done this to you, is it?”

She shook her head. “Once before when he was drunk, he pushed me and that's when I ended it. I know you're thinking I'm stupid for staying there with him, but I didn't have a choice.”

“I'm gonna fuckin’ kill him,” I growled.

“No, Will. Please. Promise me you won't do anything. He was drunk and -.”

“Gabby, that’s no excuse. Your fuckin' eye is swollen shut, and you have handprints on your neck.” She moved her hands down to her neck and flinched in pain.  That motherfucker should be arrested.”

“Will, please don't do anything. I have to try and keep the peace just until I can get a place of my own.”

“What?! Gabby, tell me you are
not
fuckin' serious! There is no way in hell that you are going back there.”

“Will, it will be -.”

“Gabby, you're not! I have an extra bedroom. You can stay here for however long you want.”

She held up her hand and shook her head. “No, Will. I'm not going to intrude into your life like that.”

“You're not intruding into my life, Gabby.”

“I can't.”

Why the hell did she have to be so damn stubborn?
“You
can
, and you
will
!”

She didn't answer. Instead, she broke down into tears again. I hugged her tightly as she rested her head on my chest. “I'm just so tired, Will,” she whispered. Her teardrops rolled down her face and onto my shirt. 

I kissed her on the top of her head. “Then go to sleep, Gabby girl. Everything is going to be okay. I promise. I will never let anyone hurt you ever again.”

I held the ice on her eye for a little longer while she slept. The girl who had been my angel over these past few months, and who was always so willing to help me out, needed somebody tonight. Gabby had finally cracked that tough exterior that she had up since the day that I met her. I didn’t like seeing her so sad and defenseless. I gently traced the bruise on her eye and fixated my eyes on her neck, imagining how scared she must have been. I gently scooped her up and carried her into the spare bedroom. She whimpered in her sleep and briefly opened her eyes as I placed her down. ”It's okay, Gabby. Go back to sleep,” I whispered. I covered her up and watched her sleep for a little while longer before heading off to bed myself.

As hard as I tried, I just couldn't keep my promise to Gabby. I was too pissed. I hardly slept all night, and was out the door at 6 am to hit the gym, hoping that it would help release some of my frustration, but it didn't. I remembered where Gabby's apartment building was from the night that I dropped her off. The only thing I didn't know was which apartment was hers. I decided to ask the lady, who was walking her ugly little dog that looked more like a rat on a leash, that was coming out of the building. I pretended her dog was the cutest thing that I had ever seen in hopes that she would give me the information I needed. The last thing I wanted to do was punch the wrong guy in the face. After I was done gushing over her dog, I asked, “Hey, could you tell me which apartment is Gabby Spencer’s? I wrote it down and can't find the paper.”

“Oh, yeah. Gabby is in two nineteen, right across the hall from me.”

“Thanks,” I said. It paid to be nice to her mangy little dog.

I took the stairs instead of the elevator, taking in each door number, finally stopping and knocking on 219. I waited a few minutes before knocking again. I knew the motherfucker was there. It was only 8 am and I was sure he was sleeping it off. It took everything inside of me to not haul off and sucker punch him when the door finally opened.

“Can I help you?” he asked, rubbing his eyes.

“Yeah. You want step out here and fight like a man, or do you want me to come in there?”

“Who the hell are you?”

“I'm a very good friend of Gabby's, jerkoff.”

His eyes widened. “I don't know what the hell that bitch told you, but I was drunk.”

“She didn’t have to tell me anything, cock sucker. Did you see what you did to her, or where you too drunk to even remember?” I moved in closer. “So now it’s time to see how tough you really are and fight a man, instead of punching around some little girl who's half your size.”

“You need to get out of here before I call the police.” 

“Go right ahead. I know half of them in this city. I'm sure they would all like to see exactly what you did to Gabby last night.”

He stared at me blankly. “What the fuck do you want from me? An apology to Gabby?”

“No. I want you to take your best shot. You're such a tough guy? Try hitting a man instead of a woman and let's see how tough you really are.”

“Well, that's not happening. What, so you can tell your cop buddies that I assaulted you?”

I shook my head and smiled. “What's the matter? You’re not a big tough guy when it comes to someone your own size?” I grabbed his shirt, pulling him out into the hallway and throwing him up against the wall. My forearm was pressed roughly into his trachea. ”Gabby is going to get her stuff from here today and you will not be here. Do you understand?” He nodded as he gasped for air. “I
so
want to fuck you up right now, but I promised Gabby I wouldn't.” I looked at him in disgust. It was taking everything in me not to seriously hurt him, but I saw Gabby's face in my mind begging me not to. I loosened my grip and started to walk away.

“You can have that little whore. She’s all yours.” He just couldn’t leave well enough alone and I was a little thankful for it. The satisfaction of my fist meeting the side of his face was the greatest feeling in the world. “Now you know how Gabby feels,” I said, looking down at him on the ground before walking away.