Lucy sat at her desk in the office, trying to accomplish something of value before the clock struck five, to no avail. Her nails tapped the surface rhythmically. Something was off in the air. Something with Andrew.
He was in his last semester of his first year of school, and the lease on their apartment was almost up, and soon they’d be together again.
But when he called her he was anxious, she could tell. Finals were almost here, and even though he spent almost all of his free time studying, he was convinced he would flunk them and become a total failure. She was worried about him. She swore she could hear that his skin had paled and his eyes had sunken from sleep deprivation.
“You need to sleep, Andrew.” She told him during one of their calls. “Don’t worry about me so much, I’ll be here when you’re rested.”
He scoffed. “You’re the only thing I need, Luce.”
She watched the clock on the wall as the narrow hands crept forward. 4:57 pm. She sighed and held her face in her hands. She hadn’t gotten anything done today.
She jumped when her friend and coworker, Matilda, appeared in her office doorway.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“You’re totally fine. What’s up?” Lucy sat straighter in her chair and tried to give the impression that she wasn’t sickeningly stressed.
“When was the last time you went to the movie theater?” Matilda asked, taking a seat on the chair opposite Lucy.
Lucy sighed. “God, not since Andrew went to Bradford.” She laughed. “I honestly couldn’t even tell you what’s playing.”
Matilda grinned. “Well, I’m taking you out. There’s this one called Maple Syrup Love, have you heard of it?” Lucy said that she hadn’t. “It’s going to be so good, I can tell. It’ll cheer you up.”
“It’s that obvious, huh?”
“A little.” Matilda said. “But probably not to anyone but me. C’mon. It’ll be fun.”
The movie was a sweet thing about two star-crossed lovers. In the end they reunited for good, and when they kissed and held each other Lucy had to wipe away a tear.
After the credits had closed the two women left the theater and began to walk home. Around five blocks in, Matilda swore.
“I think I left my keys at the theater.” She groaned and looked up, glaring at the stars.
“Do you want to just sleep over? We can pick up your keys on the way to work tomorrow.” Lucy offered.
“No, I have to feed my cat. Damn.”
“I’ll walk back with you, then.”
“No.” Matilda said. “Your apartment is only a block away, I’d feel bad if you had to turn around now. I’ll just go back myself.”
“It’s pretty late, are you sure you’ll be fine?”
“Yeah, I took a self-defense class once.”
They hugged goodbye, and Lucy asked her to call when she reached home safely.
“Will do.” Matilda said, and then she turned the corner and was gone.
Lucy walked on for another ten minutes or so, smiling and thinking of Andrew. That couple doesn’t have anything on us, she thought, and that made her happy. Even if they were stressed and anxious and longing right now, it would be over soon. She felt, suddenly, the physical feeling of time passing, and it occurred to her that it was always moving, even when she didn’t notice it.
“Almost there.” She whispered.
“Almost where, babe?” The voice sounded tall and dangerous, and a man that matched it came up beside her and pressed something cold and sharp against her side. “Keep moving.” He said. “That way.”
Lucy felt her heart drop. She trembled and tried to take small steps. “Please, I’ll give you my things, just let me get my keys and something out of my wallet.”
“Yeah? What, like your cash?”
“No.” She began to cry. “A picture of my husband.”
He clicked his tongue. “Shoulda known a woman like you was married. Lucky man. He the only guy you’ve ever been with?”
Lucy shook her head, confused. Why was he asking so many questions?
“So you’re a whore. Good. I like that.” He herded her into an alleyway and behind a dumpster.
He pushed her against the wall and she hit her head against the brick. When she saw him remove his belt she screamed and began to scramble against the hard concrete on her hands and knees. He looped the leather strip around her neck and pulled tightly, yanking her back and choking her.
“No more noise.” He hissed. She tugged at the belt frantically. Her face began to turn purple, she could feel it.
“Please!” She tried to beg, but there was no air left in the world for her to speak with.
“Stand up.”
She did as she was told, unable to run with the belt strangling her. She was hypersensitive to the world around her. She could feel the earth spinning and she was getting dizzy and sick from it. The lights of the street burned into her flesh. The buzz of the electric lines sounded in her ears like thunder.
“Tell me you want this!” he said. He loosened the belt a bit and she took in air in big gulps.
“Go fuck yourself!” She gasped.
“Fuck you!” He grabbed her by the hair and slammed her face into the building. “Stupid slut can’t even do what she’s told. I’m going to slit your fucking throat.”
Lucy screamed out for help, but it was cut short by his tightened belt again. Her nose was broken, she was sure of it. Blood poured out of it and over her chin onto her dress. It was the dress she had worn when she married Andrew.
Fuck, she thought. I have to get home to him. I have to survive this.
Suddenly there was a loud crack! The man behind her slumped against her, pulling her to the ground. She clawed against the wall. Someone pushed the unconscious man off of her.
“Are you okay?” A woman’s voice asked. She had big, picked out hair that glowed in the light, and Lucy thought she was an angel.
The woman’s hands fluttered around Lucy’s throat and undid the belt. She threw it to the other side of the alley.
“Thank you!” Lucy rasped out. She brought her fingers to her nose and cried out at the sharp pain.
“I hit him over the head with a bottle of vodka, he should stay out for a while. Are you okay to find a payphone right now? I don’t want to leave you with him.”
Lucy nodded. She stumbled up. The heel of her shoe was broken, and she was dizzy, but she knew where she was, and she knew a phone was close by.
“I need change…” she muttered.
“It doesn’t charge you when you call the police.” The woman said. She was hog-tying the man with his own belt.
“I need to call my husband.”
“Girl, call him at the hospital; you need an ambulance.”
Lucy nodded. “Okay.”
She reached the payphone and gripped the sides of it to hold herself up. She dialed 911.
After her messy report she made her way back to the woman and her assailant. The woman stood over his unconscious form with one boot on his back.
“Thank God.” She said when she saw Lucy. “I was worried about you. I didn’t know if you could make it.” She touched a hand to Lucy’s arm gingerly. “Have a seat, I’m sure the cops will be here soon.”
She guided Lucy to a milk crate and sat her down gently. She squatted down so she was looking up at Lucy’s broken face.
“What’s your name?” Lucy asked, cradling her nose.
“Maria.”
“You s-saved my life, Maria.” She looked away. She was grateful, but she didn’t want to remember any of this.
Maria nodded. She understood.
At the hospital she called Andrew, but it was late by then, and he was asleep. She called both their parents next. The Hornes got there first.
“Oh, Lucy!” Mrs. Horne’s hands moved all around her, taking inventory. She shook her head. “What happened?”
Lucy shook her head. She couldn’t talk about it. Mrs. Horne hugged her tightly.
“What were you wearing? Were you alone? Did you say something to upset the guy?” Mr. Horne bombarded her with these questions. Lucy’s brow furrowed.
“It wasn’t her fault.” Mrs. Horne hissed at him. She turned back to Lucy and stroked her cheek. “It wasn’t your fault dear.”
“Of course not, Marge. I know that.” He looked ashamed. “I’m sorry, Lucy, I’m just trying to understand.”
“Go get her something to drink, honey.” Mrs. Horne waved him away with her hand and he left with his head hanging low.
Mrs. Horne sat on the side of the hospital bed and pet Lucy’s hair. Lucy looked away, tears streaming over her cheeks. Mrs. Horne shushed her and gathered her into her arms, rocking her back and forth soothingly.
“Have you been able to get a hold of Andrew?”
“I called his apartment, but he didn’t answer.”
“Good. You can’t tell him. Not yet.” Mrs. Horne said. “He’ll want to come home right away. He’ll miss finals and everything you two have had to go through together will have been a waste. Just wait until final exams are finished, and then tell him.”
“He needs to know.” Lucy tried to pull away a bit, but Mrs. Horne held firm.
“And he will.” She assured her. “Just wait until his schooling is wrapped up. Please.”
Lucy felt that she was being drawn and quartered. She needed to tell Andrew. She needed him to know, more than that: she needed him.
But her mother-in-law was right—if she told him now he’d drop everything to come to her. While that was all she wanted in the world right now—to be somewhere safe with him—she couldn’t bear ruining his future on top of this. He would never see it like that, but she wouldn’t be able to see it any other way.
“The minute he finishes his last exam, I’m going to tell him.” Lucy agreed with no small degree of dread in her heart. She put a hand to her chest and wondered if he already knew.
Andrew walked to the bus stop forgetting entirely if he was anxious or not about his finals. None of that mattered anymore. Today he went home.
He stopped at a payphone to call Lucy, but it only rang and rang. He wanted to call again, but he would miss his bus if he did, so he elected to call her again at the apartment before he left.
He tried not to worry too much.
He opened the door of his apartment to find a very familiar angel standing facing out the window opposite him.
“Goose!” He shouted. He crossed the room in a few quick strides.
“Wait!” She said. She hadn’t turned around. He stopped. “Something’s happened.” She sounded small.
Andrew’s heart fell out. “What is it? Are you okay?” He reached to her and gently turned her.
The sight was… an awful thing for him to behold. Her beautiful face was distorted by colors of purple and yellow all around her eyes and nose.
“The doctors set it at the hospital. They said it’ll heal just fine.” She tried to reassure him. “You should’ve seen the looks people have been giving me. I wish I could wear some sunnies or something, but it still hurts a bit.”
Andrew sat down. His vision was blurred.
“What happened?” A fall, he prayed, let her have tripped.
“I was… attacked. Nothing happened, really!” She hurried to say. “A woman saved me. She hit him over the head.”
“Those are… your bruises are a few weeks old.” He stuttered out. “This happened a while ago.” He tried desperately to stifle his anger. He didn’t want to be upset with her, especially not over something like this. “You lied to me, over every call we had.”
“I didn’t want to ruin your testing…” She started to cry. “I’m so sorry.”
Andrew grimaced, filled instantly with self-loathing. Way to go, he thought. You’ve gone and fucked this up.
“Don’t apologize, Goose.” He patted the seat beside him, and she dropped into it, resting her head tenderly on his shoulder. He perched his chin gently on the top of her head. “I can’t imagine what you’ve been through. I might’ve done the same thing.” He sighed. “I just wish I could’ve been there for you. I feel like such shit for leaving you alone.”
“I’m so glad you’re coming home now.” She admitted. “It’ll finally be over.”
