The River Speaks

Chapter Six: Work and Home Only

I promise this gets better next chapter! I just ask that you bear with me

*****

Chapter Six: Work and Home Only

Two weeks passed, and two weeks turned into a month, and a month turned into three months until it was mid September.

He won't let me go anywhere except for work and home. He drops me off at work and I have to stay until he can pick me up, and then he ditches me and goes out. He told me he wants me to be safe and the only way he can guarantee that is if I'm here.

Which I get.

But when I ask if I can go with him to the store for groceries and he hits me...I don't think that's right.

My cheek is permanently red because he hits me almost every day.

He's not here though and I can't stop thinking about my Dad and how it felt to have him with me.

I felt safer than I have in years.

Isn't my boyfriend who loves me supposed to keep me safe?

I shake my head to myself.

Thinking about this stuff is a bad idea. Elliot loves you.

Right after I say that, my Dad's voice rings through my head.

"He ain't treatin' you right, lily pad. He don't love you the way you deserve to be loved."

And he's right. He doesn't love me the right way.

I get scared every time he comes home. He makes me so nervous.

This is not you, Lilliana.

If I was in a relationship like this back home I would either cut the guy off completely or cuss them out and then cut them off.

I wouldn't have to worry about them coming after me because it's a tiny town and everyone knows everyone.

If he tried anything, my Dad would be on his doorstep with my brother.

The news would spread like wildfire that so and so tried to hurt me, and everyone would give him dirty looks and the adults would reprimand him.

I lean my head against the window.

Home is out there somewhere.

But right now, I'm in prison.

On top of that, all Elliot ever wants to do is have sex.

What if I'm too tired to have sex? He works me like a dog with sex and I absolutely hate it. Even when I tell him no, he tells me it's okay and he'll seduce me.

I could tell him I don't want to a million times and he would do it anyways.

And now that I think about it, it's not really because he loves me.

He just does whatever he wants.

I'm just confused and frustrated and I want to talk to somebody but I have nobody.

If I call my Dad, he'll show up here with my brother Noah and I think he'll hurt Elliot.

If I call my Mom or April or May, they'll just tell my Dad.

So basically, I have nobody.

I should have stayed friends with the wrong number guy.

My subconscious mind is telling me this relationship is wrong, but my conscious mind is telling me it's fine.

Elliot loves me. Everything he does is in my best interest.

Nodding to myself that I'm right, I sit down on the couch and start watching some television.

What I would kill to go to the gym and work out right now.

I look at the big space in the living room and nod.

I can workout here.

*****

I used full water jugs as weight and worked out until my knees buckled, and then I showered and went to bed. Elliot didn't try to make me have sex with him last night.

I was already in bed pretending to be sleeping.

That didn't stop him before.

Now I'm back home after work and I worked out after Elliot left. He's been gone for a while.

I just want to talk to somebody else.

I want to laugh and run in the rain.

I want to go home to Kentucky.

I want Elliot to leave me alone for a little while. I love him, but he's overbearing.

It's almost as if he's listening to my thoughts, because the second I think about wanting him to leave me alone, the front door opens and closes and he comes sauntering into the house.

"Good, you're awake." He says. "I had a thought."

I stand up.

"Since tomorrow is Friday, what if after work you and I drive out to Framingham? It's in Massachusetts. I have a work meeting and I want you to come with me."

An opportunity to leave the house?

"Really?" I ask.

"Yeah. It'll be fun."

"Sure, let's do it." I say.

*****

The chapters are short because I hate Elliot and I'm having trouble getting to where I need to be lol but next chapter is when the fun starts to please please bear with me <3

~Sam