Shayna opened the door and smiled,
�Hi sweetie.� She frowned slightly as Bill walked by her and didn't return her greeting or attempt to hug or kiss her. She sat on the couch and watched as he pulled a bottle of alcohol and poured himself a drink,
�So, what�s up?� He continued to make his drink and she knew something was something was wrong,
�Bill, what�s wrong?� Her eyes followed him as he carried his drink and his bottles and made his way to the couch,
�Nothing.� She could tell it was something but she decided to let it for the moment,
�Ok, look I need to go to the grocery store I�ll be back soon.� She waited briefly for a response but all she got was a slight groan and shook her head, grabbed her keys and walked out the door.
She was gone a lot longer than she planned. She met up with one of her friends and they ended up shopping together and catching up on things. She made the first trip up the stairs and unlocked the door calling out,
�Hey, I need some help.� She made her way back downstairs and came back up to see he still hadn�t got up to help her,
�Ugh, whatever. Men.� She made her last trip to the car and came back up to see him lying on the couch watching TV,
�Thanks for the help.� She carried the bags into the kitchen and jumped when he called out,
�Where have you been?� She was busy putting things away,
�I met up with a friend in the store and we started talking and lost track of time.�
�A friend? Who? Nick?� He stood up and for the first time she noticed his bottle on the table was almost empty,
�Uh, no baby. It was a female.� She continued to put the food away but his mention of Nick made her nervous,
�So, what did you do last night?� Her eyes darted as tried to remember exactly what she told him,
�I went out with the girls. Why?� She stiffened as he came near her in the kitchen,
�What did you do?�
�We just hung out, really. So, do you want anything to eat?� He took a hold of her arm and pulled her out of the kitchen,
�When is the last time you saw Nick?� Her eyes widened slightly but they were enough for him to notice and her stomach dropped at the sight of his wry smile. People usually don�t ask such question unless they know the answer but what if he didn�t know,
�I don�t know. I don�t remember.� His eyes narrowed,
�You don�t remember? You don�t remember last night?� She couldn�t speak. She shook her head and frowned as he continued,
�Last night, you spent the night with him.� She wasn�t going to deny it, he obviously knew but she didn't want to admit it either,
�Bill�I-� He snorted,
�Don�t deny it Shayna, I know.� She looked down and her mind was racing,
�How?� He laughed and she cringed,
�How did I know?� He seemed to wait for a response and she simply nodded her head,
�I followed you last night.� A loud breath escaped her as she heard his words,
�So, I know that wasn�t the first time Shayna. When did it start? Or did you two ever stop?� She looked up at him, her eyes full of fear,
�Yes, we did�stop. I�it started a few months ago�but not all the time and I stopped it, I did�and last night I just went over to talk and�and I�m sorry�he just-� His grip on her arm tightened,
�He just what? He initiated it?� No, he didn�t but it would be even worse if she admitted everything to him,
�Yes. I�m sorry�it was a mistake.� Before she knew it she was on the floor looking up at him,
�I can�t believe you.� The tears ran down her face as she held her cheek,
�You hit me.� He picked her up and slapped her again, this time she stumbled backwards and screamed as he grabbed her shoulders and shoved her against the wall,
�If you ever see him again, it will be the last thing you do.� Her eyes widened as she blinked rapidly from hitting her head on the wall. He simply let her go and walked into the bedroom. She slid down the wall and cried. She always said she would never let that happen to her but it was all so quick that it was over before it started. All she could do was stand there and play the victim role because she didn't know what else to do. She froze and she didn�t know if she cried because he hurt or because she wasn�t strong enough to stop him. She would forget the pain of his hands on her, of her head against the wall but she would never forget how insignificant it made her feel. She felt less than human. Her feelings, her pride he made her feel as if none of that was important, none of that mattered. She stood up and grabbed his bottle it was practically all gone. He drank that much that fast? He was drunk and she was scared. She may have frozen before but she didn't want to deal with him again. She walked over grabbed her keys and snuck out the door.
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Chapter 54