She was still on the floor, eyes tightly shut and whimpering quietly as Adam kicked and punched at her. Raping her wasn't enough anymore. If he didn't leave fresh bruises on her, he hadn't done his job properly.
She did her best to protect the baby growing inside her, curling up into a ball so the kicks and punches were mostly aimed at her back and legs. She covered her mouth to stop the whimpers of pain escaping her lips that were only spurring him on. She hated that she was too weak to stop him.
When he finally stopped, she lay there motionless, sobbing and shaking. She flinched as the front door slammed. She hated the way relief flooded through her, knowing that he was gone again. She hated only feeling safe when he wasn't around. She hated feeling this scared. What kind of marriage was this?
As she lay there, she assessed herself for injuries. Apart from her aching back and the taste of blood in her mouth, she was mostly unscathed, this time.
She slowly got to her feet, grateful that she wasn't badly hurt. Her hand moved to rest on her stomach. Guilt flooded through her as she felt a foot pressing against her hand. Tears welled up in her eyes, knowing that once the baby was here, she wouldn't be able to protect her in the way she could now. It terrified her. She wouldn't put it past Adam to take his anger out on an innocent newborn.
When she caught a glance of herself in the mirror, she burst into tears again, a hand flying to her mouth. She almost didn't recognise the woman staring back at her. She was a shadow of her former self, skin covered in bruises and cuts. How had she let it get like this? How had becoming someone's punch bag become her life?
She knew she had to do something. She needed help, not just for her, but for the baby too. They couldn't live like this anymore. Enough was enough.
Drying her tears, she grabbed her coat and keys. She walked out of the house without a second glance, locking the door before clambering into her car.
...
The loud pounding on the front door was what woke Eddie up from his nap. He shot up from the sofa, rubbing his eyes and frowning in confusion as he made his way over to the front door. He had no idea what the time was, he hadn't even intended to fall asleep. One minute he had been watching the TV and the next he was waking up to be greeted by someone hammering their fists against the glass of his front door.
It was dark outside, so he couldn't see the silhouette on the other side of the door. They were persistent and desperate, judging by them continuing to pound on the door with their knuckles.
He finally found his keys and unlocked the front door. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw Rachel stood on his doorstep. He wasn't so shocked by her presence; it was her appearance that concerned him. She was shaking from head to foot, and not from the cold. Her bottom lip was bloody and swollen. The bruise and cut on her cheek was prominent now her makeup had faded, you couldn't miss it if you tried, and there were new ones starting to show too.
She looked at him, eyes fogging up with tears.
Without saying anything, he pulled her inside and into his arms, closing the front door with his free hand. A mixture of surprise and relief flooded through him when she didn't push him away or tense up. Instead, she almost collapsed into him, burying her head in his chest as she sobbed.
"It's ok, you're ok" he soothed, wrapping his arms around her gently
"I'm sorry" she whispered
"Shhh, it's ok" he reassured
"Let's go and sit down, eh?" he suggested
She nodded quietly.
He led her into the living room, helping her to sit down on the sofa. He kneeled down in front of her, taking her hand into his own and squeezing it reassuringly. Her tearful gaze was threatening to break his heart. If he could take all of her pain away, he would, in a heartbeat.
"Are you ok, Rach?" he asked gently
To his surprise, she shook her head, a stray tear rolling down her cheek. She was shaking more violently than before, eyes wide with fear.
"I'm going to make you some tea, I'll be right back, ok?" he told her
She nodded gratefully.
"Have you eaten?" he asked
"No" she whispered
"Do you want some toast?" he offered
She nodded again.
Eddie made his way into the kitchen, sighing painfully as he switched on the kettle and put the bread in the toaster. He was glad she had come to him, but he was worried at the same time. He wanted to be there for her, but he also wasn't sure if she would let him. She might have turned up on his doorstep off her own accord, but that didn't mean she was ready to tell him what was going on. He wasn't going to force it out of her, he knew that wouldn't work and she would only shut down further. He needed to be open, asking no questions to make her feel like she could talk to him.
So, once the kettle was boiled, he made her a cup of tea in the way he knew she liked it. He added four sugars in an attempt to help with the shaking. When the toast popped up, he buttered it, cutting it into equal rectangles. He also grabbed the First Aid kit he kept in the cupboard to clean her lip and any other injuries she had. He would ask no questions until she was ready to give him answers. It would be hard, but it was for the best.
He smiled at Rachel reassuringly when he walked back into the living room.
"Thank you" she whispered as he passed her the steaming hot mug of tea
"I put four sugars in" he explained, placing her toast on the coffee table
"I appreciate it" she replied, smiling weakly
They sat in silence as Rachel sipped on her tea and nibbled and picked at her toast. To Eddie's relief, her breathing was slowly becoming less erratic and the shaking less prominent.
As she ate, he examined her carefully, noting and counting all the bruises, cuts and scrapes he could see. He'd counted ten alone on her face, forehead and shoulders. He dreaded to think what she would look like if she removed her coat. He imagined black and blue.
Once she was finished, she put her plate and mug onto the coffee table.
"Thank you for that" she mumbled
"No problem" he replied
She sighed heavily, running a hand through her hair. She didn't really know why she'd come here. She'd just needed to get out of the house, away from Adam, who had already left anyway. It was autopilot, driving to Eddie's. She hated the way she'd spoken to him earlier, he hadn't deserved it. She was surprised he had invited her into the house, let alone made her tea and toast after the way she'd treated him.
She looked up at him when she felt his hand wrap around hers again. The tears started to prick at the back of her eyes as she took in his features. The warm, brown eyes that she often found herself getting lost in, the thin hair that was always slightly swept to the side. She'd forgotten the way he made her heart flutter, or the sense of peace that washed over her when she was around him. Eddie was her safe haven. She didn't feel scared or worried about anything when she was with him. Right now, she wasn't even scared of Adam. She felt totally at ease, something she hadn't felt in a long time.
"Rach, you know you can talk to me, don't you?" he asked gently
She nodded.
"I just- uhm- I wanted to apologise... for what I said earlier" she explained
"It's ok, Rach" he reassured
"No, it isn't, Eddie. You didn't deserve it" she argued
"It doesn't matter, Rach. Forget about it, ok? I have"
She smiled weakly.
"Rach, I'm not going to pry or ask you questions. I know, or hope, that you'll tell me what's going on when you're ready. But will you let me clean up your lip before it gets too bad?"
She nodded tentatively, her finger brushing across the swelling.
Eddie grabbed an anti-septic wipe from the First Aid kit before turning his attention to Rachel's lip. Looking at it up close, it was just a shallow cut. The bruising and swelling forming around it made it look a lot worse than it was.
"Is it bad?" she asked nervously
"It doesn't need stitches, if that's what you mean" he answered
She sighed in relief. She had been worried that she would have to go to the hospital to get it looked at. Thankfully, she could avoid it, this time. It was another injury she could cover with makeup.
"Are you hurt anywhere else?" he asked once he'd finished cleaning her lip
"No, I'm ok... do you... do you mind if I stay for a bit?" she requested hesitantly
"Of course you can. Do you want another cuppa?"
"Yes, please" she nodded
"I... erm- I have some leftover Chinese takeaway in the fridge. I can heat it up if you want?"
"No, I'm fine, Eddie. I don't want to bother you anymore than I have already" she insisted
"It's really no problem, Rach. It'll only go to waste otherwise" he pointed out
"Ok, then, thank you" she agreed