Page 21 of Pit Stop

Sixteen

Odette

It’s been three days since I last saw Onyx. She’s called and checked in with Odin and me, but I haven’t physically seen her and it’s driving me crazy. I don’t know when or how we got so off track with one another, but we are. It’s Friday night so if I had to guess, I’d say Onyx is at the local street races with her friends. Odin is out with his friends as well. I’m sitting on the couch in the living room, surrounded by books for nursing classes. Grabbing my cell phone, I check the time and see it’s past nine, my eyelids are heavy with exhaustion but I fight it off. I only have until Monday to memorize all of this information, and it’s a lot.

Sometime later I wake up to my phone ringing, muffled and buried under all of the books. Sitting up I begin to frantically search for my phone. By the time I locate it, the person calling has given up. It’s half past midnight. Unlocking my phone, I see Lyle’s name on my missed call list. Inwardly I cringe. He gets so angry if he ever feels ignored. Not answering his phone call definitely falls under the ignored category. Quickly, I dial him back and it goes directly to voicemail. Sighing, I try two more times to call him back with no answer. Giving up on Lyle I dial Odin. “Hey, I’m on my way home now.”

I try to give him a lighthearted laugh. “I was actually calling to see if you’d want to stay the night with one of your friends. I know we live out of the way from them, so I don’t mind if it’s easier and you want to.” In reality I need him to stay with one of his friends. Coming home isn’t the best option. There is a reason why Lyle and I broke up in the first place. There will be hell to pay tonight.

“Are you sure, Odette? They don’t mind bringing me home,” Odin offers.

“Yeah, I’m sure. If it’s easier, go ahead. I don’t mind. I’ll come pick you up in the morning and we’ll grab breakfast. Maybe, I can get a hold of Onyx and she can join us.” I’m surprised my voice stays as steady as it does.

He pauses for a moment, too long in my opinion, and I’m sure that he’s figured out I’m not telling him the whole truth but finally he says, “Okay, yeah that sounds great. I’ll text Onyx and tell her now.”

“That sounds great. You guys stay out of trouble now.” I do my best to give him a bright laugh.

“Of course,” he replies, before we say goodbye and hang up the phone.

After we hang up, I stand up and begin to pace. My nerves are completely fried now. I attempt to call Lyle again a few more times but each time I’m met with his voicemail. About an hour later headlights wash over the living room window. I nearly jump out of my skin at the sight of it. Taking a deep breath, I do my best to prepare for it. Lyle stumbles in, bloodshot eyes and reeking of alcohol. Hickeys litter the pale skin of his neck. When he turns to me his eyes form into tiny slits, anger seethes from him, nearly taking a physical form. You can feel it growing within the space between us. I stand up, my legs wobbly, knees knocking, worrying my bottom lip between my teeth. “I tried to call you a few times.”

Lyle gives me a smirk, a conniving, sadistic smirk. My skin crawls with knowledge of what that exact smirk will lead to. Every part of my body trembles. I’ve been so good at walking this thin line with him. I should have known it couldn’t last forever. His slender but strong fingers come up to scratch at the stubble coating his jaw. Lyle doesn’t look like much more than the spoiled rich kid he is. Born with that silver spoon in his mouth and a trust fund the size of the state of California, he was everything you should stay away from. His anger was the worst though. Lyle had recently decided to add to his fortune by directing adult movies, aka porn. He doesn’t like for me to call it that but that is exactly what it is. Because of his chosen work industry, and the fact that I know he’s enjoying extracurricular activities and we share a bed together, when he does come home, I get tested every two weeks. “How does it feel to be ignored, Odette?”

Trying to muster up a small smile I wave off his comment. “It’s okay. I know you were busy with work and whatnot.” I keep my voice as soft as possible to try and placate him.

He tips his head to one side, studying me, sizing me up. I’ve never felt more like prey to a hungered animal. My mouth runs dry, drier than a desert in a drought. The heart inside my body beats rapidly, reminding me of a hummingbird's wings. Onyx always loved hummingbirds. I remember when we used to play in the park together as kids, there was this one plant that had the most beautiful color of pink blooms on it. They smelled as sweet as honey and they always attracted the hummingbirds. The swing set was near it, and she would always face the opposite direction just so she could see them. When I come back to reality Lyle is directly in front of me. He bends down and picks up one of my nursing books. Shakes his head in disgust and throws it as hard as he can on top of the glass top coffee table. The sound of shattering glass echoes through the silent house. A screech escapes me. “I don’t know why you do it, Odette. Why do you insist on doing the things that just piss me off?” His voice is eerily calm, the calm before the storm.

“I... I... wasn’t trying... to,” I stutter.

Lyle’s hand darts out, forcefully grabbing my face between his forefinger and thumb. My lungs forget how to work and I close my eyes. “Yes! You! Did!” His angry voice bellows through the house. “You always do, and I’m done. I should be your top priority, but I come last. It’s Odin first and school second and then there I am! I’m giving you a place to live. I’m helping pay for your pathetic college. I’m taking care of you! All because you have nothing, because you are nothing.” Tears burn, pricking at the back of my eyes. A sob claws its way up my throat, so painful. His words cut at me worse than anything else he could do to me because they are my insecurities. I don’t even flinch when the first fist comes my way. I literally roll with the punches. At some point I collapse onto the ground, the shattered glass from the coffee table bites into the skin on the back of my thighs and upper arms. Raising my arms, I attempt to block some of Lyle’s anger but it’s useless. I can’t take much more, and for a moment I wonder if this is the night he actually kills me. It’s always been in the back of my mind. I just always hoped it wouldn’t become my fate. Onyx and Odin flash through my mind and somewhere in the pits of my soul I find a sliver of strength he hasn’t broken yet. Grabbing a chunk of glass, I drive it forward into his side. The glass bites into the skin on the palm of my hand. Blood gushes and my skin burns and aches. Lyle howls and I use my legs to kick him back a little.

I scramble to my hands and knees. Glass biting into that skin as well. My bloody palm leaving bright red smears everywhere I touch. I go to move forward but I’m pulled back by an ankle. Lyle’s hand is wrapped tightly around mine. If I thought he was angry before, it's worse now. The grip on my ankle is bone crushing and I scream out in pain as he drags me back towards him. The glass slicing more of my skin. All I can see is the white carpet stained in red, blood red, my blood. “You little bitch! You’re dead!” Lyle hollers out.

I keep kicking at Lyle, praying to get away, but nothing is working. Then suddenly, as quickly as it all started, it stops. He releases my ankle; it falls to the floor with a quiet thud. The room falls silent except for mine and Lyle’s labored breathing. My body is cut and mangled, burning and bleeding, but when I turn around the fear washes away. Onyx and two young boys are behind Lyle. One boy with tanned skin and black hair and brown eyes holds a knife to Lyle’s throat. Another boy stands next to Onyx, bat in hand. He has pale skin and medium brown hair that is going in every direction and the look on his face tells me there’s a chance he might throw up. Onyx though, she’s seething as she takes in the scene.

Onyx rushes forward towards me and wraps her arms around me. “Bazz, grab all these books and get them into the car. Give me your bat.” The boy who looks like he might throw up rushes forward and passes the bat to Onyx before he gathers my books—some stained with blood. He heads outside as my body starts to shake. Onyx holds me tighter and whispers in my ear, “Don’t cry, not yet. Don’t let him see you cry.” I manage to nod my head. Bazz returns. “Help her to the car,” she tells him as he extends his hand to me. I lean against him, feeling weak and tired but thankfully Bazz is sturdier than I would have guessed. A quick glance over my shoulder shows the other boy still holding a knife to Lyle’s throat as Onyx rushes upstairs. Dizziness swims into my head and I sway on my feet.

Bazz tightens his hold. “Whoa there,” he tells me before he bends down and swoops me into his arms, carrying me out to a bright yellow Dodge Charger. It reminds me of the car from Transformers. “I got you,” he says soothingly as he cradles me to his chest.

He slides me into the back seat. “Are they okay?” I ask quietly.

He gives me a lopsided smile with a dimple. If I was a few years younger, I’d say he’s adorable. “I’m sure they are, but I’ll go check.” Sometime between him disappearing into the house and returning my eyes fall shut and the black nothingness finds me once again.

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