“What the fuck are you doing?” I hear Liam shout loudly. Other customers are moving away from the scene, some of them leave. I step off the stage and stand with my band mates.
The man looks at Liam with menacing eyes. “Nothing,” he says through gritted teeth. “I’ll be back,” he says to Jenna. He doesn’t just let go of her arm; he tears his hand away causing her to scream out in pain. She falls into Harrison’s chest.
Liam steps in front of the man. “If you need someone to pick on, I’m right here, big boy.”
The man side-steps Liam and walks out of the café.
“We’re closing,” Josie shouts out to the remaining clientele. “Don’t worry about your tabs. It’s on the house tonight.”
Katelyn and Josie usher everyone out while Harrison holds a now crying Jenna. I feel like a total shit for not reacting sooner.
“Who was that?” I ask, no longer willing to be a spectator here.
“My ex-husband,” she says through her sobs. She’s the only one breathing right now because we are all standing here, not knowing what to say and, judging by the expressions on Josie and Katelyn’s faces, the ex being here is not a good thing.
“I’M sorry. I’m so sorry, Princess. I didn’t mean to. Look at me.” He pulls up my face. His eyes full of tears as his thumb lightly caresses my cheekbone. I want to think those tears are for me, but how can I be sure? My husband, the man who vowed to love and protect me, did the unimaginable. I flinch and try to pull away, but his fingers dig into my neck. “Forgive me,” he whispers as his lips touch mine.
I nod, fearful of my voice betraying me. I’ve never been hit in my life, not even when I was a child. But my husband of three months just backhanded me. His hand flew across my face. His knuckles crashed into my cheek as his arm extended. It’s my fault, I know. I should feel lucky that he’s still sitting here with me since I accidentally kneed him.
He pulls me into his arms and onto his lap. He rocks me back and forth, holding me tighter and tighter. I wrap my arms around him afraid to let go. I cry into his shoulder as I try to figure out what just happened. I know he didn’t mean it, but that doesn’t lessen the fact that it happened.
“I love you, Princess.” He says this over and over again in between placing kisses on my face. “You need ice. I’ll go get you some.” He moves me off his lap and onto the bed. I’m scared to look at my face. I don’t want to know what I look like. If the pain that I feel is substantial, I’m sure the evidence is going to be horrifying. I lie down, caref
ul not to bump my cheek. I’m trying not to cry, but the tears come regardless. My heart is breaking.
Damien returns with a bag of ice and a towel. He is gentle when he touches my face. I hiss at the pressure being applied, but know I need it, even if I don’t want it. He crawls in the bed and sits behind me, cradling me to his body. He fits against me because we are made for each other. This is how I love to sleep, with his chest against my back, but right now I want to curl up into a ball and hide away from him and everyone else.
I jump slightly when I hear the door lock. Harrison has one arm wrapped around me. His body is tense though. I can feel the strain in his muscles.
“Who was that?” Jimmy asks again. I close my eyes and wait for the room to stop spinning. I knew he’d find me, but after being gone for so long I hoped he’d stop caring. I shouldn’t have stayed here for so long.
“That, apparently, is her ex-husband,” Josie says from behind me. She puts her hand on my back, reassuring me. It’s not going to work. I need to leave Beaumont. I can’t stay here and let them be in danger.
As I move away from Harrison he takes my arm and guides me to the nearest chair. Everything moves slowly, in a blur. Josie and Katelyn sit down, one on each side of me. Each places a hand on my back. They hover because they don’t know what else to do. Me? I just want to scream and head to the bus station with no destination in mind and start over.
Liam and Harrison pull out a couple of chairs and sit down. Jimmy stands off to the side, staring. I try to offer him a smile, a weak one at that, but that doesn’t change his expression. His eyes are cold.
“Jenna?” Liam says my name so quietly that I can barely hear him over the sounds in my head. I feel like my head is submerged in water. All I can hear is Damien warning me that he’ll be back in his cold, menacing voice. Everything echo’s around me. I jump when the coffee machine clicks, alerting us that it’s gone into sleep mode from lack of use.
My hands are clammy. I’m sweating. My teeth hurt from grinding them together, the learned response before another blow comes to my face.
“Jenna?” Liam says again. I look at him and wish I hadn’t. The rage mixed with pity is the same look my father gave me the night he picked me up from my marital home. Somehow I think if I give him the okay, he’ll hunt down Damien and make sure he can’t bother me again. I’ll have to tell him the same thing I told my dad: I can take care of it, which is a lie.
I close my eyes and cry into my palms. Josie and Katelyn both hug me as I sob. I don’t mean to be like this, but I can’t help it. I don’t want to leave them but I have no choice. I won’t put them in harm’s way. They’ve all been so good to me, but this is the only option I have.
“I didn’t even know she was married.” I hear Harrison say.
“This is bullshit,” Jimmy says. I feel the table shift. “Jenna, who the fuck was that guy?”
“Her ex, JD, she’s already said.” Harrison answers.
“Yeah, I understand that, but what the fuck just happened? He was angry and he hurt her.”
“Jenna, you need to tell them before Jimmy goes crazy,” Josie whispers in my ear. I nod and wipe my tears. When I look up the guys are watching me, intently. Each one of them looks confused, but also angry.
I take a deep breath and close my eyes. “I was married to him for three years. I left one night when he went on a business trip.”
“Why?” Liam asks.