January 6 2014
I pace the length of my bedroom, my eyes flickering between the phone on the bedside table and the door. Just call him, the rational part of my brain urges. He's just across town. You know he's here. You saw him with your own two eyes.
Yeah, I'm sure he'll be thrilled to hear from me, the pessimistic part argues. Hey bro, I know we haven't spoken in almost fourteen years but could you scurry across town and take care of the guy I decided to ruin my life with? He'll laugh his head off and slam the phone. Hell, what am I thinking? He'll slam the phone as soon as he hears my voice.
He'll help you if you just call.
"Camille!"
Now! Call him now! Lock the door and pick up the phone, damn it!
"Camille," my boyfriend of fifteen years screams. "Answer me!"
Matilda! You can't lock yourself in here and leave her alone with him. Rushing from the room I meet the angry man as he reaches the top of the staircase discreetly putting myself between him and our daughter's bedroom. "Tyson, quiet please. You'll wake Mattie."
Spots flash in front of my eyes as his fist connects with my temple and I fight to stay conscious.
"Tell me what to do again, bitch."
"Ty," I try again only to be struck again, this time in the stomach.
"Shut up," he snarls. "Now that I have your attention, what the hell is this?"
A small sheet of paper floats beyond the spots. Where have I seen that paper before?
"Suddenly she doesn't have anything to say," he says to no one in particular. "Suddenly she knows how to keep her mouth shut. Why the sudden silence? Is it because I found your little secret? Did I find your letter too soon? Thought it would be safe in your diary?"
"You read my diary," I ask dumbly. Of course he did, he's a controlling asshole.
A second punch to the stomach is my only answer for a moment.
"You are mine," he whispers fiercely. "Your ass better remember that. Everything that is you is mine. Your body, your thoughts, your clothes, that girl in there," he snarls pointing at the door beside me, "is mine."
"You stay away from my daughter," I gasp around the pain.
"She's mine," he snarls towering over me at his full six and a half feet height. To prove his point he reaches for the doorknob. "I'll do whatever I see fit to."
"No," I snarl throwing my full one hundred ten pounds into my punch to the ribs. Yeah this is going to work well. He only has a foot in height and two hundred pounds on you.
"Bitch." The smack across face sends the spots swirling.
Just keep him away from Mattie. You can handle this.
"Tyson," I mumble trying to move past the large man. Anything to draw him away from my child's room. "I'm sorry."
"Not yet you're not," he snarls grabbing me by the throat and I stare up the sleeve of tattoos. "But you're going to be."
My head bounces off wall as he slams me backwards. "And when you pass out I think it's time your daughter learned…"
NO!
I fight against his grip with every ounce of muscle I possess.
"Stupid bitch, haven't you learned that you can't win a fight against me. You're pathetic to even try," he growls dragging me slowly up to wall until we are eye to eye.
"Hey Dumbass," I croak around his grip. "When you hold me like this it's easier to do this."
My foot connects with his groin and his grip falls away. Run!
No, the other part of my brain argues, you've run enough throughout the years. It's time you fought.
Pulling myself up to my full five and a half feet, I meet his icy blue eyes without fear for the first time in a long time.
"You're going to pay for that."
"Come on then," I snarl.
He staggers to his feet, eyes glued on me searching for the weak girl he's known.
"I'm going enjoy hurting you."
"I'm an expert at dealing with pain. Can you say the same thing," I ask as my palm connects with his ear.
He staggers backwards grasping the side of his head.
The weakest point of a larger opponent is the knees, a vague memory instructs.
Dodging the punch aimed at my ribs, I hook my foot behind his right leg pulling forward. Tyson instinctive reaches out as he falls wrapping an arm around my waist. Using the momentum I drive an elbow into his chest before rolling away. A flash of gold streaks down the hallway towards my bedroom.
"Remember what I always tell you," I croak after my daughter. "Lock the door."
XXX
Opening my eyes, I immediately clamp them shut again against the harsh light above me.
"Come on Cami. You can do this," a voice mutters somewhere in the room. "You're stronger than this Camille," they growl before dropping their voice again. "Please, wake up. Open your eyes, Cami."
Opening my eyes slowly I try to search the room but my head is held in place.
"Who's there," I whisper hoarsely.
"Camille? Oh, thank God." Suddenly my brother's face is floating above me.
"Matt? What are… Where am I?"
"You're in the hospital," he sighs pressing a kiss to my forehead. "Thank God, you're awake."
"How…?"
"My niece called nine-one-one and then me. After some frantic explaining on her part she gave me her address and I hauled ass."
"Mattie!" "Where is she?"
"She's safe…and she's beautiful, Cami."
"Where…Is…She?"
"Protective Services took her to examine for signs of abuse because…because of the state you were in when police and paramedics arrived. You were in a heap at the bottom of the stairs."
"He didn't dare touch my baby," I growl pulling at the neck brace around me. "I'll kill him."
"I don't think so. She was locked in a bedroom and wouldn't open the door for anyone but me…after sliding my ID under the door."
"Good girl," I sigh sitting up. "I have to get outta here. I have to get Matilda. I have to find somewhere for us to hide. He's never gone for long."
"Whoa. Whoa. Lay back."
"I don't have time. I have to get some stuff packed and disappear. I can't do this anymore."
"You just opened your eyes after being knocked out for three hours. The doctors don't even know what all is damaged."
"Probably cracked ribs or sternum. Pulled something in my knee. Concussion. The usual."
"What do you mean the usual?"
"Momma."
"There's my baby girl," I smile pulling her into my arms before turning to the nurse and officer trailing behind her. "Nothing happened to her, right."
"She's perfect," the nurse smiles.
I release a sigh of relief, wrapping her tighter in my arms.
"Ms. Polinsky," the officer clears his throat. "There are some questions that need to be asked."
"Can I come into the precinct in an hour? I need to find somewhere to stay for the night and gather a few things for my daughter."
"Stay here," Matt murmurs. "Please. I just got you back. Don't disappear again."
"I can't stay. He'll kill me if I stay."
"You keep saying he will do this and he will do that. Who? Who did this to you?"
"Who do you think?"
"I haven't laid eyes on you in almost fourteen years, how am I…"
"Because I've been with him for fifteen years," I interrupt.
"Fifteen…Ty…Ty did this to you?"
"Yes."
"Ty, ma'am."
"Tyson Evans," we answer together.
"You tried to warn me," he sighs. "You said something didn't feel right and I brushed it off."
"You didn't know what kind of monster he was. Hell I didn't truly realize it until I let him convince me to disappear."
"Stay with me."
"What?"
"I asked you to stay with me. Let me make it up to you."
"There is nothing to make up," I sigh.
"Then let me get to know my niece. Let me get to know you again. Let me help you get healthy."
I stare at my brother trying to formulate an argument.
"Momma, can we please go with Uncle Matt? You said he will keep me safe. I don't want to go back to Daddy."
Matt clears his throat. "I think you're out voted," he smirks.
"If Uncle Matt really wants us to stay with him, I guess we can stay with him for a little bit."
"Then it's settled. Now Little One let's go see what kind of trouble we can get into while your mom gets taken care of."
XXX
I brush my brother's outstretched hand away as I hop one legged up the four steps leading to his small front door expertly. "It's a three bedrooms so you two are going to have to share a room."
I quirk an eyebrow at the man as he juggles my sleeping daughter on shoulder and his keys.
"Did I forget to mention I have a roommate," he rushes suddenly interested in the search for his house key on his keychain.
"Yes. I'm sure you didn't mention this plan to have your abused sister and four year old niece stay here to him either."
"It won't be a problem."
"Excuse me if I don't believe that," I smirk as he holds the door for me.
"We'll worry about his thoughts in the morning. Right now I need to see if the extra bedroom is habitable," he smirks guiding me into the dark living room. "Sit," he orders laying the girl in his arms on the couch. "Relax."
"I don't relax. Relaxing gets me hurt."
"Is that what happened tonight? You relaxed?"
"Tonight I decided to fight back. I've been tired of my life for so long now."
"Then why did you stay for so long?"
"He had me so convinced that I had nothing outside of him."
"He lied."
"I know," I sigh leaning heavily on the crutch. "Where's our room?"
"Let me check…"
"Just show me where it is."
"Cami," he sighs. "Please sit down and relax. You can relax here."
"If I sit I don't know if I'll be able to get back up. Please just show me our room then I'll be able to relax."
"Follow me then," he sighs.
I pause in the doorway my eyes swinging back to my daughter.
"She'll be fine there for just a few minutes. We won't be far, you'll hear her if she wakes up."
I nod.
"Through there is the kitchen," he points to the door across the entryway before moving deeper into the house. He pauses as we come to a hallway. "My room is there," he points to the right. "Bathroom straight ahead there. Sorry in advance."
"I've shared a bathroom with you before."
"Now it's doubly bad. Down there is our roommate's room and your room," he points left before moving in that direction.
"Your roommate not our roommate."
"I'm hoping you'll think of this as your home too until you get back on your feet, Cami."
"We'll see how your roommate reacts first," I sigh glancing at the closed door beside me.
"I hope this room isn't full of crap that needs to be moved out."
"Just open the damn door."
The door swings open to reveal a sparsely decorated room consisting of a plain dresser directly inside the door, a large wardrobe shoved into the corner beside the dresser, a single twin size bed is against the opposite wall its mattress bare.
"Sheets?"
He moves to the wardrobe pulling a set of sheets and a light blanket out before moving to the bed.
"I can do that."
"With a bum knee and most of your ribs busted? Yeah, I don't think so."
"Why are you doing this Matt?"
"You're my only sister, why wouldn't I?"
"Because I am a stranger to you now. You don't know me. You don't know what kind of shit storm taking me in will bring to your life."
"Then enlighten me," he states turning from the made bed.
"Not tonight."
"Why don't you get as comfortable as you can? I'll get my niece."
"Mattie."
"What?"
"That's her name. Matilda. She goes by Mattie."
I watch him try to contain the smile spreading across his face.
"Yeah. I named her after you," I state before he can say anything.
XXX
"Can I ask you a question," Matt asks settling Mattie into the bed.
"You just did," I sigh knowing the question that is coming.
"I'm serious," he growls leaning against the dresser opposite of me.
"Fine," I groan settling on the bed at Mattie's feet, my back along the wall.
"Why did you leave? You just disappeared one day."
"I was pregnant," I blurt. "I was less than a month away from my eighteenth birthday, just found out I was six weeks pregnant, and I was terrified. I was stupid enough to let Ty convince me to disappear and start our family."
"Where is your other child, Cami?"
"I lost it ten weeks later," I sigh blinking back the tears at the memory. "I said the wrong thing to Ty and…" I choke on a sob before regaining control of my emotions. "It was the first time he hit me and the first time he…"
"Tonight wasn't the first time you've gone down the stairs is it?"
"Nope."
"How often?"
"Whenever he wanted to punish me with another miscarriage," I sniff.
"What," he snaps straightening.
"You heard me."
"How many times?"
"Let it drop, Matt."
"How many times," he growls.
"At least twice a year until Mattie. I finally learned to keep my mouth shut and my head down until I gave birth."
"Mattie was born in twenty-ten."
"Oh nine," I correct. "March of oh nine."
"So you were pregnant in oh eight with her. So by my math you had sixteen miscarriages."
"Seventeen."
"Seventeen," he snaps. "Seven fucking teen. Why did you stay?"
"I was terrified. Hell I'm still scared. And he took everything from me. He took my car and sold it. He forced me to quit my job. He emptied out my bank accounts. He said he saw you and you were pissed. He said Mom and Dad were pissed. I thought I had nowhere else to go. So I stayed. It almost killed me a few times but I stayed."
"I should have looked for you."
"If he felt threatened he would have killed me so it's a good thing you didn't."
"One more question and I will leave you alone for the night."
"Hmmm?"
"How did she," he points to my sleeping daughter, "know to call me?"
"I've known…I thought that Ty was going to kill me at some point during her childhood. I couldn't stand the thought of leaving her alone with that man. I held out hope that you had enough love left for me to keep her safe when that day came so I taught her just that. If Daddy got too mad at Momma, call Uncle Matt. He will keep you safe. I've shown her the picture of you I had hidden away every chance I got. I showed her where your number was. I'm just glad you didn't change your cell number in fourteen years."
"I'll always love you, Cami," he sighs pressing a kiss to my forehead. "Get some sleep."
"I doubt I will. I never do."
"Try."