Page 19 of Behind the Cascades
My sweet neighbor helped me pack everything we could into my car. She didn’t ask too many questions, just started putting things into bags and giving me reassuring looks. Despite the awful circumstances, her nurturing soul reminds me so much of my mom and Connie that I immediately felt comfortable around her. In the midst of it all, I didn’t even ask her name, but I’ll never forget all she has done for me today.
Once we had all the things I cared about in my car, I told her to keep or sell anything she wanted. If not, the property management could deal with it.
I'm never coming back to this apartment again.
I showed up at Connie’s, in the middle of the night, with my car full of stuff and an exhausted heart. I hadn't called to tell her about the attack this time; problem-solving mode had kicked in and I worked on auto-pilot loading up my car.
She met me at the front door with a worried look on herface. The alarm and camera must have alerted her when I pulled in. Hayes and Drew installed a state of the art system for her, even adding upgrades. She would’ve known I was here before the gate started opening.
"Charlotte Amelia Reynolds! What are you doing here so late?"
The sobs broke out of me at the sight of her and the concern in her voice. I'd been numb since the attack. Now that I’m safe and the adrenaline has worn off, though, I let it all out.
I fell into Connie, allowing her to hold me up.
She half carries me into the house as I stumble over my own feet. When she closes the door, I freeze and, through tears and hiccups, say, "Lock. Set. Alarm."
Frantically turning around, she throws the deadbolt into place and jams at the buttons on her alarm system. She looks as freaked out as I feel.
"Come on, sweet girl." I follow her to the couch and sit as close to her as I can. She puts her arms around my shoulders, allowing me to sink into her embrace.
"H-he. W-Was in.A-apartment." My chest heaves as I try to get the story out, but I can barely talk.
"Who was? Carter?”
“I, shower. Came in. Grabbed. Fought off. Neighbor police."
"Slow down, Charlie. Breathe for me, baby." I try to follow her lead, but I can't stop shaking. Everything is hitting me at once. Hayes leaving me and then Carter breaking into my apartmentagain.
Connie runs her fingers through my hair as she holds me. It takes a long time before my breathing evens to a steady rhythm, but she never let’s go of me.
My voice sounds raspy as I finally start talking again.
"I got offthe phone with you and went to take a shower. When I was getting out, he was standing in the bathroom. Helungedat me."
"No." Her fingers freeze in my hair, and it feels like she holds her breath.
"Do you remember when dad and Uncle Roger made me spar with the boys?"
She nods, and her lips let out a puff of air. "Your momma hated how hard they were on you."
A humorless chuckle falls out. "When Carter came at me, it was like Uncle Roger was in that bathroom telling me what to do. I just attacked."
Tears drip down her face, but a real smile comes out: "You were just a little girl back then. He wanted you to know how to defend yourself." My dad's approach was always a little softer, but Uncle Roger was the best kind of tough love. Encouraging but he never let me use being a girl as an excuse.
"Well, it worked. I knocked him out and ran out the door, naked."
Her eyebrows rose, and at the same time, her eyes widened. "Naked?"
Laughing with slight disbelief, even at myself, I explain. "When he grabbed me, my towel fell. I was too focused on 'neutralizing the threat' and then I wasn't going to waste time grabbing a towel while he was lying on the floor."
“Oh my. What happened after?"
"My neighbor was walking into her apartment, and when I ran out, she brought me into her place. I called 911, and she gave me something to cover up with. He was still on the floor when they got there. They arrested him."
Connie lets out a heavy sigh of relief and pats my shoulder. "You did so well. Your daddy and uncle would have been proud of you. Your mom, too."
Tears fill my eyes again, threatening to spill over.
