“You damn bastard! How dare you cheat on me and then have the fucking nerve to slap me.” I was flailing around, his fingers still gripping my hair, pulling it so tightly I was positive clumps were ripping out from the roots.
“You’re going to pay for what you did,” he growled, throwing me into the wall.
I fell to the floor, trying to scramble to my feet, but he got to me first.
“Where do you think you’re going?” His voice was cold as his eyes bored holes into me.
His hands wrapped around my neck and he lifted me up off the ground. I was gasping. “James, please,” I barely choked out.
A loud banging came from our front door. “Police! Open up!” It was like an angel had been sent down to save me.
“Keep your fucking mouth shut or you will be sorry,” James hissed into my ear before releasing me.
I stayed frozen in place after my feet touched the ground again and watched as my attacker walked to the door, far too calmly.
“Evening officers,” James said oh so coolly after opening the front door.
Without missing a beat, I yelled. “Help! He’s trying to kill me!” I ran into the living room and out the front door to the protection of two police officers. The younger of the two caught me by the arm, gently pulling me away from James, putting his body between me and the danger that used to be the love of my life.
“Ma’am.” He made sure to make eye contact. “A neighbor called in a disturbance. Did he hit you?”
I couldn’t speak; my eyes kept darting to the glaring eyes only paces away. I was shuddering, tears streaming down my face and neck.
“I’m Officer Whistler. You’re safe now. Can you tell me your name?”
I blinked frantically as I begged for words to break through. I watched as James started to lose his even temper.
“What the fuck?” he yelled. “I didn’t touch her.”
“Sir, I am not going to ask you again to calm down.” The other officer had his hand on James’ chest, keeping him from taking the step forward that he was trying for.
“M-My name is Karla McAdams,” I finally blurted out. “And yes, he attacked me.”
Officer Whistler’s entire face frowned as he started to lead me to the stairs, turning back quickly to look at his partner. “Cuff him.”
James started to protest, balling his hands into fists.
“Karla, why don’t I get you back into your apartment.” The dogs were barking their heads off, and it wasn’t until that moment that I realized they had been freaking the fuck out the entire time the whole situation unfolded.
“My dogs!” I cried out. I needed to calm them down. I knew all my neighbors had probably been woken up by now and it was three in the damn morning.
How fucking embarrassing is this shit?
I dove into my apartment right as the officers were both telling James to turn around and put his hands behind his back. He kept resisting and yelling back at them. I watched from the peephole with my dogs in my arms as Officer Whistler wrestled James to the ground, kneeling on his back to click the handcuffs around his wrists. James continued to hoot and holler as the other cop walked him to the stairwell.
Officer Whistler knocked on my door. Even though I watched him do it, I still jumped when I heard the tapping.
“Yes?” I asked, opening the door to the kind man.
“Would you mind coming down to the station and filling out a report?”
I set the dogs down, grabbing my bag and keys from the counter where they lay next to the unopened bottle of red wine. “Sure.”
“I’ll see you down there.” He pursed his lips together, started to back away, and then hesitated. “Karla?” His voice was low and even.
“Yes?” I stared blankly at him, trying to wrap my head around everything that had just happened. In seconds my life had gone from my kind of perfect to a living nightmare.
“You’re going to be all right. I promise.” He bowed his head, starting to make his way to the stairs. “Give us a ten-minute head start.”
