"Sam, I'm gonna head home if that's alright."
The hour was close to 10 and Aurea was beat. She untied her apron and placed it into her cubby before grabbing her purse and fishing out her keys.
"Yea, that's fine." said Sam, turning away from his desk. "Rea, are you sure you wanna go home?"
"Sam, I have to go home at some point." she smiled, though it never reached her eyes.
"I just worry about ya." he said.
"I know you do. Everyone does." she laughed.
Sam just smiled and pulled her into a hug. They had been friends for roughly 11 years, something they did not take for granted.
"You want me to take ya home?" he asked.
"Nah, hopefully he'll be passed out so I won't have to deal with him." she said.
"This is not a way for you to live, Rea." said Sam.
"Trust me, I know." she said. "I'll be in tomorrow."
"If you need me,"
"You're number one on my speed dial." she smiled.
Sam just smiled and nodded his head. He watched her walk out of his office before he sat back in his chair. He loved Rea, as his own sister, but sometimes he could just slap her against the head. She was always a strong willed and beautiful person, but ever since she married Kevin, the light that he had loved about her had slowly dwindled, leaving an empty shell of who she used to be.
Aurea pulled into her driveway and shut the car off. She looked up to her house and noticed the lights were off, meaning Kevin was already in bed. He never left the lights on for her when she had to work late.
She took the keys and got out of the car, blindly making her way to the front door. She unlocked it and turned the lights on before locking the door behind her. She stopped and listened.
"Silence." she whispered.
She threw her purse onto the ground and made her way to the kitchen, where a nice big glass of water was calling her name. She reached the threshold of the kitchen and felt something grab onto her hair from behind.
"Where the hell have you been!" shouted Kevin, as he threw Aurea around and into the wall, her shoulder making direct contact.
She was able to push him away when he pulled her from the wall, so she made a dash towards the phone, but Kevin had grabbed her and shoved her into the wall again. She cried out when her head made hard contact with the edge of the entryway, the feeling of blood immediately washing down her face. She could feel his fingers digging into her skin and new there would be bruises within the hour.
"I asked you a question." he said.
She could smell the alcohol on his breath, the smell making her gag. The pain coming from the grips on her arms was almost unbearable. When her head connected with the wall again, she whimpered in pain.
"I asked you a question, bitch!"
"I was at work, Kevin. I told you this earlier!" she said.
Wrong answer. Kevin grabbed her and threw her into the kitchen. She slid across the floor and slammed into the cupboards.
"Make me some dinner." he said, before walking out of the house.
Aurea didn't move for the first couple of minutes, trying to let the shock subside. She felt something cold running down her head. She wiped her hand across her forehead and found blood. She took a deep breath and hauled herself up, wincing in pain as she did.
She took a few things out of the fridge and heated them up, knowing Kevin wouldn't care as long as it was food. She put the plate on the table, her hands shaking uncontrollably, and called out to him. She heard the front door open and watched his bulky frame enter the kitchen before sitting down.
"You look like shit. Go clean up." he said, stuffing his face.
Aurea didn't need to be told twice. She left the kitchen as quickly as she could and ran up the stairs towards the bathroom. She turned on the shower and undressed, stepping into the scolding hot water. She watched as the blood ran its way down her body and slowly circle the drain before disappearing. She looked to her arms and noticed black fingerprint marks on her arms. She let the tears unfurl as she leaned against the shower wall.
Her mind wandered back to the dream she had had and again wished that her life could be that simple. Those dreams were her sanctuary, a place where she could go to escape the tormented life she herself led. She knew her life was shit, and she had always promised herself that she would never become one of those women. A woman who continues to live in an unhealthy relationship, a woman who makes excuses for her fuck up of a husband. She had sworn to herself that she would never be like that, that she would be strong for herself, stand up for herself, and never let anyone control her. Yet here she was, cowering in the shower, hoping he was in bed, asleep.
The shower turned cold, snapping her out of her daydream. She turned it off and dried herself before changing into her nightgown. She dried the water out of her hair and looked at herself in the mirror. The reflection looking back at her seemed distant and unrecognizable. The cut on her head would be easy to hide with her hair, but the bruises on her arm would surely show.
"I'll just have to wear a sweater." she whispered, running her fingers over the dark bruising.
She turned off the light and took a deep breath before walking into her bedroom. The light was out and she could hear Kevin snoring. She quietly climbed into bed, trying to make as little movement as possible. If he woke up, he would want to have sex with her, and she couldn't handle that. He was too rough with her, only caring for his own satisfaction. Thankfully, he always finished early. She smiled and chuckled at that thought and rolled to her side, wincing as pressure was put onto her arm. She closed her eyes and willed her daydreams to return to her.
No such luck. She was woken up the next morning to loud and obnoxious noises coming from around the house. She winced as she dragged herself into a sitting position. Her head swam with dizziness and her arms throbbed with pain. She heard heavy feet on the stairs and new Kevin was on his way in.
"Where's my lunch?" he asked.
"I'll go make it." she whispered.
She climbed out of bed and slid past him through the door. She heard him follow her to the kitchen, but he kept walking till he was outside.
'For once I would like him to say Good Morning.' she thought as she made him a sandwich.
She scoffed at that thought and finished his lunch, placing it in his toolbox that he took to work. She heard the front door slam and saw him walk into the kitchen.
"You work today?" he asked.
"Yea. Till 10 again." she said.
"And what are you not going to do?" he asked, walking towards her.
"I'm not going to tell anyone about what happened last night." she whispered, backing into the counter.
"That's my girl." he smiled, caressing her face with his hand. "I want to have you tonight."
She shuddered at the thought of him touching her and making love to her. She wanted to vomit on the spot, but figured that would be unwise.
"I'll try to get home early then." she said, trying her best to smile.
Kevin just smiled and forced his lips onto hers. He crushed her body against the counter as his lips fought for hers. She winced when his hands touched the bruises on her arms, but it didn't hinder him. He pulled away from her and smiled. His eyes took a long roaming look along her body and she could see his smile grow.
"How about I have you now?" he asked, running his hand down her leg towards the hem of her nightgown.
"You'll be late for work." she said, hoping beyond hope he would stop.
She heard him grumble and felt his hand disappear from her leg. He grunted before turning away and walking towards the door. He grabbed his tool box and slammed the door behind him as he went. Aurea took a deep breath in and slid to the floor, thanking everything she could possibly think of for letting her escape his touch. She looked towards the clock and noticed she had to be at work in an hour.
"This is going to be a fun day." she mumbled.