Lovers

The television muttered an infomercial as it lit the living room with a faint blue light. The only other sound in the living room was the quiet breathing of the girl passed out on the couch. She lay peacefully curled up, sleeping contentedly. She had only fallen asleep about an hour before waiting for him to come home. her mind had raced with worries when he didn't pick up his phone. She had waited patiently until the dark, warm night got a hold of her. Her lids heavy and her body tired she had laid down to get more comfortable and within moments was asleep. 1

The keys jangling in the door startled her from her sleep. Sleepily she smiled and raised her head off the couch. As the door creaked open she was sat up and looked out for him.2

“George? Is that you honey?” Her voice was soft and gentle. She expectantly watched for him to come. 3

“Yeah baby, it’s me. How have you been?” He shut the door behind him and walked over to the couch. He sat down beside her and glared at the tv. The alcohol on his breath worried her and the smile on her face faded. Worrying she slid closer to him and put her head on his shoulder. He seemed angry, whenever he drank he got angry. There was the one time he’d hit her, but that was just the one time. She had made him mad, and he reacted, he was hurt and upset. She knew excuses were of no use but he’d never hurt her again. He still scared her when he got angry, especially when he got drunk.4

He turned his head and looked at her. He kissed her forehead and gently placed his hand under her chin. As he tilted her head up he leaned forward to kiss her. The alcohol on his breath almost made her nauseous. She kissed him anyway, not wanting to make him upset. His other hand moved swiftly from his own lap to her waist as he pulled her closer. Forcing her to lean backward onto the couch he pressed forward. She knew what he wanted. Any other night she would be more than willing, but he was drunk and she didn’t want what he had in mind.5

She forced back sitting up and pushing him away from her. The kiss was ended and he looked at her baffled. 6

“Honey maybe we shouldn’t do this tonight? I’m really tired and you’re just so...” She trailed off as his face became less calm. His soft compassionate face became angrier again.7

“I’m so what?” His words cut her. She knew how much he hated being told he was drunk. She didn’t know what to say. His eyes were so hurt that she felt like crying. Scared she scanned his face, searching for something to say. The longer she thought, the more she noticed his jaw tense the way it always did when he was upset. 8

“I’m so what? So drunk? So out of it? So what ‘honey’? Why are you suddenly not in the mood tonight?” Angry flooded him and raced through him with his blood. His arm tightened on her waist. If the bitch suddenly got resistant, fine, he’d take it anyway. One second she’s hot the next she’s not in the mood. Fuck that. She’d be in the mood. He grabbed her waist even harder and pulled her toward him as he kissed her hard. She pushed him away as she screamed.9

“No! George stop it. I don’t want to.”
“C’mon Liz.” He spoke harshly and a wicked smile spread across his lips. He pushed her back and tore open the shirt, his shirt, she had been wearing. Most of the button came undone but a few flew off and scattered on the hardwood floor with a soft clanking sound. 10

She looked at him shocked. He’d never been like this before. Her eyes wide she froze beneath his weight. For a moment she couldn’t breathe as he looked down her. AS he leaned in to kiss her again she shoved back with all her strength rolling him on the floor. He looked up at her as she scampered off the couch and over the back to get to the floor on the other side. For a second she stood with the shirt open, just breathing. He saw her perky breasts and tight stomach and her toned legs, turning him on more than ever. She noticed him looking and hurried to shut the torn shirt.
He stood up and looked her in the eyes. She looked scared, but he could see her calming down. He looked at her calmly trying to plan his next move. She wouldn’t get away with turning him down. 11

He was finally calming down. She relaxed a bit, figuring he had gotten the point. She looked at him for a minute before turning and walking down the hallway toward the bedroom. He saw her leaving and leapt over the couch landing hard. She turned to look at him confused and angry and kept walking. He followed her grabbing her arm and turning her toward him. She looked at his hand pressing so tightly, she could already feel the bruise forming. As she felt her body flying towards his she raised her other arm and threw it against him. It landed painlessly on his chest, but made him angry enough to shove her letting go of her arm. 12

As she flew forward to wall she turned her body enough to not hit her face. Her shoulder hit the smooth white surface and the stinging pain rushed up and down her arm. Her head slammed sharply against the wall making her slightly dizzy. She backed up until her back was against the bedroom door. He stood just feet away glaring at her. Her hand was already wrapped on the door handle behind her. She didn’t lower her eyes from his. She turned it slowly so as not to make a noise. The door flew open and she rushed inside and behind the door pushing it shut. 13

He took a few rushed steps forward and pressed his weight on the door to keep it open. His hand was on the handle as he raced himself to push the door open. Suddenly a sharp pain shot from his forearm. Surprised he looked down to see her fake nails stuck in his arm. Her hand was no where to be seen as the door slammed and locked beside him. He pulled the nails out of his skin and saw the blood rush down his arm. The bitch would pay. How dare she hurt him.14

“Liz you bitch! Open the damn door!” His scream echoed into the room. The locked door would keep her safe for now. She looked down at her hand. Her fingers were covered in blood where the nail had pulled skin off and broken her real nails. The pain was almost not enough to matter. She was about to panic. He had never been this way before. He had never intentionally pursued her to hurt her. She backed away from the door and stood in the middle fo the room for a moment trying to regain some composure. She walked across the room and sat on the floor by the bed. Reaching up to the night stand she grabbed the phone and looked at it as she listened to the tone.15

He looked at the door and let the rage slip over him. The bitch had hurt him, he had to teach her a lesson. He spun on his heels and walked toward the kitchen. In the cabinet he found a screwdriver. He grabbed it and walked back to the bedroom door. He began working the lock open. Jangling the doorknob to test if it was open. 16

She heard the jangling and began dialing. The operators voice calmed her a bit, but the panic was already rising in her throat in the form or a knot. 17

“Please help, it’s my husband, he’s trying to hurt me! He tried to rape me and now he hit me. Please send someone!” She sobbed into the phone knowing that it was almost impossible to understand her.
“Ma’am, calm down. Someone will be right over if you just give me your address.”
“7214 West Palmer Street. Please hurry. Please” 18

He could hear her voice on the other side. Whore was on the phone. His mind was swimming with rage. He finally go the door and it popped open. He stood in the door frame and glared at her for only a moment. He walked around the bed and grabbed her.19

The phone fell from her hand as she landed on the bed shaking it. She didn’t let the impact startle and kept rolling landing on the floor beside the bed. What was wrong with him? By now her mind was racing, her thoughts getting lost as quickly as they came. She needed a way to stop him. She needed a way to scare him. She scrambled for the night stand and grabbed for the drawer. The black metal reflected the light from the lamp. She grabbed the fully loaded .22 Magnum and wrapped both hands around it. She turned slowly pointing the gun at him. This would scare him. He wouldn’t hurt her anymore. He’d just back off. 20

She was doing something. The stupid bitch had a plan. 21

“Liz, baby what are you doing?” She could hear him sneering. He walked toward her cautiously. He stopped short only when she turned and the barrel was staring at him. He stared at her with wide eyes. Her own were brimmed with tears now.22

“Don’t come any closer! I swear to God, don’t come any closer!” Her scared eyes revealed her soul. She would never shoot him. Her hands were shaking, and her body was unsteady, but she stood with the gun pointed. He stepped toward her and reached out his hand.23

“Don’t!” The scream echoed as his hand touched the barrel. 24

“Ma’am? Is everything alright? Help is on the way. Ma’am?” The phone was still out of the cradle and the operator was trying to reach her. 25

His hand on the barrel he was reaching for her arm with his other hand. She’d never shoot him. She loved him too much. He grabbed her wrist and was about to pull forward when her hand tensed. He felt the tension in her arm and the stinging pain at the same time.26

A warmth spread over her hands and arms. Her eyes had been shut for the shot and now as she opened them and looked down she saw a deep red liquid spattered over her arms. She screamed louder than ever before. His face, pained and contorted stared at her as he curled up and crumpled to the floor. She screamed again and ran to the phone. Grabbing the receiver she listened for the operator.27

“Ma’am?” That was all she needed.
“Hurry he’s shot! Please hurry! Oh my god.” She started crying and babbling into the phone incoherently. How could she actually shoot? How could she hurt the man she loved? It was all her fault. Her mind spun as she got up slowly dropping the phone where the operator was still trying to calm her down. She walked out of the bedroom not even glancing at her husband on the floor. Her hands touched the wall as she walked down the hall smearing blood all over the white paint. She reached the couch in a daze and crumpled down putting her face in her hands. She felt the warm blood and jolted upright from the sensation. The doorbell rang and she ran for the door. She opened it and stared at the young athletic woman before her. The officer’s uniform comforted her. The tears flowed down her cheeks and she fell to her knees in front of this stranger. The young woman grabbed her by the shoulders and looked her over.28

“In the bedroom. Please?” Liz pleaded with the officer. Two young men rushed in after the young officer. One also in a uniform the other dressed differently. Probably the paramedic. The young woman gestured for them to move on as she helped Liz up. The men rushed past them as Liz sat on the couch again. Her mind was spinning and she was crying. More people rushed in and out all around her. Finally two men carried her husband out on a cart with tubes. She rushed at him to hug him crying and fell short as the young woman grabbed her waist. Liz sat crying. The man she loved was being taken away to the hospital. She was bloody and dirty. How could she have fired? He didn’t deserve this. What if he died? The tears just kept pouring as she mumbled the whole story to the officer. 29

She sat on the couch 30 minutes later after Tina, the young female officer had cleaned her up. She sat sobbing and watching everyone rush around her with business to attend to. Tina was gone to take care of some things, since Liz had managed to calm down a little. Liz got up and calmly walked to the kitchen. Surprisingly there was nobody there. She reached for the cabinet and opened the door. She pulled several pill bottles down and poured a handful of pills onto the counter. She poured herself a glass of water and swallowed all of them. Tina walked in just as the glass fell from Liz’s hand. She rushed toward Liz and grabbed her as her body began to collapse.30

The pain shot through George as he shuffled in the hospital bed. He turned his head as his eyes opened only to see his wife in the bed next to his. Tears formed in his eyes. Her eyes fluttered and she looked at him. Their eyes met and she held his gaze. She started crying too. His eyes held a promise to her to never let that happen again. Hers swore to never let him try.31