Protect Me (15 page)

“Abbi, will you please talk to me.” Ryan came up to her left.

“Sure, Hi. How’s your night? Are you having a great time with your girlfriend because it sure looked like it up there?” Abbi refused to look at him. She knew if she did she would back down. Just the thought of those dark eyes was making her weak.

“Isabelle isn’t my girlfriend.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I guess I gave her too much credit, your one night stand then?” This time she turned to face him, her eyes were blazing. Maybe whiskey hadn’t been the smartest thing for her to drink; it usually caused one of two things to happen. Either the night went great and she lost all inhibition, or she got angry. And right now she was leaning toward getting angry.

“Abbi, I have never been with her. We had a drink together once and she doesn’t like the fact that I turned her down.”

“Ha! And to think that in some crazy part of my brain I thought I could stand a chance. Boy was I wrong. If you don’t want Ms. America back there, what on earth would make you interested in a girl like me?” She could feel her voice rising, it was everything in her to keep it together. In no other circumstance would she have been so willing to release that kind of information, but the large quantity of alcohol made her lose her inhibitions.

“What the hell are you talking about Abbi, I am...” Before he could finish she cut him off.

“Save it, Ryan. I understand social class. I may come from the back woods where the social class means the difference of drinking Bud Light over Busch beer. But I get it. You know, I am with a date tonight and he is really nice. He compliments me, wants to spend time with me, and be seen in public with me. You haven’t done any of those things tonight Ryan.” She crossed her arms staring him straight in the eyes. “You know, I have no idea why it seems like I keep running into you. Do you just like messing with people’s heads?”

“If you would just let me explain. Please. I am interested in you Abbi. But I have a lot of demons. Things in my head that I haven’t had a chance to work through and, and. I just think I am bad for you.” He ran both his hands through his hair and sighed as if it were everything to get those words off of his chest. “I don’t want to hurt you, don’t you get that. Everything in me wants to protect you and right now I feel like I should protect you from me.”

“Too late, Ryan.” She could feel the tears building in her eyes, she would not cry in front of him. “You have already hurt me by showing up everywhere I go and then blowing me off. You are so frustrating!” She grabbed her drink and turned towards the crowd, she stomped off as fast as she could towards Judy and Ashley. She could see Jeff giving her a confused look.

“What the hell, Abbi! Are you ok? And don’t tell me it’s because someone stepped on your foot again.” Judy looked around the deck and Abbi could see her make eye contact with Ryan, standing where Abbi had just left. “Is it Ryan? Did something happen earlier? Let’s go downstairs into one of the lounges and talk ok.” She and Ashley flanked both sides of Abbi. “Guys, we will be back in just a moment. We need to have some girl talk.”

The look on Jeff’s face was a mix of confusion and irritation. Abbi didn’t think he would be too keen on many more of these girl trips.

Turning around, “You just wait here for me handsome. We will just be downstairs for a moment.” Ashley winked at a smiling Gabe.

The three girls headed downstairs through the main parlor. A small spiral stair case opened up into a vacant room, it was draped with white canvas curtains and paintings on the wall that reflected the old world. Reds mixed with creams and golden tones accented by beautiful brass frames. Antique maps that were framed as artwork hung above beautiful red leather couches. Judy and Abbi took a seat on one of the couches as Ashley sat across them in an oversized wing back chair.

“Ok, Abbi spill the beans. What is going on?” Judy looked at her with concern in her eyes.

“I did see Ryan upstairs, when I was walking towards the bar I saw him, I was going to go up to him and say something and then some blonde walked up to him like she was there with him.” Abbi blurted it all out in hopes that she wouldn’t start crying.

“Alright, so who was the blonde?” Ashley asked “Do, I need to go scare some sense into her?”

Abbi smiled weakly “No. Well maybe. He said her name was Isabelle and that she wasn’t with him, but she was all over him and he didn’t do anything about it. And then they kissed and I just left. It was like watching an accident happen in front of you but you can’t stop looking as it happens. I feel like a total idiot for thinking he could like a girl like me.”

“Isabelle? I wonder if that’s the same skeezy girl we used to see at all the clubs. But she wasn’t blonde. Not that it is very hard to change that nowadays.” Ashley looked up towards the ceiling as if to try and recall a memory.

“Listen, Abbi you are beautiful and I promise there are a hundred guys at this party tonight that would be honored to be with a girl like you. Don’t let that shit or Ryan get to you. Just have a good time tonight. Hell, take advantage of Jeff if you want to. We won’t judge you.” Judy motioned towards Abbi as if she were zipping her lips.

“Yeah girl, no man is worth crying over. Remember the motto, fix your hair, perk up your rack, re-apply some lip gloss and get back out there.” Ashley looked at her with confidence. “You got this shit.”

“Ok, y’all go on ahead. I am going to have a breather for a minute before I go back up.” She was so glad to have met two amazing women that she could actually trust in such a short time.

“Take a few minutes, oh and I stuck some lip gloss in your clutch.” Judy smiled “We will be upstairs waiting.” She reached down and squeezed Abbi’s shoulder in reassurance.

The two girls made their way up the stairs as Abbi sank down onto the couch. Taking a deep steadying breath she reached into her small purse and retrieved her phone. She turned on the screen and saw the picture of her and her mother. If she had ever learned anything from her, it was that no woman should ever be held down by a man. She unlocked her screen and went into her contacts folder. Scrolling through a few names she found the number that Ryan had entered in her phone, her finger hovered over the name. There was no reason to keep it so she might as well delete it. That would keep her from temptation to drunk dial him later. A noise from the stairs startled her and she dropped her phone towards her bag.

“Sweetheart, I am starting to think you’re avoiding me tonight.” Jeff gave her a frown, and from the slurring in his words it sounded as though he had, had a few more shots after she had left to come down here.

“I’m sorry. I just got an alarming call and needed to step away for a moment.” She held her phone up pretending she had just hung up.

“Is everything ok?” He made his way closer to the couch that she sat on.

Suddenly it felt as though the room were getting smaller. Something just didn’t feel right in her gut, but she stayed sitting. She didn’t want to look like a crazy person running and flailing from the room. She had to get adjusted to being in new situations, hell she was being introduced to them every time she turned around.

“Yeah, everything is fine.” She lied.

“Great, You know I was really hoping we would be able to get some alone time tonight.” He made his way over and sat on the couch sliding directly next to her.

“Yeah, it’s been a fun party. Thank you for inviting me. I am glad I came with you.” She turned to look at him and his eyes were almost glazed over.

“Are you?” He looked at her sideways.

“I’m sorry? What do you mean?” She tried scooting a little to her left but she was pretty much sandwiched into the couch.

“Are you glad you came with me?” He leaned in and brushed the hair away from her neck planting a soft kiss at the base. “Or do you wish you had come with Ryan?”

Her stomach dropped as she heard him say Ryan’s name. She didn’t respond, but sat frozen on the couch, his hands slowly making their way down and fondling her breasts.

“You know, I really don’t like sharing.”

“Jeff I think you have the wrong idea. I was just talking to Ryan that’s all.” She wasn’t sure why she wasn’t fighting back against this, it all felt so wrong. She was scared; scared that if she angered him anymore than she already had that he would really hurt her. She had always told herself that she was strong enough to handle anything, but never before in her life had she thought that she would ever be in this situation. Flashbacks from her parent’s fighting flooded into her mind. She could remember the only time her father had ever hit her mother in front of her. It had made her scared of him for a very long time after seeing what he was capable of doing. Of how he was capable of hurting someone he claimed to love so badly. And her mother had worn the mark on her face for almost two weeks.

“You’re so beautiful.” She could smell the liquor on his breath as his other hand slid down behind her back pulling her close to him and forcefully kissing her. He maneuvered her down onto the couch underneath him.

She tried to slide out but he was too heavy. “Listen, Jeff I really don’t want to do this here. Please let me up.” Her voice was on the edge of desperate.

“I am ready now and the party isn’t up for a few more hours. You have been such a cock tease.” His words cut short, as he trailed kisses down towards the top of her cleavage. “Dressed in this short little dress.” His body pressed down on top of her, she couldn’t move, she couldn’t get out, as she felt his hands travel to the bottom of her dress.

“Jeff, stop. I don’t want to do this.” She was now pleading with him but it was getting her nowhere. She realized she still had her clutch in her hand, with all of her might she swung it up and hit him as hard as she could in his head. “Get off of me Jeff, Now!”  

That got his attention. He sat straight up on the couch grabbing the side of his face. “What the hell?” He looked down at her with indescribable rage in his eyes. “You stupid bitch.”

His hand came towards her face and she just managed to dodge it by rolling off the couch from underneath him. She jumped up, making it over the table but caught the side of the chair with her hip tripping over her heels and sending her tumbling to the floor. She landed flat on her face just on the other side of the chair as it came crashing down beside her. She tried to pick herself up. The stair well was only a few feet away, but as she attempted to stand she felt Jeff’s hands grab her by her hips and pick her straight up into the air slamming her back down on her back. Her body had fallen so hard back down against the ground she could barely breathe. She had to get out of here, or get help, though she doubted anyone could hear her from this far below, over the volume of the music.

“Help.” The word came out choked, barely loud enough for her to hear. “Jeff get away from me!” She flailed and kicked as hard as she could, but he was too strong. And this time his hand connected with her face, the hard blow burning her skin with the hit. It took her breath away, shit that hurt. The tears began to well up in her eyes, as she choked for breath.

“You think people can hear you from down here? You asked for this, you made me look like a damn fool. Prancing around and flirting with my boss. How do you expect me to go back and face that asshole after you have been shaking your ass for him all night?” This time the blow hit her in her ribs.

She tried to scream again but her voice escaped her. He was reaching for her hands now as he trapped her lower half under his hips. She could hardly see from her left eye from the immediate swelling. She could feel something wrapping her wrists together. She squinted and she could just make out his tie bound around them. Again she began to fight, this time letting out a blood curdling scream as his hands traveled up her inner thigh. She tried everything in her to buck him off but he was like stone, and her ribs burned from the earlier hit. She could feel the liquor beginning to go to her head as the room began to spin. She felt completely hopeless, as tears streamed down her face. This was really happening.
Please God, just make it stop.
 

Just as Jeff had gotten her panties around to her knees she suddenly heard a flood of noise from over her head. And within seconds she could hear a woman scream as a white bolt shot across the room taking Jeff with it. Within another moment Judy and Ashley were kneeling by her side, tears rolling down Judy’s face. “Someone, get her a blanket!” The world was now spinning around her, she felt as though she were detaching from her body and watching everything from the corner of the room. She could see Judy frantically checking to make sure she wasn’t severely hurt as Ashley searched around the room for a blanket.

“Ryan, stop before you kill him! Gabe get down here and help me!” She could hear a familiar male voice shouting from the other side of the room, but she wasn’t sure whose it was.

Gently Judy unbound her wrist as Ashley wrapped her with a soft blanket she had found on the back of the fallen chair that lay just to their side. She leaned up on her elbow shakily as she took in the scene happening in front of her. Gabe running to the other end of the parlor to help Jace pull Ryan off of a limp body. Her stomach did flips. Had Ryan just killed Jeff for what he had done to her? But she could just make out his small defensive efforts against Ryan’s fists hammering across his face. Her head was throbbing and her eye was now swollen farther shut. She could feel the blood inside of her mouth, probably from a busted lip. But somehow she found her voice and called out towards him.

“Ryan, stop. Please.” The tears now rolled down in full force. Heavy sobs building in her chest straining to be released.

“Shh, Abbi its ok. Try not to cry Honey.” She could feel Judy’s hand lightly rubbing against her shoulder.

She could see that with her words, Ryan’s body began to still and then he stood, slowly he made his way over to her and knelt on the floor in front of her. She was almost unaware of Jace and Gabe removing Jeff’s limp body from the room. He gently brushed the hair from her face and surveyed her eye and lip. She sat in awe of his gentleness, how could someone be so violent toward an individual, but then be as soft and gentle toward another in a matter of minutes. She could see the rage in his eyes building deeper, as he looked over her body. His body tensed as he began to shake, she wasn’t sure if it was from anger or if he was scared to hurt her more than she already had been. After a few tense minutes he finally spoke, his voice cracking as it came out.