Maneater: Recovery & Redemption

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

        I snuck back into the house after four in the morning, nervous that Shawn had rolled over, feeling for me as he always does. He'd be confused as to why I wasn't there, and then would yell out for me to see if I was "using the crapper". When he'd get no response, he'd probably try my cell, which I purposefully left off the entire night. He could very well be waiting up like a disgruntled parent, or even, like a pissed off husband. Yeah, that's more likely.

            As I turned the lock and eased into opening the door, I was surprised to find the house still dark. He wasn't sitting in front of the door, eager to confront me. I couldn't even hear him sitting up watching television. The entire house was still dark to my surprise. I felt like a mischievous child who'd pulled one over on their parents, leaving me victorious and eager to do more wrong since I hadn't been caught.

            Well, so I thought.

            I left my shoes by the door as to not make any noise and tip-toed to the bathroom to jump in the shower, I silently stripped off my clothes and left them outside of the bathroom door so I could throw them I the hamper once I went back into the bedroom.

            I eased the bathroom door open, even finessing the light switch so he couldn't hear the light click on. I turned around and pulled back the shower curtain to be startled practically out of my skin at the appearance of Shawn sitting in the tub.

            "Oh, my God! You almost gave me a heart attack!" I hollered, clutching my chest. "Why are you sitting in there like that?"

            "Why are you coming in at four in the morning?" he retorted as he struggled to climb to his feet. "I rolled over and you weren't there. I called for you to see if you were in the bathroom, nothing," he continued as he made his way out of the tub and towards me. "Finally, I looked for you throughout the house before calling your phone and still got no response. Where were you?" he asked again, this time in my face.

            "I was out. I needed some air," I lied, hoping the answer would suffice. Of course, it didn't.

            "Why are you lying to me?" he asked, now edging towards me, forcing me against the bathroom wall. His eyes looked hollow, dead even. Sweat lined his forehead and upper lip, his breath strong with alcohol that he wasn't supposed to mix with medication he was on. I suddenly noticed the bottle over by the edge of the tub. Had he been drinking the entire time he waited for me to come home?

"I have a feeling you've been lying to me often."

            "Shawn, I didn't do anything," I whispered as my voice trembled. I never thought about what would happen if Shawn ever got upset with me to a point where he was mad, and never thought he would be so mad that he would be in my face like this. I was a little nervous.

            "You're lying again!" he snapped. He placed his hands on the wall behind me, an arm barricading me from each since. "Don't make me have to ask you again," he threatened.

            My demeanor went from nervous to furious. My eyes narrowed in on his as I questioned, "Or what?" I was eager to see if he was going to try and hit me. I realized that as mad at me as he was, I resented him for years. If either one of us had a reason to be upset, it was me, not him. He's upset over one night. I was enraged over years of mistreatment.

            Taken aback, he cocked his head to the side as he looked at me. "Do you really want to play this game with me?" he asked.

            "Yeah, I do. What is your fat ass going to do to me? Are you going to hit me, Shawn? Is that what you want to do? Hit your unsuspecting wife who was just coming to take a shower when she was ambushed, completely naked? That won't look good for you, now will it?"