Page 13 of Remnants

Kaitlin

TEN

I sit on the couch as the documentary finishes, but I couldn’t tell you what it was about.

Originally, I wanted to watch a documentary on the lore of vampires, but James came in and asked if I wanted to watch television together.

It had made me so nervous that I just agreed to whatever he picked; spending the following two hours so tense that I’m certain I will be even more sore tomorrow.

Since I got home three days ago, James has been a different person.

He talks to me, helps me, spends time with me, and tries to make sure I’m okay.

I hate it. A month ago, I would’ve thought this was a dream come true.

But now, I’m so scared of him being nice that it’s making me ill.

I don’t want to be here. I live every day in absolute fear after what he did.

All I want is for him to spend the night out of town to give me some space to breathe.

But he is here, every second, and even when he isn’t, he still is.

James decided after my accident at the pharmacy, that he needs to know where I am all of the time. So, he put a tracking app on my phone that gives him up-to-date coordinates—it’s for my protection, of course.

“Are you hungry?” he asks as he runs his hands over my feet. I have to fight the urge not to flinch and pull away.

“No, thank you,” I reply softly as I force a smile.

“Kaitlin, have you eaten today?” I glance up at him.

Of course I haven’t. How can I? He has been up my ass all day and I don’t eat around him, ever.

It was one of the first abusive things he did to me—whenever I would eat anything, he would look at me in disgust and shake his head, as if ashamed of me.

“I just haven't been feeling too well today.” I watch as his brows wrinkle. Is he trying to show concern? He reaches out and tries to touch my face and before I can stop myself, both hands rise up to shield myself.

“What the fuck?” he yells and I watch as he pulls back, as if I’ve burned him.

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.” The look he gives me is one of betrayal.

“So, this is it? You’re just going to be terrified if I try to touch you now?

” he shouts as he stands up. I feel myself involuntarily flinch and hope like hell he doesn’t notice.

“God, why do you always have to overreact to everything? I said I was sorry! I was trying to make up for it and you’re being ridiculous!

You barely talk, and you flinch if I get near you! ”

Guilt fills my chest as I look away from him. Am I overreacting? I look back up and try to stop my bottom lip from quivering. “I’m sorry,” I whisper weakly. “I… I appreciate you making an effort. I just… last week scared me. I’m sorry.” I watch as he drops his head in his hands and sighs.

“I don’t know why you are even with me. I’m such a fucking monster.” He chokes out a sob and I feel ill. Have I made him feel like that?

“No, you aren’t! I’m sorry, James! Really! I shouldn’t be acting so cold.” I place my hand on his back and rub in a circular motion as he lays his head on my shoulder and cries. We stay silent for a few moments before he lets out a soft chuckle.

“What?” I ask softly, trying to smile.

“I guess there is a plus side to being with a fat girl—you’re so soft. It’s like, no matter where I rest myself, there’s a nice cushion. I could get used to that I guess.” My body goes cold as his words trickle through me and hit every crack in my crumbling wall of self-esteem.

I hate him. I want out and yet I’m stuck here. My eyes trail out the window, focusing on a certain green bungalow and I have to ignore the urge I have to cry. I miss her. I miss her voice, her comfort.

“You shouldn’t be friends with her,” James whispers in my ear and I feel a cold shiver run through me.

“Sorry?”

“Don’t play dumb, Kaitlin. It’s not cute on you.” James pulls back while assessing me. “I heard about the morning-after pill.” His voice is devoid of any emotion as he stares at his phone.

“I—”

“Don't. Play. Dumb.” He sets his phone down before leaning over me. I hiss in pain as his hand presses onto my broken ribs. “You don’t want to have a baby?”

“N-No, it’s not that I just… I don’t think I’m in the healthiest place to have one right now.” James looks me over before nodding.

“I’d agree. Maybe next month.” Great, so I get to lay back and take it again in four weeks. Nice of him to give me a timeline for my next attack.

I wipe the sweat from my brow as I finish planting a small pot on the front step. My body hurts but I needed to get out of the house. James is following me everywhere and I can’t breathe. I flinch at Sam’s bark and my head snaps up to Nora’s house.

“If that mutt doesn’t knock it off,” James growls from inside the doorway.

“Sam only barks if something is wrong. He’s a service dog. I should go check,” I explain as I stand up.

James grips my shoulder with almost too much force. “I don’t trust that dog.”

“James, Nora is my friend, please.” James shoves off of me and I nearly fall back.

“Fine! Do what you want, Kaitlin, it’s always whatever you want.

Go hang out with that butch-ass bitch.” He turns to leave and I know I’m supposed to go after him, beg for forgiveness, but I don’t.

I don’t because Nora needs help and I’m not going to ignore Sam.

Standing up, I brush my hands off on my apron before heading across the street.

Sam whines and headbutts my hand once I reach him.

“Hey, bud. What’s up?” I follow him inside the house.

“Nora?” I call through the house while walking around slowly.

“Fuck,” I hear her mutter from somewhere in the back. Is she in the bathroom? “I’m fine! Just… go back—” I interrupt her by tapping lightly on the bathroom door.

“I’m already here, can I come in?” I hear her let out a loud sigh of annoyance.

“Yeah. Fine, sure.”

I step in the bathroom and see her crutch has fallen. She is sitting in the tub, wet and naked. Looking around, I spot her towel under her crutch.

“Where is your chair?” I ask while handing her the towel.

“I was using it outside yesterday and left it out there so I could clean the wheels off today. But someone stole it overnight.” My eyebrows shoot up.

“Who the fuck would steal your wheelchair?” I’m disgusted that someone in our neighborhood would do something so despicable.

“Don’t know. I’m sorry Sam called you over. I was about to crawl over and grab the stuff. I’m just hurting today and was trying to muster up the strength.” She chuckles dryly as she wraps a towel around her slim body. I know she hates being vulnerable.

“I don’t mind. I miss you guys. Though I wish I could come over to just hang out or something.

” I grab her crutch and hand it to her before checking the floor to make sure it is dry before stepping out of the bathroom, both so she can have the space and so I don’t see her leg.

Her leg doesn’t bother me. I haven’t actually seen it close up, but her missing a leg isn’t something that I see as an issue.

Still, I want to respect her and if she doesn’t want me to see her leg, I won’t look.

“I would invite you over more often, but I don’t want to get you in trouble with James. Plus, I didn’t want you to think I just wanted another tongue fucking.”

I wince as she walks past me, and I can feel the hurt in her tone. “I’m sorry,” I whisper, following her as she goes into her bedroom.

“Forget about it,” she mutters as she slips a pair of sweatpants on before tossing her towel in the hamper. I watch her bare breasts move as she sits on the edge of her bed while grabbing her black tank top. Her dark nipples harden and pucker in the exposed air and I force myself to look away.

“No, I can't forget about it,” I say softly. “I am sorry I hurt you. I was—”

“Junebug, I promise, it’s okay. I understand.

I’ve been thinking a lot about everything the last few days and I realized that I was pushing you, and that isn’t something I meant to do.

I just—look, I know we’ve only known each other a short time and I know that it sounds dumb, but I feel something when I look at you.

So when I saw what had happened, I freaked and I went into protective mode.

That was wrong of me, I know he’s your husband, and it’s your life. I am sorry.”

I don’t know what is happening, but before I can stop myself I’m on top of her, my lips pressing against hers. I swipe my tongue along her lips, causing Nora to let out a pant and I steal the opportunity, plunging my tongue into her mouth, devouring her sweet taste.

“Baby…” she whispers against my lips. “We can’t.” I ignore her as I slip my hand up her tank top, but she stops me just before I reach her breast.

“Kaitlin.” Using my name, her voice is a little firmer this time. “I want you. But I cannot have you like this, sweetheart.”

“Like what?” I whisper against her lips, brushing mine over them softly. I hear her small whimper as she forces herself to back away.

“It is taking everything I have, to not hurt your husband. I can be your friend. But, Junebug—please, baby, don’t force me to look at what he does to you and tell me I can’t stop him. It will kill me.” I stare at her in confusion for a moment–then it hits me.

While the bruising on my face is light enough now that I can cover it with makeup easily, my cracked ribs are still noticeable. If she moved my shirt, she would see them. If she touched me wrong, it would hurt. I hang my head and nod.

“Would it be easier to keep my distance from you?”

“No,” she says desperately as she grabs my face.

It occurs to me that I don’t flinch when she touches me.

I feel tears fill my eyes and I try to blink them away, but they fall.

I feel Nora’s soft lips kiss my tears. “Don’t cry, Junebug.

” Her voice is as soft and tender as her kisses.

I reach forward and kiss her mouth again.

I run my hand through her short, damp hair and grip it. Nora groans but pushes back.

“No,” she says firmly. “I am doing this not only to protect my feelings, but to protect you, Junebug. You won’t get hurt—” Sam starts snarling and barking at the window. “It’s your husband.”

I sigh and stand up, walking toward the kitchen to busy myself, and to get the tears out of my eyes. James doesn’t knock, he just opens the door. Sam lunges but sits back when Nora’s command is yelled from the back room.

I watch James walk in, holding a bat in his hands and my heart drops.

“J-James?”

“What are you still doing here, Kaitlin?” I show him the large metal bowl that I am mixing Sam’s food into.

“I was giving Sam his food and then coming back home,” I say as I place Sam’s bowl onto his tray.

“What’s the bat for, Jimbo?” I flinch at Nora’s nickname as she walks out with her prosthetic visible and her cane.

“My name is James.” The fact that his teeth aren’t breaking with how tight his jaw is astonishes me.

“Didn’t answer my question, bud.” She smirks as she walks behind the island in her kitchen. “You taking up batting practice?”

“Something like that,” he mutters and I hear his hand tighten on the grip of the bat. Nora nods, feigning amusement.

“That’s awesome, it’s a great stress reliever.

I remember.” She shakes her head while releasing a light chuckle that feels so dark it makes me nervous.

“It’s so funny to think about now. But you know I was a Captain in the army, right?

Surely Katie here has mentioned that to you?

” I feel James’ cold stare on me but I’m too chicken to return it as Nora continues, “I remember being overseas on active duty, right? And as you can imagine, it’s a stressful situation.

You’re in an active war zone, humanity is a luxury you can’t afford.

So a lot of us found different ways to blow off steam, you know?

My way was to see how small of a target I could hit with my rifle.

There was just something so calming about laying there and waiting for the absolute perfect moment.

Just focusing on that small little insignificant spot before releasing the trigger and…

poof .” Nora takes a drink from the water bottle she had gotten from the fridge before smiling at him, never breaking eye contact.

I watch James work his jaw before turning his stare to me. “Are you ready?” I look to Nora then back at him and nod softly.

“Text me later, Katie,” Nora calls before we head out of her home.

The walk home is silent. All I can do is hyperfocus on his hand on the bat. James isn’t an idiot, he wouldn’t hit me or Nora with a bat, I know what it was for—Sam.

James hates dogs, mainly because they all hate him.

I was told by Becky once that you always knew who was up to no good by the way dogs acted around them.

With James, dogs always either cower, or growl and bark.

James was going to try to hurt Sam and Nora, and I had to come up with a way to protect them.

“You’re done with whatever secret shit you’re doing with her,” James says while slamming the door shut after we walk in.

“Don’t think I don’t notice how she looks at you.

” His lip curls as he shoves past me. “First I’m killing that mutt, and then if you continue to sneak around, she’s going to disappear as well. ”

“J-James! What? You… No!” I shout in a voice I don’t recognize as my own. He freezes before spinning around to stare at me.

“What did you just say?”

Squaring my shoulders, I stare him directly in the eyes. “I said no. You hurt her, you hurt Sam, and I will go to the cops. I will tell everyone everything.” James raises a brow as he walks closer to me.

“No one will believe you,” he challenges while backing me against a wall.

“Most may not,” I whisper despite my trembling breath. “But it only takes one in your practice. Just one who may think I’m telling the truth. Once the seeds have been planted—it’s ov—ah!” I cry out as his hand grips my throat, cutting off my air supply.

“You fucking her?” he grinds out while gripping my neck tighter. His hand goes under my dress and I let out a silent cry as he roughly shoves his fingers inside me. His eyes widen when he pulls them out. “You’re wet. Your underwear are fucking wet!”

“James, I—” He snatches me by the back of my hair, dragging me to the kitchen and shoving me face down on the granite countertop.

“Time to remind the pig who she belongs to. You’re in for a long fucking night.”