“Molly?”
“Hm?”
“I have to go back to work. I’m sorry. I’d stay if I could.” His grip on me tightens. I know he’d stay.
“It’s okay. I have to get ready to teach.”
He hesitantly lets me go, and steps back. His hands run gently up and down my arms. “I’m only a phone call away. If you need anything, call me.”
“I will.” I gather as much strength as I can as I smile. But my mind defeats me, playing that horrific image of his poor victim over and over again. “You’re at work early today.”
Dylan rolls his eyes as he lets out a frustrated groan. “I’ve got a problem I’m trying to solve. It’s taking up too much time and energy, but it has to get done.”
“Can I help? I’d welcome a distraction.”
“I can’t. It’s confidential.”
“I get it. You work for lawyers, and I can only imagine the things you see and have to deal with.”
“I have to go away for work again, but not until next week. It’s a quick trip, just overnight. Maybe, if you’d like, you can come with me?” he asks sheepishly.
“But you have to work.”
“I do. But the job shouldn’t take longer than four or five hours. It’s in Washington DC. Maybe you would like to go to one of the Smithsonian museums?”
“I’ve been wanting to go to the National Museum of American History. Maybe I’ll… actually, let me see what happens here. I might not be able to.”
“Of course. There’s no pressure at all.” He leans down, and gives me a kiss on the lips. “I have to go.”
“I wish you didn’t.”
“Trust me, I’d rather be with you than heading back to work. I’m hoping to have this sorted soon. However, in my line of work, when one problem ends, another begins. Part of the job.”
“It’s okay. I understand.”
We walk to the front door, where I open it and watch as he leaves. But he stops, stands rooted to the spot for a moment before he spins and returns to me. Without a word, he laces his hands in my messy hair and leans down until our lips meet. With gentle hands, he tenderly trickles his fingertips down my neck, then back up to my hair. Pulling away, we lean our foreheads together. “I couldn’t leave without showing you how much you mean to me.”
“I don’t want you to go,” I whisper.
“Molly, you change the air I breathe.” He kisses my forehead. “But I have to go.” He quickly turns, and leaves, this time, not stopping until he gets to his car. He doesn’t even look back. Probably because he knows if he does, he won’t leave.
Tina didn’t come home for dinner, and this worries me. She’s been missing out on a lot of dinners, and a lot of family time.
The atmosphere was strained at the table. Mom and Dad both lost in the knowledge of what Preston is capable of.
I’m consumed with fear, absolutely terrified that we’re going to lose her to him, to the cycle of domestic abuse. Break her down, use her, beat her, then break her down some more.
Mom and Dad are watching TV, but I know they’re waiting for Tina to arrive home so we can talk to her. I’m in my room, trying to meditate so I can calm down enough to talk to her without losing my mind.
Zhen’s lying beside me. His head near me, his eyes closed as he sleeps.
I can’t clear my mind. I’m obsessing over Tina. I have to make sure she’s safe from him.
I hear the front door open, and I jump up, and run as fast as I can down the stairs, nearly falling when I reach the bottom. “You’re home,” I say to Tina as I run into her, hugging her tightly.
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be.” She backs away from me.
“Oh my God!” I say as I step backward. “What’s happened?”
“What? Nothing.” Her hair flops over her face. I can see the concealer. The tell-tale signs of his fist is obvious.
“He’s hit you.” It’s not a question.
“Tina!” Both Mom and Dad come into the foyer.
“I’m going to bed, I’m tired,” Tina says, ducking her head down so our parents don’t see the bruise.
“No, you’re not. We need to talk,” Dad says in a deep, assertive voice.
“We’ll talk tomorrow.” Tina tries to get away, but I grab onto her hand, pulling her back.
“Back off!” she snaps at me and tries to pull her hand out of mine.
“We know he hits you. And it’s not the first time he’s done it,” Mom says. Tina stops. Her chin falling to her chest. “If you don’t walk away now, he’ll keep hurting you.”
“He loves me. He doesn’t mean to. I’m the one who says something stupid,” Tina defends him.
“This isn’t normal,” I say. “He put a woman in the hospital.”
“Oh, right, and that was his fault? Well, he told me what happened with her. She attacked him. She came at him with a baseball bat, because she was a junkie. Probably still is. Did you find that out too?” she spits angrily.
“I had him investigated,” I say to her.
Tina slowly turns her head. Her eyes are wide and filled with anger. “You had him investigated? Are you shitting me right now? I expected this from them,” she maliciously spews toward our parents. “But you. You’re supposed to be my best friend. You’re nothing but a traitor. All you’ve wanted to do from the start is tear us apart.”
“Tina, can’t you see? You and I were good, and we’ve been nothing but distant roomies. He’s doing this, filling your head with shit so he can separate you from us. Once he does that, he can do anything he wants.”
“He loves me!” she screams at me. “He. Loves. Me!” she yells louder.
“We love you, Tina,” Dad says as he steps forward to approach her.
“Don’t you dare touch me.”
Dad backs away from Tina, his hands up yielding to her hysteria. “Tina, you have to break it off with him, before this becomes dangerous.”
“Fuck off! You all don’t know what you’re talking about. He loves me, and I love him.”
“He’s messing with your brain. He’s a predator. He’s no good,” I say.
“Shut up! You’ve betrayed me. I don’t ever want to talk to you again.” She takes off up the stairs, all of us follow her. “Stay away,” she shouts over her shoulder at all three of us.
“Tina, we love you, and want to make sure you’re safe,” Dad says, charging ahead of us.
Tina gets to the top of stairs, and before she goes into her room turns to face us. “I hate each and every one of you! Get out of my life!” she screams and runs into her room, slamming the door.
“She’s angry and hurt. She doesn’t mean it,” Dad says.
I can’t help but burst into tears. My best friend just told me she hates me.
“Tina!” I bash on her door, demanding she let me in.
“Go away,” she yells back.
“Tina, honey, we need to talk,” Mom says. We’re all trying.
Tina doesn’t respond. “Tina!” I say again.