Twenty-One
After Gabe had left my apartment, I’d tried going back to sleep, but I couldn’t and instead, I spent the next couple of hours trying to get ahead on some of my class work before taking a shower and heading to the pub at eleven.
When the clock struck seven, I was ready to leave and get home before hopefully heading over to Gabe’s for a late dinner. As soon as I was able to, I clocked out, grabbed my jacket and purse and headed for the door.
The air was chilly when I stepped outside and it was dark already even though it was just after seven, the way it always was in the fall. I picked up my pace and started down the sidewalk towards home. I’d only taken a few steps when a voice stopped me.
“Excuse me, Samantha.”
The voice was deep and firm. I didn’t recognize it and when I turned towards it, I saw the backseat window of a black Mercedes rolled down and a serious man with perfectly sculpted gray hair staring back at me. I felt my heart start to beat faster and a wave of adrenaline rush through my veins when I realized who it was. Gregory Reeves.
I couldn’t say anything. I simply stood there, staring into the intimidating brown eyes of Tyler’s father. The car door opened and he got out, his daunting figure approaching me a moment later. He was tall like Tyler and towered over me just as his son did. He may have been in his sixties, but his stature was still impressive and I knew he was a man who didn’t like to be messed with. The closer he got, the harder my heart beat. I didn’t know what to do. Should I run back into the restaurant? Stay and talk to him? Call Gabe? Before I could decide, he started speaking.
“I was hoping we could talk,” he said, his eyes boring into mine as he remained stone-faced in front of me.
I swallowed hard, trying to gain my composure. I didn’t want Mr. Reeves to see how frightened I was.
“Wh…what do you want?” I stammered with as much courage as I could muster.
“I’m going to be blunt, Samantha,” he began, his voice getting lower, but not losing any of its authority. “It’s come to my attention that you have filed a restraining order against my son. Is that correct?” he asked and I didn’t answer right away. I couldn’t and so I nodded.
“Yes,” I finally answered and he was silent for a few long moments as he continued to stare at me. The longer I looked into his eyes, the more frightened I felt myself becoming. His eyes were so much like Tyler’s. Deep, dark, and cold. I knew exactly where Tyler had learned his behaviors from and I didn’t want to be anywhere near this man, but I couldn’t move.
“I don’t know who you think you are or what you plan to gain from this little stunt, but I’ve come here as a courtesy to tell you I won’t have you ruining my son’s life. You need to have that order lifted.” He squinted now as his eyes pierced mine even harder, making him look even more intimidating.
“No,” I said, my voice shaking as the word came out.
“There is no option, Samantha. You will go to the courthouse and have the order lifted.”
“I said no,” I returned, surprising myself with the strength behind my voice. I could tell my defiance was making him angry. “Your son is not going to hurt me anymore. I won’t let him touch me again.”
He stepped closer now. So close I could smell his cologne and the cigars I’d known he’d been smoking in the car.
“I don’t think you’re understanding this conversation. My son’s life and reputation will not be ruined by the lies of a whore. I know you, Samantha. I know all about your past and I’ll never understand why my son ever wasted his time with a piece of trailer trash like you, but whatever your motive is, Tyler will not be your victim. You will not take away everything Tyler has worked so hard for.”
I could feel a lump burning in my throat as his words hit me like a Mack truck. Whore. Trailer trash. Lies. His words echoed in my head as I fought to keep the tears away. But the words that hurt the most was that he was calling Tyler a victim. I was the victim. I was the one who’d been knocked around. I was the one Tyler had assaulted and his father had the gall to stand here and say he was the victim.
“I am the victim, Mr. Reeves. Me. Not your son.” My voice was shaking now, but I’d said the words. He’d heard them despite the lies Tyler had told him. “Your son beat me. He…he raped me.” The last few words came out as a terrified whisper and I watched as Mr. Reeves’ jaw clenched and a vein throbbed in his neck.
“No one will ever believe you. It’s your word against his. There is no proof of anything and honestly,” he said, pausing as a smug smirk curled up on his face, “who do you think they’ll believe? A young man with a stellar record starting Harvard Law next year or you? You’re nothing, Samantha. I suggest you remember that if you insist on pursuing this. You will lose. And I have already drafted the defamation of character lawsuit if you continue on with this nonsense. So, think long and hard if you want to go to battle with me. I will destroy you.”
He was looking at me as if I was nothing. Nothing but a piece of dirt he would likely spit on if he could. I realized it was the same way Tyler had looked at me too and I couldn’t fight the tears that filled my eyes now. My whole life I’d felt like nothing, but I’d never felt more worthless than I did at this moment. I’d never felt more defeated.
“Are we clear, Miss Everly?” he asked, stepping back.
I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t. My voice was gone as I wiped the tears from my eyes.
“Do you understand?” he asked again and I finally nodded slowly, not knowing what else to do. “I hope this is the last conversation we have then.” He looked at me once more, his face threatening me without words before returning to the car. The door shutting echoed loudly and I remained frozen as the Mercedes eased away from the curb and disappeared.
~~~
Somehow, I made it home. It’d been a blur, but when I walked into the apartment, I shut the door quickly, locking it behind me and sitting down on the couch, putting my head in my hands and sobbing. A few tears had escaped during the conversation with Tyler’s father, but I’d had to hold it together as I made my way home. But now that I was safe in my living room, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I cried until my body shook. I couldn’t get the words out of my head or the hate on his face out of the thoughts. I’d finally done something to protect myself. I’d finally stood up for myself and I was more afraid than ever because of it.
The sound of my phone ringing caused me to pull myself back to the present. I knew who it was. I knew it was Gabe on the other end. He’d said he’d call after my shift and he had. I didn’t want to answer it, but he’d worry if I didn’t.
I forced myself off the couch and found the phone in my purse. His name was flashing on the screen and with a trembling finger I accepted the call.
“Hello?” I said, trying to sound as if nothing was wrong.
“Hey,” he said, his voice singing through the receiver. “Are we still on for dinner? I can grab some pizza and head over.”
“Um…. yeah. We’re on,” I said.
“Are you okay, Sam?” I could hear the concern in Gabe’s voice. I thought about telling him I was fine in hopes he would brush it off, perhaps thinking I was simply tired from my shift at O’Leary’s, but then I imagined his face on the other end of the line. I could see his dark eyes looking at me, his brow creased in worry. He’d been nothing but good to me. He’d stuck by me through all of the craziness that had been enough to cause any man to run away. He hadn’t run away though. He’d only run towards me. I was afraid and I knew I needed to tell him. I had to tell him.
“No,” I whispered. “I’m not okay.”
“What happened?” I could hear his voice change from mere concern to fear.
“I…I just need to see you.”
The line was silent and I waited for him to demand what was going on. I knew if the roles were reversed, I’d want to know immediately and not wait, but he didn’t press me because he didn’t do that. He was patient and he knew if I needed to wait to tell him, he wouldn’t push me.
“Alright,” he said softly instead. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Okay,” I said and then hung up the phone. I didn’t move from the couch as I stared at the phone in my hands. The tears were still stained on my cheeks and I wiped at them, taking a deep breath and trying to swallow through the burning in my throat. It was then I noticed my hands. They were trembling slightly. Not much, just small tremors from the pounding of my heart as I thought about telling Gabe about my run-in with Tyler’s father. I just wanted it all to end. I wanted Tyler out of my life.
I forced myself off the couch and into my room. I changed out of the jeans and polo shirt and climbed into the shower. It would be at least twenty minutes before Gabe got here and I wanted to lose myself in the hot water of the shower. It didn’t exactly work though and I kept seeing the piercing eyes of Gregory Reeves and hearing his threats.
I had to do what he said. I had to remove the restraining order because everything Mr. Reeves had said was true. He was a high-powered attorney with any means necessary of defending his son and I was nothing, just as he’d reminded me. A trailer trash whore, in his words, who was only pretending I wasn’t. Rachel may have gotten us out of there, but I knew we’d never really leave. That was who we were. Two girls with a mother who didn’t love us and surrounded us with men who showed their love with their fists and their cruel words. Try as we might, we’d be branded with that past for the rest of our lives.
I finally turned off the shower and wrapped myself in my robe before going back to my room and changing into a pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt. I ran a brush through my wet hair and returned to the living room to wait for Gabe.
The buzzer finally went off a half an hour later and I was both relieved and nervous to know he was here. I buzzed him in and a minute later, I heard his footsteps approaching. I opened the door before he could knock and found him standing there with a pizza box. Our eyes met and he tried to smile, but when I didn’t, the sides of his mouth returned to a straight line.
“Hey,” he said cautiously.
“Come in,” I said, stepping aside and motioning him in. He did and I shut the door before I took the pizza from him, setting it on the coffee table just as he was taking off his heavy winter coat. When he was finished, our eyes locked and I knew he was anxious to say something, but he was waiting for me to make the first move.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” I said, walking across the room and before I realized what I’d done, my arms were around him and I was nuzzling into his chest. His arms wrapped around me too and he pulled me close.
“What is it, Sam? What happened?” he whispered.
“Tonight, when I walked out of the pub, Tyler’s father was waiting for me.”
I could feel his body stiffen at my words. He didn’t say anything for a moment, but then he pulled away, holding me at arm’s length and looking into my eyes. I felt him leading me towards the couch and we were side by side a moment later, his hand threading with mine and resting them in his lap, his thumb gently stroking the back of mine.
“What happened?” Gabe’s voice was quiet and kind, but I could also hear the edge to it. Cop Gabe was starting to come out.
“He wants me to lift the restraining order. Told me he wouldn’t let me ruin his son’s life.” A tear fell from my eye and I wiped at it, looking down at our hands.
“What did you tell him?”
“I told him no. I told him what Tyler did to me and that I wouldn’t let him hurt me again,” I said and I heard him sigh, hooking his finger under my chin and forcing me to meet his gaze again.
“I’m so proud of you, Sam,” he said, a nervous smile forming on his face, but even his smile couldn’t override the fear Gregory Reeves had caused to pulse through my veins.
“He…he said if I don’t, he’ll do whatever it takes to destroy me. Called me a trailer trash whore and said no one would believe me.” My lip started to tremble and Gabe’s face started to blur from the tears.
“You can’t listen to him. He’s angry, but you can’t believe anything he says,” Gabe said, reaching up and running his fingers over my cheek.
“I do believe him though. You didn’t see him, Gabe. You didn’t see his eyes or hear his voice. You don’t know him. You don’t know that family.”
“They can’t hurt you, Sam. You’re safe.”
“That’s the thing though,” I said, choking up, “I don’t think I am.”
I couldn’t hold it in anymore and when I blinked, the tears spilled over and I started to sob. I felt his arms around me, pulling me close as he let me cry. I felt his hand on my back, rubbing it gently as I stained his sweater with tears.
I don’t know how long he held me or how long I cried, but I finally felt myself calming. My breathing slowed and the tears stopped. I sat up, drying my cheeks and looking into Gabe’s eyes.
“It’ll be okay, Sam,” he said softly. “I know you’re afraid. I know his father scared you, but that’s what he wanted to do. He wants to frighten you in order to make you back down.”
“I know,” I sighed.
“You can’t let him intimidate you. You have the law on your side. There’s nothing he can do to you.”
“You don’t know that, Gabe. You don’t know him.”
“But I know you,” he interjected. “And I know when I found you at the bottom of those stairs you were broken. I saw it in your eyes. But, it’s different now. You’re different, Sam.” He was pushing some of my damp hair behind my ear and smiling sweetly at me. “You’re not completely whole yet. I know that, but you’re not as broken anymore.” I felt his hand take mine then, curling his fingers around mine and looking into my eyes. “I can’t pretend to know your past. I don’t know what it’s like to grow up the way you did, but I see you.” He paused for a moment, scooting closer to me on the couch. “You don’t see what I see yet, but you will and you’ll see you can do anything.” I felt the burning in my throat. It still wasn’t easy for me to hear these kinds of words from him; to accept this kind of praise because I’d never heard it from anyone other than my sister. Part of me didn’t want to believe his words. I’d lived my whole life on the defense. I’d built up walls throughout my life to protect myself, but Gabe was breaking them down and he was making me believe in myself for the first time I could remember.
“He can’t run my life anymore,” I said softly and then I found myself reaching for him, grazing my fingertips over his cheek.
“Then don’t let him. You’re strong,” he said and then locked his eyes on mine. “Believe it.” I didn’t say anything for a few moments as I thought about what he’d just said. “And whatever happens with Tyler and his father, I’m going to be right here beside you.”
I looked up, meeting his eyes, still in awe that he was even real. His patience and understanding wasn’t normal. I knew that. He should be running for the hills, not helping me, but he hadn’t gone anywhere. From the moment I woke up in his arms, he’d been here for me and I knew he wasn’t going anywhere.
“Thank you,” I said softly, meeting his eyes and then reaching for his hand. “I swear I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
A confident smile formed on his face as he brushed his fingertips over the skin of my cheek.
“Yes, you do. You’d do what you need to do, just like you are now.”
I couldn’t help but smile back. He always saw the good in me, the good I’d always had a hard time finding, but for some reason, Gabe was always able to show me.
“If you keep talking like this, someday I’m actually going to believe it,” I said with a quiet laugh.
“That’s my plan,” he said, grinning again and then leaning in, pressing his lips lightly over mine, causing a rush to pulse through my body, leaving me breathless with just a simple kiss.