Let It Be Me Read online

  When his hand comes crashing into my chest, knocking the breath out of me, I bend over, clutching my chest as I try to catch my breath. Tears instantly come to my eyes and threaten to fall. When his hand connects with the back of my head, I cry out, covering my head with one hand as I try to get away from him, but I can’t, the car is too compact. Grabbing a fistful of my hair, he lifts up my head and when I look out, I see that we’re on the side of the road. Tears rush down my face as he squeezes my hair, bringing my face right in front of his.

  “Why do you want to better yourself? For what? That doctor? Do you want his cock, Violet?”

  I try to shake my head but I can’t move. “No, I don’t want him. I just want to make money and be successful.”

  “Why? I don’t need you to be successful to fuck you.”

  “Please, Rob, let me go,” I cry trying to get away but his grip tightens.

  “Let me tell you something, you bitch. You are mine and you are going to start doing things the way I want them or you’re gonna get it,” he sneers. His breath reeks of beer and I want to gag from the smell. I need to get away. I don’t know why I did it, but I push into his chest, trying to get away and the next thing I know, my forehead slams into the dashboard causing pain to shoot to the back of my skull. I cry out but he ignores me, bringing my face close to his again.

  “Do you hear me? I own you.”

  Blood is coming from my nose and running into my mouth. The salt taste makes my tears come faster down my cheeks and I want to hit him. I want to get away but I’m not strong enough. Looking into his eyes, seeing the pure hate and anger in them, I’m scared but I can’t do this. He can’t own me. I deserve better.

  “I’m not quitting.”

  His head cocks to the side, his eyes narrowing as he looks at me. “Is that right?”

  “Yes,” I say pulling back and to my surprise he lets me move back some but he is still holding my hair tight. “I take a lot from you and if you want me to stay then you need to treat me right.”

  He scoffs. “Or what?”

  I swallow loudly, my heart beating so hard I swear it’s about to explode from my sternum. “Or I’m leaving.”

  His laughter fills the cab as he lets my hair go. I reach up, rubbing the spot where he was holding me as I trying to scoot away. When he looks up at me, I feel rooted in place. I want to scream but I hold it in as his eyes narrow. I don’t even see it coming until everything goes black. My head is ringing, my face aches and I can feel my eye swelling shut. Covering my face, I cower away from him as sobs rip from me. When he takes my chin in his hand, I try to fight him off but he hits me in chest again, knocking the air out of me. I can’t focus or even breathe but it doesn’t matter. He has me by my chin, his face only inches from mine.

  “Look at me,” he says as he squeezes my chin.

  I try but it’s so hard and it hurts to move my face. I can only see him from one eye, my other already swollen shut.

  “Does it hurt? Good. Because this is nothing compared to what I’ll do to you if you leave me. Do you understand me? I’ll let you work but it’s only because I feel like you’ll get fired anyway. They won’t want you for long. You are shit. Pure shit and that fucking asshole doctor will see it soon enough.”

  I can feel my tears landing on my chest along with my blood. I want to scream for help but who would hear me? Who would help me even if I did? I try to pull back but his grip tightens before he says, “And if I find out anything is going on between you two, I’ll kill him and then you, so don’t fuck with me. Do you understand me?”

  I nod.

  “That’s right, now sit back and shut up.”

  I do as he says, and cover my face, crying as my body shakes with fear.

  See? This is why I can’t leave. This is why I can’t fight back. I try to and what does it get me? A black eye. How the hell am I supposed to go to work tomorrow? How am I supposed to face people that saw that my husband is an asshole? I’m so fucked it isn’t even funny and there is nothing I can do about it.

  “Make sure when we get home you put ice on that. I hate when you make me hurt you like this. Just act right. I hate when your face is fucked up. Fuck.”

  My lip quivers as I try to catch my breath. I didn’t do anything but try to defend myself and it got me nothing.

  Why do I try?

  Why am I even living?

  What for?

  Why?

  I just feel defeated.

  So fucking defeated.

  “Hey, Tucker, sorry to call so early, I just need to let you know I need to miss for the next couple days. I think I got the flu or something,” I say before I go into a fake coughing fit. “I’m so sorry, I’ll try to do some things here but everything else will have to wait.”

  Tucker pauses and I know he knows I’m lying. Closing my eyes, a tear leaks out, rolling down my cheek to my lips. I wipe it away and cringe when my hand grazes my eye.

  “You seemed okay last night?”

  “I know, it’s crazy. It hit me so bad this morning. I can’t hold anything down, I’m so sorry.”

  He pauses again. My heart is going crazy in my chest and I hate this. I want to tell him the truth but I can’t. I won’t.

  “Are you sure you’re okay, Violet?”

  “Yes,” I say before fake coughing. “Just sick.”

  I can tell he wants to say more. I know he does. “Take as much time as you need.”

  “I’ll be fine in a couple days, I promise.”

  “I hope so. I’m here if you need anything.”

  “Thank you. Bye.”

  Slamming the phone down, I crumble to the floor as the sobs bubble out of me. Holding my midsection I look up into the full-length mirror in my bedroom and hate what I see. My left eye is black and blue, a little cut below my eye. My lip is busted and there is a bruise on my forehead. My eye doesn’t look as bad as some have looked but it will need time before it is light enough to cover with makeup which is the reason I called out.

  I wipe my face and I am disgusted with the person who is staring back at me. Why didn’t she see through Rob’s bullshit so long ago? Why did she think this was how someone should be loved? Why did she allow it to go so far and how the fuck does she get out?

  Shaking my head, I lay down on the floor, the coolness of the hardwood soothing the pain.

  “What did your work say?”

  I looked up at Rob and shrug my shoulders. “They’re fine with it.”

  “Whatever. How’s your face?”

  “It hurts,” I say.

  “I bet. Oh well, you’ll be alright.”

  No, I won’t be. Not until I get the fuck away from him.

  The snow is falling so quickly that I can’t even see outside my office window. I hope that it lets up a bit. My SUV’s tires aren’t the best and I’d hate to be stuck here for the night. I shouldn’t have come in but I had to get payroll done. It has been four days since the incident with Rob and my eye is not fully healed. It is still a little dark, but I was able to cover it with makeup just in case someone was here. Luckily though, no one was.

  Sighing, I glance down at the payroll and get back to work. Tucker told me not to worry about it, that he would do it, but it’s my job and I’ve already missed enough work. Putting in the numbers for taxes and hours and general stuff like that, I try to work quickly. I don’t want to get stuck here but every time I look up the snow seems to be falling harder. I feel as if I made a mistake. Maybe I should have just waited until tomorrow to come in but then someone might have seen me and the last thing I need is someone looking too closely.

  When my phone starts to ring, I let out a frustrated breath when I see the name, Rob. I know why he is calling and it is to bitch.

  “Hello?”

  “Are you done?”

  “Not yet, maybe another hour.”

  “Do you think you can make it home?”

  “I’m not sure yet, why?”

  “I don’t want you driving in th