She Coyote

20. Anthony is death and he makes me feel cold

COYOTE

Silence hung in the air like a thick fog, blinding me. It was almost as if I could feel his hands wrapping around my throat just by hearing his voice again. I wanted to throw my phone away, I wanted to smash it with a baseball at and move away to another country. I never wanted Anthony to call me or interact with me in anyway ever again.

He cleared his throat, obviously displeased with my lack of a response. So instead of waiting, he continued. "Victoria? I'm sure by now you've received the awful news. I just wanted to see how you've been."

I swallowed, my eyes never blinking. "How did you get this number?" I whispered, petrified.

He sighed, but didn't answer my question. "Do you need me to come pay a visit? It must be hard—"

"No!" I barked, immediately biting my tongue afterwards. It wasn't a good idea to anger his man. "I mean...I'm fine, really."

"Oh, Victoria." He murmured. I could hear a car horn blaring in the background. He must have been on a pay phone by a road. He didn't want me to have his real number.

"You must feel so alone," he insisted. "No one there to comfort you."

"I have friends," I lied. "Honestly, I'm fine."

"I just want to know you're safe. I haven't heard from you in years. I don't know what's even been happening to you. How have you been? Where are you staying?"

I chewed my lip, praying for even an ounce of strength. Just a couple weeks ago I planned on hunting this man down, and now here he is on a mother fucking silver platter and I was practically mute. I didn't know much about where he was or what he did or if he was even with my mother when she died, I just knew I didn't want to see him ever again. He would never lay his hands on me ever again.

"Listen, I have to go." I tightened my fist. "Don't call here ever again. Throw away my number or I swear to God I'll throw away my phone."

"Jesus, Victoria, what did I say? Your emotions are a roller coaster." He mused, a sly chuckle falling from his lips.

"You know why I don't want you calling me." I gritted my teeth and he grew quiet.

I never completely confronted him for what he used do to me before I left. I simply fled from the house because I couldn't handle what he was doing. Lying, abusing, using me and my mother. I hated him. I fucking hated him.

"Anthony, I swear if you come anywhere near me I won't hesitate to do whatever you deserve." I closed my eyes tightly, imagining all the things I wanted to do to him. Rip his head off and feed it to the street dogs.

"Is that a threat?"

"It's a promise." I exhaled all the air from my dried up lungs for the first time in a long time. "I'm hanging up now, don't call me back, understood?"