This story is by Mary Pat Rafferty and was part of our 2024 Fall Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here.
The expected roses arrived as usual. Co-workers crowded her desk, commenting on what a great boyfriend she had to receive such beautiful flowers so regularly. Kate smiled woodenly, nodding in forced agreement.
Kevin always sent roses when he fucked up. She winced as she leaned over to smell them, her ribs still sore from his latest attack. He’d shoved her hard against the wall when she walked in late from work yesterday, howling about how hungry he was and demanding his dinner. She’d learned not to react to avoid fanning his flames. Instead, she tossed a greasy bag of fast food on the table and headed for the bathroom. The lock on that door still worked.
She looked at her reflection, hardly recognizing herself. Shadows bloomed under her hollow eyes. She was beyond tears; layered hardness grew thicker with each brutal act. Lifting her shirt, she gingerly touched the red splotches on her right side. Nothing broken, she noted, after choking down her nightly pills. Drugged sleep was her antidote to the raging pain inside.
The tv blared all night with Kevin passed out on the couch, beer cans scattered on the floor, missed hoops in his attempts to score like the NBA players he admired. Kate would scoop them up in the morning and drag the garbage bag to the curb before he woke up. She tiptoed around the condo, barely breathing, terrified to wake him.
Her early arrivals to work weren’t driven by a strong work ethic, just an escape from the hell she shared with Kevin. One more month, she promised herself, and that’s it. By then, she’d have enough money saved to move out. She could endure one more month knowing it was her last, and she planned to be as accommodating as possible until then.
His call came around eleven.
“Hey, baby, did you get my roses?”
Bile crept up her throat. “Yes,” she whispered.
“You know how sorry I am about last night, don’t you? I had a terrible day at work, but I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. I never mean to hurt you, baby. I love you so much and just want us to be happy,” he whimpered.
Happy? Yeah, as long as happy means beating me up every time you lose your shit, you fucking jerk.
“Uh, huh,” she muttered.
“Please forgive me, Kate, I’ll never hurt you again. You gotta gimme another chance…to prove how much I love you…how much I need you. If you only knew how much you mean to me.”
Yeah, that’s why I have these bruises all over my body…proof of your undying love. You’ve had your last second chance with me, you fucking son-of-a-bitch.
“Um, hum.”
“Let’s go out tonight, OK? I’ll treat you to Gringo’s where they have your favorite margaritas. Nothing’s too good for my girl. How does that sound?”
She remembered her promise to herself this morning.
“That sounds good. I’ll meet you there around six.”
“Six it is. I love you so much, Kate, and want to prove it starting tonight.”
“OK, see you later,” she croaked before hanging up, feeling the urge to retch.
————
They’d met at the gym when she’d stopped at the juice bar after her workout. Her long muscular legs caught his eye.
“Hey there, gorgeous. Can I buy you a drink?”
She turned to see an attractive grinning man towering over her.
“Well, this is a first,” she snorted, “getting hit on in a juice bar.”
“Opportunity knocks,” he replied easily and pulled out his wallet. “I’m Kevin, and you are……?”
“Probably nuts to accept your offer, but hey, you seem harmless. I’m Kate.”
They sat outside in a courtyard under a huge shade tree. An hour later, she was totally charmed by his stories, his dreams, his compliments. A week later, they’d had three more dates followed by a delivery of red roses declaring his love. A month later, he asked her to move in.
She felt things were moving a little fast, but her girlfriends gushed over how romantic it was. He owned a condominium at the edge of downtown, a lot closer to work than her current apartment, and her lease was coming up soon. He felt like a good match for her: intelligent, ambitious, thoughtful, athletic, full of laughter and surprises, and he actually paid attention when she spoke. Misgivings aside, she agreed to move in and gave notice at her apartment.
The first time he was aggressive was during the move. He’d rented a U-Haul and was loading boxes when one slipped out of his hands, landing on his foot, and he blew up, cursing and yelling, blaming her for cramming too much stuff in one box. As quickly as he exploded, he settled himself down and apologized, claiming he was just tired and cranky. He pulled her close and kissed her, asking for forgiveness. “Of course,” she squeaked, heart still pounding as she bent to pick up the fallen items, shaken by his frightening outburst. She wrote it off to nerves.
The first time he was violent happened six months later. They’d been out to dinner at an English pub sharing drinks and fish and chips. Their waiter delighted Kate with his accent, and the two bantered back and forth whenever he came by. Kevin smoldered in the background, ordering doubles. She noticed his moodiness, and in a quavering voice, asked about his day at work. He shook his head indicating it was time to go.
In the parking lot, he opened Kate’s door, and then with both hands, roughly pushed her inside, her head banging against the door frame. Stunned, she reached for her temple and found blood.
“So, I guess you and Marcus have a thing now, huh? How dare you come on to another guy right in front of me. You’re nothing but a cunt looking for a fuck by any man who pays you the least bit of attention!” His face glowed red while hers turned white.
His tirade lasted all the way home as she sat frozen in her seat, circling her thumbs endlessly. Once home, another shove and a punch sent her to the bathroom where she locked herself inside, grateful for the heavy wooden door between them. Hours later, he stood in the hallway, crying and begging for her to please open the door. Huddled against the commode, she covered her ears, silently repeating please go away, please go away…The next day, long-stemmed red roses were delivered to her office with a note of apology and pledge of love. This pattern became their way of life as she always relented, convincing herself that next time would be the last, if she survived.
As the month wound down, her doubts about leaving surfaced, his repentant kindness so soothing, so addictive. Thank God she’d finally confided in her sister who was there to remind her of the hospital visits, black eyes, and bruises that would continue as long as she stayed. Together, they found a safe place for her to live in a village outside the city limits, away from the monster she had once loved.
The next morning after Kevin kissed her goodbye, Kate’s sister arrived with a U-Haul trailer. They quickly loaded her belongings, anxiety and fear filling every box. She left the photos of her and Kevin behind, surprised by the tears forming as she surveyed their framed happiness.
“You’re doing the right thing,” her sister encouraged. “You deserve better than this. Things will work out once you’re away from here, away from him. I promise,” and she took her sister’s shaking hand and led her out the door.
———
Kate straightened the sign on the door of the village church meeting room. SECOND CHANCES, her support group for battered women, was having its first meeting tonight. Eight folding chairs made a circle in the center. Two tables stood against the wall, one full of brochures and packets of information, the other with refreshments and a vase of wildflowers picked from her garden that morning.
After leaving Kevin, Kate had switched to working remotely with her boss’s approval, and driven thirty minutes once a week to attend a domestic violence support group, a place where she found her voice again, and where she was still a regular. But there were no support groups for women in her new village, and with help, she decided to start her own. She couldn’t bear another woman feeling hopelessly trapped by a violent man who beat the confidence and strength out of her with every slap, kick or punch. A second chance at life was part of her mission statement, and her first meeting coaxed four scared women out of the shadows. She gently held each one’s hand in her own as she greeted them warmly, promising them that they were doing the right thing.
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