CHAPTER 5: The meaning of an hug
She couldn't believe it. Harris was in front of her.
'What do you want, Harris?' Ann said with a determinate tone.
'I just wanted to see how is my beautiful lady!' Harris said.
She hated him so much, for everything he done to her, all the pain and the bad moments that she had been through because of him.
'I'm not your lady anymore, Harris' Ann said 'so, what do you want from me?'.
He walked in her house.
'I need you' he confessed 'I miss you, Annie'.
She hated that name said from him.
'Get out of my house'. Ann tried to be strong enough, she couldn't let him do what he wanted. 'Or better, get out of my life, for good, this time'.
'Don't be so rude with me, sweetie' Harris put his hands on her hips and he loosed the belt of her bathrobe.
'Leave me, Harris! Get out of here' Ann screamed.
Ann took a step behind but her bathrobe opened in front of him. She hated the fact that he touched her.
Those hands hurt her so many times during their marriage that she couldn't remember how many.
'You can't tell me what I have to do!'. Harris was very closed to her.
'Harris leave this house before I call the police' Ann said while she was turning to reach the phone.
Harris blocked her.
'Where do you think you're going, Annie?'. Harris pulled off her bathrobe and he trough it away.
She was naked in front of him.
He had tighten her arm and he made her skin livid.
'Leave me, Harris. You're hurting me' Ann screamed.
He was really hurting her.
'I do anything I want with you, bitch!' Harris said while he was touching her body.
'Not anymore!'. Ann tried so hard to get herself free 'I'm not your toy anymore, Harris!'.
Ann tried to push him away but he slapped her on her face. She fell at the ground.
Some blood were going out of her mouth.
Ann was used to it. He slapped her so many time but that time was different.
Ann was different. She wanted to be free, once for all.
She wanted to be happy, with Bobby.
'It's not over!' Harris said with a angry tone.
Fortunately he left her. The moment he walked out of her house she felt safe.
Ann took her bathrobe and she cover herself.
She started cry.
She let Harris put his hands on her, again.
Ann hated herself for that.
When Ann left Southfork, Bobby changed his clothes.
He wanted to go for a ride, he wanted go to visit his parents' graves.
Bobby went to the stables when he saw Philip, a young groom.
'Good morning, Mr Ewing' Philip said, smiling.
'Good morning, Philip' Bobby said, 'how is your week?'.
'Fine thanks, Sir. And yours?' Philip asked.
'My week is just amazing!' Bobby said, smiling
Bobby went to the third stable on left, his favourite horse, a brown and beautiful horse.
He saddled the horse and he went for a ride.
He wanted to share what happened with his parents.
He arrived to the little cemetery in Southfork.
Bobby tied the horse at the big tree next to it.
'Hi mommy'. Bobby watched Miss Ellie's grave than he turned to Jock's 'Hi daddy'.
Bobby loved spend some time in that place, he missed his parents so badly.
'I went to visit JR few days ago, but nothing changed' Bobby said with a sad tone 'He didn't say anything. Sometime I miss to fight with him over Southfork but finally I can enjoy some silent in that house'.
He took a breath.
'I met a new woman the day before yesterday, she's terrific!'.
He spent almost an hour talking about Ann and about all his feelings for her.
'Ann looks like you, mama. She's a strong woman and she's traditional'.
He loved talk about Ann. He loved the way she made him feel.
Spending that time with his parents', he figured it out.
He knew what he had to with Ann.
Few hours later.
'Ann, are you in there?'
Ann was still at the ground, in the hall. Sue Ellen was at the door, but Ann didn't want to see anybody.
'Ann? It's me, Sue Ellen!'.
Ann didn't lock the door and Sue Ellen was coming inside.
She didn't want that someone could see her like that.
Sue Ellen saw her, at the ground with her bathrobe. Her lower lip swollen, livid and it was hurting her pretty much.
'Ann!' Sue Ellen said with a worried tone 'What are you doing here?' Sue Ellen said, reaching her.
Ann turned to her. Sue Ellen saw her mouth and she understood that something bad happened.
'Oh my God! Ann, what happened?'. Sue Ellen was touching her face. 'Who did this to you? Someone came inside?' she asked.
Ann was still crying.
'Harris'. Ann said only that name and she immediately thought about his hand on her face.
'What? Harris came here?' Sue Ellen said with a surprise and scared tone. 'He did this to you? What did he want from you?'.
Ann wasn't sure about what to say.
'He wanted me, like he used to' Ann said.
Sue Ellen was shocked, she saw it in her eyes. JR hit her so many times in the past, and now, Sue Ellen was seeing herself in Ann.
'Let's go on the couch. I bring you some water' Sue Ellen said, helping Ann to get up.
She sit on the couch and Sue Ellen brought her some water. She wasn't thirsty.
Ann was still crying. She promised to herself that Harris would had never do that again.
But he did.
'Darlin, what happened?' Sue Ellen asked.
Ann took a breath before start to tell her what happened.
'I just had a shower when someone knocked at the door. It was Harris'. Ann had her skin crawl saying his name. 'He came in and he wanted me. He wanted to abuse me'. Ann couldn't help but cry again.
'That son of a bitch' Sue Ellen said. 'You tried to resist him, didn't you?'.
'Actually I pushed him away but he had tighten my arms and.. he slapped me' Ann admitted.
'Oh my God, Ann, That's horrible'. Sue Ellen saw the bruises on her arm 'But he is gone right?'
Ann just nodded her head.
Sue Ellen hugged her. Ann was happy that she was there.
'Did you call someone?' Sue Ellen asked 'the police? Oh Ann, did you call Bobby?'.
*NO! Bobby doesn't have to know that*
'No but, please, Sue Ellen' Ann said, holding her hand 'Don't tell Bobby what happened here, please'.
Sue Ellen was confused.
'Why? Bobby has to know it'. Sue Ellen tried to persuade her. 'He can help you'.
'I don't want that he sees me like this. And nobody has to know it' Ann said. 'Please, Sue Ellen'.
'Okay. But now, let me take you some ice for your mouth' Sue Ellen said.
'Thank you very much, Sue Ellen'. Ann was smiling to her.
Sue Ellen was going to the kitchen when the phone rang.
*Com'on Annie, pick up*.
Bobby couldn't wait to tell her what were his plans for the night.
Dinner. Special place.. and a ring.
'Hello?'. It wasn't Ann's voice.
'Ann?' Bobby asked.
'Hi Bobby. No, it's me, Sue Ellen' she said.
*Why Sue Ellen was at Ann's apartment? It's 12am. What happened?* Bobby thought.
'Hi, Sue Ellen. Where is Ann? Is everything all right?' Bobby asked with a worried tone.
Sue Ellen waited a while before talk again.
'Yes, Bobby. I picked up because Ann is in the bathroom' Sue Ellen said.
*Something's wrong*. Bobby was sure about it.
'Sue Ellen, I know you more that anyone and I know that something's wrong' Bobby said, trying to be quite, 'What's going on?'.
'Harris came here' Sue Ellen admitted it.
'NO!' Ann screamed, 'Sue Ellen, why did you tell him?'.
Apparently Ann picked down the phone.
*What happened to Ann? What Harris did to her?*.
Bobby was shocked.
He ran to the car and he left Southfork to go to Ann.
For all the way Bobby thought about Ann.
He thought all the horrible things possible.
*What the hell Harris did to her? And why Ann said those things? Why he didn't have to know what happened?*
There were a lot of questions in his mind but he didn't know the answers.
Bobby drove as fast as he could.
He needed to know if Ann was fine.
When he arrived at Ann's house, he opened the door.
'Annie!' he said with a worried tone.
He saw Ann and Sue Ellen, they were on the couch.
He went to them. He sit down next to Ann.
'Ann, what happened?' he asked.
He saw her lip and the bruisers on her arms.
*Harris slapped her. That son of a bitch*.
She was wearing her bathrobe.
'Harris came her and he tried to abuse her' Sue Ellen said.
Ann was too shocked to talk about it.
'What he did to her?'. The anger was growing in Bobby.
'He wanted her, he pulled her off the bathrobe, she tried to push him away but he slapped her' Sue Ellen responded to him.
'Oh Annie' Bobby said with a sad tone than he caressed her face. 'I'm here now, don't worry honey'.
'There's something more..' Sue Ellen watched Ann, 'Harris said that it's not over. Honestly Bobby, I think he will come back, sooner or later'. Sue Ellen sounded worried.
Bobby was worried too. Harris slapped her, the next time could be worst.
'Is there something that I can do?' Bobby asked.
Ann turned to him and she said 'Just give me a hug'.
Bobby hugged her and she started cry.
'Oh, Annie, I'm so sorry. I should brought you at home' Bobby said.
'No, Bobby. It's not the first time. I was a stupid thinking that he would have never do that again' Ann said.
'Ann, it's not safe stay here. You have to leave this house'. Sue Ellen was right.
Bobby immediately though that she could come to live with him in Southfork.
'You can come to live with me' Bobby suggested.
Ann watched him, surprised.
'I phoned you because I wanted to ask you if you would liked to come to live with me, in Southfork' Bobby said.
It wasn't true, he wanted to ask her another thing, but he thought it wasn't the right moment for that.
He wanted to help her.
Bobby wanted to protect her.
'Are you sure?' Ann asked.
'I really wanted to ask you' Bobby smiled. He caressed her face 'I love you, Annie. I will protect you'.
Sue Ellen smiled at him. She knew he really loved Ann.
'I love you, Bobby'. They hugged.
'I will go in your bedroom and I start to prepare you things' Sue Ellen said.
'Thank you, Sue Ellen' Ann said with a gentle tone.
Sue Ellen went in Ann's bedroom.
They were alone, on the couch.
'I have to call, Carmen' Bobby said, while he was taking his phone.
He waited few seconds.
'Hello? This is Ewing residence' Carmen said at the phone.
'Hi Carmen, it's me, Bobby' he said. 'Can you please go in my bedroom and release some of my drawers? Ann will live with me from now'.
'Sure, Mr. Ewing' Carmen said, 'The room will be ready before you both get home'.
'Thank you, Carmen' he said.
'It's a pleasure, Mr. Ewing'.
He closed the conversation.
Ann heard all the conversation and she smiled to him even if she was still terrified.
Bobby couldn't help but hug her.
Bobby and Sue Ellen helped her to take all her clothes.
Ann was so pleased that she had them in her life.
Bobby went to put her bags in his car.
Ann was changing her clothes when Sue Ellen came in her bedroom.
'Are you okay, Ann?' she asked.
'Yes, thank you Sue Ellen for everything'. Ann was ready to go.
'You're welcome, darlin' Sue Ellen hugged her, 'I have to go now, I'll call you later'.
'Okay, thank you again' Ann smiled to her.
When Sue Ellen went out of her apartment, Bobby came in.
'Annie, are you ready to go?' Bobby said, holding her hands.
'Yes. I can't stay in this house anymore' she said.
'Let's go honey' Bobby said, putting his and on her shoulder.
They went out of that house, for good, she hoped.
She felt safe with Bobby.
They arrived at Southfork.
She went out of Bobby's car and he went out as well.
'Don't worry for the bags, Annie' Bobby said, reaching her 'I'll take them later'.
He put his arm around her shoulder.
'Thank you, Bobby' Ann said with a sweet tone.
They came in the kitchen.
Carmen was in there.
'The room is ready, Mr Ewing' she said to Bobby.
'Thank you, Carmen' he responded to her.
Ann and Carmen just smiled each other.
She didn't want to say anything.
They were almost near to the stairs, when Christopher saw them.
'Hi Daddy' he said. 'Good afternoon, Annie'.
He saw her and her lip.
'My God, what happened?' Christopher asked with a worried tone.
'Not now, son' Bobby responded before he could say something else. 'I will be back soon'.
Bobby hold her hand.
'Com'on, Annie. Let's go upstairs' Bobby said to her.
They went upstairs in Bobby's bed room.
She immediately thought about the night that Bobby and her spent just few hours before Harris.
Bobby let her sit on the bed and he sat next to her.
'You should get some sleep, dear' he said, caressed her hair.
She was exhausted.
'I should but Bobby, I need to ask you something first' Ann said. 'Please, don't do anything stupid against Harris. Please'. Ann was really begged him.
Harris was a powerful man and she didn't want that Bobby could get hurt.
'Why?' Bobby asked with a surprised tone, 'Annie, he hurt you so many times. I have to do something'.
Ann knew that Harris had to pay for everything he done to her, but she always lost against him.
'You can't do anything against him and I don't want he will hurt you or your family too!' Ann said, 'He left me and I'm here now, he can't touch me anymore'.
'You're a part of my family now, Ann. I care about you' Bobby said with a lovely tone.
'I know, Bobby'. Ann caressed his face, 'and I love you, but please, promise me that you won't do anything stupid against him'.
Bobby was watching her, she knew he was watching her lip too.
'I promise you, Annie' Bobby said.
She convinced him, at least, she hoped.
They hugged.
'It's better if you get some sleep now. I will be back later' he said touching her hairs.
'Thank you, Bobby' she smiled.
He kissed her forehead.
Bobby got up and he went out of the room, closing the door behind him.
Ann lay down on the bed, trying to get some sleep.