Page 4 of Black Wave

Isit there and tell Evie everything. I see her flinch when I tell her how I suffer at the hands of Julian and how I’m scared for my life. I’m afraid I can never be truly free of his firm hold on me. She listens without interruption. I purge myself until I deflate in a slump, feeling the weight on my shoulders lift. Finally, someone else knows what I have been going through, but is it enough? Can Evie help me escape Julian?

Evie speaks after what feels like an eternity, and I wait with bated breath to hear anything, any advice that she can give.

“I think we need to tell Mom and Dad, Emma.” She sits up straighter and shifts closer to me. “I think this is a much bigger problem than we can handle alone.” She pulls me in for a hug, and I hug her back, taking comfort in her love for me. She kisses the top of my head in a motherly gesture, and I almost lose myself in the tears that threaten to spill out of my misty eyes.

“I know. You are right. I hoped not to have to tell them and thought I could handle this alone, but I didn’t see a way of making him forget about me. I think he is obsessed with me for some reason. It’s not love, I know that, but I fear he won’t let his favorite possession go, Evie.”

I notice Evie’s eyes widen, then narrow in anger. “Don’t worry, Emma. We will find a way to fix this, but first, we must devise a plan to tell Mom and Dad. They need to know what we are dealing with. This way, you won’t be blindsided by anything he may do to prevent you from leaving him.”

I feel my sister’s love for me, and I am so thankful that she is with me in this. “Okay, Evie. Let’s do it. Let’s tell Mom and Dad and remove this monster from my life. It might take some time, but I will be strong and leave him.”

Evie stands and holds out her hand for me to take. I gladly do, as she helps me stand up in more ways than one. I hope I don’t regret what I am about to do.

We take the long way home and chat about plans for our future. Seeing that most of my life revolves around Julian, I wasn’t motivated to plan for this before. I feel a nudge on my shoulder. I see Evie looking at me expectantly, awaiting my response. She had asked me a question. “Sorry, repeat that, Evie?”

“I said, what do you want to go to school for, Emma? As a career?”

I smile at her and reply without hesitation. “A nurse. I want to be a nurse like Mom and help people. I will always have a job and could travel anytime I want to take a leave.” I smile at her, seeing the same face looking back at me. It’s uncanny how similar we look at times like this. Even for me. “What about you, Evie?”

“I want to help people too, but I’m unsure how. Maybe with therapy or just killing the bastards that hurt the ones I love.”

I start laughing and hit her arm. “Stop that. You are ridiculous.” I look over at her, but she isn’t laughing. She looks like she is telling the truth and aspires to be some sort of vigilante. “Um, Evie, you are joking, right?”

She stares straight ahead and replies, “Mostly, but I would do it if I could. Take out the fuckers that cause pain and prey off weaker people. Who feed off of their insecurities and vulnerabilities. Scum of the earth that don’t deserve to breathe the same air that we do.”

“Woah, okay, Evie, this is getting dark. I would hate for anything to happen to you, and I don’t think I could survive this world if you weren’t in it. So enough talk about this stuff, okay?”

“Of course, Em. I am mostly joking, as if that would never happen. Maybe a therapist is more up my alley, huh?”

I nod in agreement. “Yep, I knew you weren’t serious. You are about as harmless as a fly but with the potential to kick ass from all your self-defense classes. You are seriously one badass bitch.” I look over at her and see her laughing. She snorts and pulls me closer, linking our arms as we walk the last block toward home.

Ultimately, we decided to wait another week to tell our parents about Julian. We want to plan how we will do it and the most appropriate time to do so. It will have to be when Julian isn’t around, my parents are home, and we won’t be interrupted.

I remember Julian mentioning that he will be out of town next weekend, and I decide to ask Mom and Dad if Evie and I can make a family dinner that night. This is when we will come clean, and with the help of my sister, I will tell our parents what has been happening to me and what Julian threatened me with to tie me to him.

Time flies by in a blur of last week’s events. The final bell of the day rings and students rush out, anxious to leave the building. I take my time because I don’t feel this way about leaving. I’d rather stay where I am if it means not seeing him. Julian will bewaiting outside for me while he returns phone calls. He usually picks me up, and I know that since he is going out of town and won’t see me for a while, he will want to have sex with me. The thought makes me recoil, but it’s almost over, and then I will be free of him. Evie and I are planning to tell our parents tonight, and honestly, this has been the longest week of my life.

I have my yearbook in hand and tuck it into my bag along with some books for this week’s upcoming finals. I zip up my bag and reluctantly leave through the school’s front doors. I spot Julian’s black SUV parked off to the side and make sure not to spark a conversation with anyone before I leave. I don’t want him asking any questions about anyone I talk to. Most guys know I am with Julian and steer clear of me, showing that he is one scary motherfucker, and I am justified for having the thoughts I do.

As I approach the SUV, the driver steps out and opens the door for me, nodding in greeting. “Time to put on my game face,” I mutter as I step in, and the door quickly closes behind me. I grab my seat belt, but my hand meets his. I let go of the seat belt as he tugs me closer and straps me into the middle seat closest to him. He puts his arm around my shoulders, smothering me with the bulk of his frame, and grabs my face and pulls me in for a kiss. I kiss him with as much enthusiasm as I can muster so I don’t raise any suspicions.

He lets me go and stares into my eyes. “How was school, Emma?” he asks with such concern that I could almost think he might be interested in my day, but I know that he’s really just trying to see if he can catch me in a lie or to reveal anything about my day that he doesn’t already know about. I doubt there is much he doesn’t know about my life. His dad runs this town, and his affluent family has so much reach and political affiliations that Julian is following in his father’s footsteps.

“Good,” I say in return. “I just have a few more finals to take, and then that’s it. I can’t believe I am graduating already,” I say earnestly.

He nods and grunts, “Good, I am happy about that too. It seems like we are on the same page then.”

I straighten in my seat. “Um, what page is that, Julian? I just want to be clear.”

He studies me momentarily to see if I will say anything else. When he can see that I’m not offering any other information, he speaks again.

“Moving in with me. It seems like the logical step in our relationship.”

I sit there dumbfounded because what do I say to that? No? How about a hell no? Instead, I stare at him, debating what to say next. I decide to just go for it. “What about college? I might want to go.” I shift uncomfortably in my seat but try to remain confident.

He chuckles under his breath. “Maybe we could compromise, my little pet.”

I look up at him and see in his eyes that he has no intention of compromising. It has always been his way only in this relationship. I mean dictatorship. “Okay, Julian.”

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