No Strings

Chapter 38--Anger

I'd escaped into the bathroom. I could hear objects hitting the door. I was terrified for the first time in my life. Swearing and cursing came from the other side.

I'd pushed the wrong buttons. But it had been months since his last outburst. I was growing more and more afraid. With the pressure from work, his family, to make and give money, I was sure it was going to be soon. First, I didn't wash the dishes. But that didn't work. He stared at them. Then I did them. Then I walked into the house with my shoes on. But that too didn't bug him. He looked at me and I cleaned up after. The tension began to build further. I saw more unnecessary junk build around the house. He was buying things to try to relieve the pressure, but the cycle got worse.

He'd put a new rug on top of the taupe one. I spilled a little spaghetti sauce on the new rug. I didn't notice. He first yelled at me, making me wince. Then objects began to fly near me. First, the TV remote crashed against the wall. It broke. The batteries flew out. The plate of spaghetti crashed against the wall next--the plates I'd bought him. He started to snatch everything else in sight. I lost track. I grabbed my purse and cellphone. I ran into the bathroom before he could chase after me. I slammed the door shut and got the door to lock.

"I'll fucking call the police if you don't open this fucking door now!"

I had to steady my hands to hold the phone. He was banging on the door. I heard kicks making the molding give way. I tried to hold the phone steady, but it was awkward in my hands. I wanted to dial 911, but instead I hit nine. I didn't realize I hadn't hit the ones. I hit talk and held it up. My hands were still shaking.

William's voice came out from the other end. "Hello?"

I sobbed and sobbed. I couldn't say anything.

"Where are you?" His voice was confused. I could hear chatter in the background.

The banging against the door got louder. Dust began to settle.

"Be--"

I whimpered an answer between sobs.

"I'll be there. I'll be there."

When the police sirens drowned out his cracking the door, I was shivering and crying. When he refused to open the door, they broke it down. I could see William there. He'd come, though I wasn't sure why after Ted. I saw my boyfriend struggling. I didn't want them to hurt him, but he'd elbowed an officer in the nose by accident, so they were taking him in.

I looked at William, pathetic. My hair and face were a mess. I knew my shoulders were hunched over. William was not pleased. He looked a little worn himself. I learned later that he'd come over in his car and arrived after they broke down the door. He was holding his hand in a fist. I was surprised at his glare at me.

The police insisted that I should make a statement. I didn't know I would be put into this position. I wanted them to calm my boyfriend down, not take a statement and take him in.

William took me to the station while the police cars went ahead. He said nothing. No words of comfort, nothing about my boyfriend being a bastard. He met me with silence. He was fed up with me and I'd lost a friend. I was sure. But William didn't get to see the good side of my boyfriend. Never. I lulled myself into thinking it wasn't that bad.

The road to the police station was peppered with lights. The yellow glow made me feel sick. I stared out the window to get past the awkward silence. We'd been through this before. He had nothing to say to me, because he knew I would protest. He waited in the car and in the silence indicated that he would wait for me. He put his forehead into his hand.

When I walked into the police station, it was bright. I half expected smoke to be there, like it was in the movies. A woman officer greeted me. She had me sit down at her desk. I guess she was given the job of neutral investigator. None of the officers from the scene were in sight.

"I'm not sure why I'm here... I didn't see him elbow the officer."

The woman shook her head. I was the same in her eyes as one of those battered women with bruises, but I had no bruises on me. I was fine.

"Did you call your friend?" she asked.

"Yes. I was trying to dial 911. He was on speed dial 9."

She seemed like she pitied me through her professional mask. She continued the questioning, not letting me deviate into how sweet he was. At one point, she was holding her head. She reached into her desk and pulled out a very feminine purse. I hadn't expected that.

"We have to keep him because he elbowed the officer. We have to investigate. He may stay in jail for a year if convicted."

I knew the things he damaged was because I'd triggered him in the wrong way. It would be too strange to sue him.

She sighed and took out a card from her purse.

"I don't usually do this..."

She pulled out a card and slid it across the table. "I had a sister. Her boyfriends never..."

I tuned her out. I wasn't like that. I took it and put it into my purse to comfort her. I never got bruises from him. He wasn't going to push me down the stairs. I nodded and met again with William at the car. He said nothing on the way back. When I got out of the car, he said in an uncharacteristic manner, "I wish you would sue the bastard."

I changed his speed dial on my phone so he wasn't nine anymore. I didn't see William for years after that.