Tim knew the signs. He saw them more than once. He experienced them more than once too. But Lucy was fine. Always. Hidding everything under a fake smile. So when, he tried, multiple times to talk with her, she just avoided the conversation, put a smile on her face. She wasn't ready to face it. One day, when he saw an empteenth sign, he wanted to say something. She felt it, and looked at him : " Don't " she said. He said nothing. He just knew.
Things began after she became P2. One night she went out with friends. That night she met someone. They talked, a lot, and exchanged their number. After a week of phone call and text he asked her on a date. They had a great time. And he asked her on a second date, and a third. Date after date, they became something. Everyone noticed her happiness. He met everyone. It was a nice night. He was a nice guy, polite, fun. They looked perfect together. One month became two, and two became six. They moved in together in his house. He was the first one to say " I love you ", she said it back right after. Because it was true, she was loving him.
One day she came home later than she said. She had a long and harsh shift. Dinner was on the table, cold. He was in the living room. She apologized for her late, all she needed now was a hug from the man she loved. The only things she got was a slap. She froze. Her hand reached her face, it hurt. She was trained, she was a police officer, she knew how to fight back, but she couldn't move or even think. Once again she apologized. And he yelled, a lot. When he joined her in bed, he apologized, said it was the first and last time. She believed him because she loved him. But it wasn't the last time. He did it again. And again. He was smart enough to hit her where she could hid it.
Everytime he hit her, everytime he yelled at her, everytime he kicked her out of the house : she came back. What was the ironie when, at work, she encouraged the women who were in the same situation to leave. She was unable to do it. She loved him. Sometimes when he was in his good days, he was the nice guys she met months ago.
Day after day, Lucy was losing her sparkles. When her body was sore, it was difficult to keep that fake smile on her face. Her body langage changed, she became more reserved. Tim saw it. He analysed every little changes. She lost weight. She fidgeted with her fingers more often, she was silent most of the time, she didn't hang out with everyone anymore. He saw her suffering from every hit she received. He saw bruises too. He knew and it killed him. One day she didn't come. She was sick. His worry won, and he drove to Lucy's house. He wanted to check on her, and saw if she was really sick or if she was hiding something. That time she was really sick. He was in the living room when her boyfriend came home. It was tense. Tim left five minutes later. And it happened.
The man was furious to find another man in his living room, he was more furious to see it was Tim. He hated him. For no reason. He yelled at her more than usually. He used all the insults he knew. He pushed her against the wall, and it hurt. He was sure she was cheating on him with Tim. He blamed her for the messy house too. His fist hit the wall next to her head once. And it happened. For the first time since the first slap he gave her, his fist hit her face, once, and he slapped her twice on the other side before he threw her on the ground and left her with a " You're disgusting ". She had the taste of her own blood inside her throat, the tast of her own tears on her lips.
Tonight he crossed the line. Tonight he made her bleed. Tonight he hit her on the face, a place she couldn't hide. Tonight was too much, tonight was enough. Lucy stood up, took her keys, her phone and left while he was under the shower. On autopilot she drove for twenty minutes before she parked her car. She took a deep breath, knocked at the door. When Tim opened the door, they both froze. Tears were running down her face. And he just opened his arms, she accepted it. After a moment, he closed the door and escorted her to his living room. He sat her down on his couch before he grabbed a clean washcloth and all the stuff he needed to take care of her.
