Ford
We decided to get food on the way out, so we didn’t have to stop the rest of the trip home. We both wanted to get home and put this behind us as fast as possible.
Elise would have to wait until she heard back from her pathetic mother’s lawyer and then make her next move. She didn’t say it, but I knew she was hurting from it. I didn’t think a person ever got sick of being hurt by someone they loved, especially a parent. I know I never did with my father. Completely different scenario, yes you could say that.
Top Notch was a Liberty “tradition” with the best burgers and onion rings that apparently Elise missed. We had visited it the last time we came to her old town.
I held the door and walked into the fast food restaurant, thinking nothing of it. All eyes were on us as we walked to get in line, and it wasn’t a good thing. I wasn’t sure if it was because they didn’t recognize us or that they recognized Elise. Either way, I wanted to turn around and walk out. Don’t get me wrong; I wasn’t worried about me. I’d never been one to run away from a confrontation, but I knew that Elise was only going to be able to handle so much, and I didn’t want to add this to her plate.
We seemed to rarely find a little piece of solitude. No matter where we were, something happened to sideswipe us, giving us another battle. Between my seizures, my illness, her mother, and the tension we had between each other, the bridge would break.
The only question was when.
She acted oblivious to them staring and ordered her burger and shake with a side of onion rings. I followed suit and ordered the same thing.
We walked over to the side of the counter to wait for our to-go order when a man walks up in a uniform, a police uniform.
He had a shit-eating grin on his face and stood with his chest puffed out as to intimidate me. I knew immediately who it was without looking at his name tag.
“Elise …” I felt her tense up and grab my hand before turning away from him.
“Bryan, there isn’t anything to say. Would you just get lost?”
“I wanted to be properly introduced to your husband. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that, so don’t be such a bitch about it.”
I balled my fists up and was ready to punch him, maybe rough him up a little as he deserved.
Elise leaned in to me and whispered while Bryan observed, trying to compute what was going on.
“Don’t do anything, Ford. I know you want to hit him, but he would only get you arrested. Let’s just get our order and get out of here.”
I nodded, signaling that I understood what she said, but that didn’t mean I would listen. Patience and tolerance, he wasn’t worth it.
When Bryan reached for my wife, that was when all hell broke loose.
He placed his hand on her shoulder and held it there for a beat longer than anyone ought to have the right to especially a man who had violated her previously. He had scared her, robbed her of something that she could never get back.
“Take your hand off my wife,” I ordered while trying to sound calmer than I was. I had the upper hand as far as I was concerned. Jail? Who the fuck cares if you mess with my wife.
“Your wife was being rude when I was trying to talk to her. I guess since moving out of Liberty, she has lost all her manners.”
“Number seventy-two is ready.”
Our food was placed on the counter, and Elise went to grab for it.
Backing up and getting ready to put my arm around my wife, Bryan stood between us, clearly not letting this go.
I stand a good three inches taller than he was, and even sick, I was in better shape than he seemed to be. Maybe the donuts had gotten him in trouble over the years. I remembered Elise saying he played football, but with the shape he was in now, it was hard to believe.
I got chest to chest with him, and we were looking eye to eye with all the customers watching to see what would happen. I had no intention of throwing the first punch, but if the prick hit me, it was on.
I looked down at him slightly and made sure he was paying attention to my lips. “Do not ever touch my wife again. We both know what you did to her, and if you come anywhere close to her … I mean within six feet of her, I will beat the shit out of you.”
“Ha. You want to beat up a cop? I’ll throw your ass in jail so quickly, your head will spin.”
“I want to beat up a rapist who happens to hide behind his badge. And for Elise, I will go to jail in a heartbeat.”
“How romantic,” he sarcastically remarked, looking disguised.
“Try me, Bryan … Any day, any time.” I backed away from him but kept an eye on him to make sure he didn’t take a cheap shot. He didn’t, but not for his lack of wanting to. Maybe he was a coward, or maybe he knew I would bring up his past with Elise, and he definitely wouldn’t want that brought up.
We walked out the door, and I helped Elise in the truck all the while keeping an eye on my back just to make sure Bryan was nowhere to be found.
“You okay, sweetheart?” I asked her, seeing the fear in her eyes.
“Yeah. Let’s just get the hell out of here.”
I walked around to the driver side of the truck and hesitated to jump right in. I wanted to hit him more than I have ever wanted to hit anyone in my life. I hated him more than I have ever hated another person.
I sat behind the wheel and looked over at Elise to make sure she was okay.
She hit the lock on the doors, and I shook my head and reached for her hand.
“You know I would never let anyone hurt you, don’t you?”
She looked at me, listening to me, and I could see the trust in her eyes.
“I didn’t want you to hit him and get taken away from me. I mean, I wanted you to hit him … God, did I want you to hit him and knock him on his ass, but I didn’t want you to go to jail. He would have taken you in, and if he didn’t, his friends would. He always traveled with a group, and from the guys sitting at the table, I see things haven’t changed.”
“I don’t care about that.”
“But I care.”
I smiled at her, hoping to bring a smile to her face. Elise was beautiful, but when her smile hit her face, she was mesmerizing.
“For the record, if he would have hit me, I would have hit him back … in self-defense, of course. And I would have kept hitting him till he was crying like a bitch for all the things he did to you … put you through.”
“Ford … just when I think I can’t love you any more, you say something that makes me see how much you love me.”
I kiss her hand and look back at her face.
“I love you, baby. And if you think me fighting for you is romantic, I could do it anytime you want. Anything you want.”
“Don’t get crazy, Rocky.” She smiled and let out a brief laugh.
“Let’s get back to Humble so we can crawl in our bed.”
“Don’t have to tell me twice.” I pulled out of the parking lot, ready to leave the town in the dust.
Elise didn’t belong there any longer; she belonged with me in Humble.