Iris McKenna cursed as her phone rang. She glanced away from the road ahead, looking over her shoulder into the back seat, the seatbelt pulling as she twisted. Damn. She must have left it in her bag again. Oh well, they would call back later. She would be home soon anyway. If it was important they would call back.
The ringing stopped and she put the phone out of her mind. She needed to concentrate on her driving. She had been on the treadmill, losing herself in the simple joy of running, and she had lost track of time. She had really needed to blow off steam today. Why did people think it was ok to yell? To take their shit out on everyone else? She felt good now though. Her body was loose and her mind was at peace. The few extra miles were worth it. Running was her therapy.
The only problem was that it had gotten dark fast. By the time she left the gym it was almost pitch black outside. She didn’t like driving in the dark in the best of times. But with all the snow and ice on the road she really hated it. And the reports were calling for more snow tonight. Even with new snow tires her old civic didn’t handle well. But it was cheap and reliable, which was what she needed most. Personal training was great for freedom, and even better for staying fit, but she certainly wasn’t getting rich doing it. That new Jeep she had been eyeing would need to wait.
Thankfully she had tomorrow off. No clients to deal with for once. Maybe she could sleep in, get a good breakfast then curl up with a cup of coffee and a good book. Or maybe some trashy TV instead. That would be a perfect way to beat the cold. Much better than dealing with more whiny clients anyway.
Her phone rang again, breaking her train of thought. It rang the full eight times, then stopped. It was silent for a few seconds, then rang again. She felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. Not many people would be calling her, and only one of them would be this insistent.
She thought about the last time she had seen Ivy. Her cousin had been drifting away from her for years, all because her piece of shit boyfriend Glen, but Iris had been trying really hard to keep in touch for the last six months. Ever since Sophia had been born. Seeing her niece, that tiny bundle of cuteness, made it worth putting up with Glen. Made it worth seeing how he treated Ivy. Made it worth biting her tongue when she wanted to scream and yell at the top of her lungs.
She had been begging Ivy to leave Glen for years, since the very first time he hit her, but Ivy wouldn’t have any of it. Her cousin was stubborn. “He loves me. He didn’t mean it.” Iris had heard it all to many times now though. She had given up. Things had gotten a little better after Sophia was born, but it didn’t take long for Glen to start drinking again and to go right back to his old ways.
When Sophia was only three months old Iris had stopped by and Ivy had a black eye. She had tried to cover it up with makeup, but Iris could tell the whole side of her face was mottled purple and brown underneath. Iris didn’t even bother asking anymore, or saying anything. She just played with Sophia and let the anger boil inside her. She couldn’t make Ivy change. She couldn’t force Ivy to open her eyes, as much as she wanted to.
Iris flicked on her blinker and pulled to the side of the road. Hopefully she was just imagining things, but she had a really bad feeling. She really needed to get her phone. It couldn’t wait. She grabbed her gym bag out of the back seat and quickly dug through her stuff to pull out her phone. Just as she grabbed it the phone rang again. She glanced at the screen. Shit. It was Ivy.
A ball of ice formed in the pit of her stomach as she picked up. “Hello? Ivy?” Sobs rang out through the phone and Iris feared the worst. “Ivy, are you ok? Is Sophia ok?”
Still sobbing, Ivy finally choked out her response through the tears. “Iris. Please. No. No, I’m not ok. Please come get me. He hit me again, and he threatened Sophia. I have to go. Now. Please come get me.”
Cold fear gave way to hot rage inside Iris’s head. What was wrong with that bastard? She wanted to kill him with every fiber of her being. But she choked it down. She needed to be there for Ivy and Sophia now. There would be time to deal with Glen later. “Yes, yes, of course. I’m on my way.” She glanced at her watch. “Hold on Ivy. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
Iris mashed her finger against the phone to hang up. She tossed the phone onto the passenger seat as she dropped her car in gear. She slammed her foot down on the gas and pealed out in a U-turn right across traffic. The old civic wasn’t fast, but she was going to set speed records tonight. Keeping the gas pedal pinned to the floor, she accelerated towards her cousin’s house. She whispered, “Hang on Ivy. I’m coming.”