Page 18 of Jacked and Jaded

“I left Friday morning to go home to Redemption to be with my mom for her birthday. I went to dinner with her and her boyfriend, then spent the night. The next morning we had a spa day planned. I’d decided I was going to leave Clint and I asked Mom if she cared if I moved back home. Of course, she had no problem with that.” She paused and cleared her throat. “Clint knew I was going for a visit and told me I better be home in time to get ready for a retirement party he was going to for one of his coworkers. In the back of my mind, I really didn’t want to go. I hated going to those parties. They drank too much, they did too many drugs. It all made me feel uncomfortable.” She shook her head as if trying to clear away a bad dream. The more he heard, the harder it was for him to sit still and support Calliope. He wanted to get up and punch something so bad, he found himself grinding his teeth together. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down so he could hear the rest of the story. He wanted a clear picture as to what he’d be doing to Clint.

“Anyway, the more time I spent with Mom in Redemption, the less I wanted to go back to Clint’s. That’s probably why I purposely didn’t head back until I knew he’d already be gone.” She closed her eyes and rubbed at her forehead. “I don’t know why I didn’t just say to hell with it and leave everything there and buy all new. Why? Why didn’t I do that?” she asked herself, her head tipped back and staring at the ceiling. A few tears slipped free and raced down her cheek.

“Calliope, it’s not your fault what that fucker did to you. Quit second-guessing yourself.” Jackson wiped her tears with a tissue. He was worried this questioning might be too much for her. He should probably stop it, but he wanted to hear the rest. He needed to hear it.

Raising her head from the pillow and focusing her attention on the police officers again, she tried to explain. “I knew he would be angry with me because I’d stood him up, especially after what happened Friday morning before I left. I honestly thought I could get in, get what little I had there packed and get out the door before he got home. Only when I came back downstairs, he was waiting. I guess he came home while I’d been busy upstairs because I didn’t hear him come in.”

“What happened Friday morning?” Officer Daniels asked.

Calliope looked at Jackson, guilt written all over her face. Her face was bruised, but he could see her neck turning red from embarrassment. “What happened, Calliope?”

She took a deep breath. “I came into the kitchen for a cup of coffee after my shower. He was already sitting at the table with his breakfast and a newspaper, already dressed for work. While I had my back turned to him he asked me who Jackson was.” She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, chewing on the undamaged part of her lip.

“What the fuck?”

“I must’ve said your name while I was dreaming and he asked me about it. I told him you were a childhood friend, but he didn’t care. He’s always been a jealous asshole despite the fact that I know he hasn’t been faithful. As I was walking by, he grabbed me by the arm.” She stopped and raised a shaking hand to wipe a tear. “How detailed do I have to get?”

“The more details we have, the better,” Officer McMillen replied sympathetically. “Would it be easier if the men stepped out for a moment?”

Calliope wouldn’t look at him. She kept her head ducked and her eyes averted. “Calliope, I’ll step outside if it’ll make you more comfortable.”

She nodded her head. “Thank you.”

“I’ll go, but I’m going to let the nurses know you need more pain medicine. Don’t even try to pretend that you’re not hurting right now. I can see it in your eyes.” He waited until she nodded her head, admitting she needed another dose.

Standing, he leaned over and kissed the top of her head. “I’ll be outside if you need me.” Jackson followed Officer Daniels into the hall, but didn’t let the door close all the way. He wanted to hear what happened. Before Officer Daniels could start asking him questions, he stopped him. “Look, I’ll answer any questions you have for me, but not until I hear what she has to say.” When it looked like the man might object, Jackson said, “I need to hear what she says. Surely, you get where I’m coming from, right? I can’t help her if I don’t know what I’m up against.”

It probably wasn’t protocol for them to be eavesdropping on someone’s official statement, but he must’ve gotten lucky. This man seemed to have a heart. From the hall, they listened in.

One of the nurses was coming out of another room and Jackson caught her. He told her Calliope’s pain medicine was wearing off. She said she’d go get her another dose and take care of it.

“Okay, Calliope, pick up where you left off.” Jackson appreciated the careful, soft tone Officer McMillen was using on Calliope.

“He stood from his seat and pulled me in front of him, my back to his front. He bent me over the table, smashing me into his breakfast dishes. He still had most of his breakfast left. He flipped my robe up on my back, and ripped my panties off. I could hear him unfastening his pants.” He could hear her voice thickening with tears and it broke his heart. “He, he shoved himself inside me and I wasn’t prepared for it. He made no effort to make sure I was ready for it. It was his way of punishing me and showing his dominance. He kept saying that I belonged to him and made me repeat it. I would’ve said anything to get him to hurry up and leave.”

“Had he forced himself on you before?”

“One other time and then, last night. So, I guess, three times all together.”

Jackson banged his forehead on the wall a couple of times. “Fuck me. Fuck me. Fuck me.” He stayed with his forehead to the wall, his eyes closed as he listened.

“Okay, let’s get back to last night when you came downstairs and found him there. What happened then?”

“He was furious. Said that I embarrassed him by not being there to go with him. He saw the suitcase and I told him I was going to stay with my mom for a while. He told me I wasn’t leaving until he said I could leave and backhanded me. Then he picked up the suitcase and threw it across the room, knocking a lamp off the end table and breaking it. Before I knew what was going to happen next, he backhanded me again, knocking me into a wall. By that point I was getting tired of being a punching bag and smarted off. I told him he should’ve just brought one of his whores. That time he punched me in the face. I would’ve fallen to the floor but he caught me around the throat and held me to the wall. He kept squeezing tighter and tighter until I became desperate to get away. I scratched my nails down his face and he let me go. That’s when he broke my wrist.”

The nurse came to the door and entered the room. There was a pause in conversation as the nurse gave Calliope her pain medicine. Jackson turned to lean against the wall, his head resting on it as well. He kept his eyes closed, picturing what she went through.

“Thank you,” he heard Calliope tell the nurse.

“Do you need a drink?” the nurse asked.

“Yes, please.”

There was silence coming from the room until the nurse came out. Calliope picked up where she’d left off.

“I was bent over trying to breathe through the pain so I wouldn’t throw up, when he punched me in the stomach. I fell to the floor and he kicked me in the side. Twice, I think. Then he kneeled next to me and told me again, I could leave when he said so and that, after last night, he might just whore me out to his friends. That’s when he turned me over and started to rape me. I wasn’t awake for most of it, because I passed out from the pain. When I came to, I didn’t see him around. I guess he went upstairs and passed out. I really don’t know. I finally got myself up and out the door. I was going to take my car, but I couldn’t find my keys. I think he took them. It didn’t matter. One way or another I was leaving. I took off walking in the rain, then called for an Uber ride. That’s all I remember. They say I must’ve collapsed after that because the next thing I remember is waking up here.”

Jackson could hear Calliope’s voice fading. Her pain medication must’ve kicked in. Damn, that stuff worked quickly. Thank God. He didn’t know how much more of that he could’ve listened to. He ran his hand through his hair, a feeling of disbelief that she survived all that. She was amazing. She was a fighter.

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