Love’s Suicide(57)
Author: Jennifer Foor

I opened the door and walked in to find Bobby on the couch. Five beers sat on the table next to him and I could tell they were empty. He looked rough, like he hadn’t showered, or even changed all day. The expression on his face was horrifying, as if he heard and known everything I’d said to Brooks. I put B in her bed before coming out into the living room. Just as I was sitting down in the chair next to him, he startled me by standing up. I watched his tall body come to be standing in front of me. “How was your night? Did Mommy and Daddy have fun together?”

“It wasn’t like that, Bobby. It was about B and you know it.”

He let out a phony air-filled laugh. “Yeah, you keep sayin’ it, but I think I know you a little better than that. So where’d you go?”

“We went to the indoor play park in Columbia.”

“And let me guess, you and pretty boy soldier played catch-up. Did you plan out your future together, because God knows you had plenty of time to.”

I felt bad for staying out so long, and even worse for being guilty of a lot of things he was accusing me of. I had spent the day with Brooks and we did talk about our feelings. As far as making plans to be together, it hadn’t been said out loud, albeit I wasn’t doubting Brooks’ intentions. He wanted me and I knew I’d only be able to fight it for so long. “He was with his daughter, Bobby. It wasn’t about me and him. I told you that I didn’t have to go.”

“Yeah, you said a lot of things. So, I’m just wonderin’ how long this is goin’ to continue? Is he going to file somethin’ with the court? Do I need to start watchin’ my back?”

“What are you talking about? Watching your back?”

He got real flip. “Yeah, like that marksman is goin’ to shoot me dead, watch my back.”

I stood up and walked into the kitchen. “Brooks would never kill someone. Don’t even talk like that.”

He pulled another beer out of the refrigerator. “That man wants you, Katy. It ain’t a secret. He’s goin’ to ride this out for as long as it takes. You’re the only one with blinders on here.”

“Blinders? Bobby, listen to yourself.” I sat down at the table. “Brooks just wants to be a part of his daughter’s life. Right now, he wants to see her every day. It won’t last forever. He’s going to get a bigger place so he can start keeping her overnight and…”

I felt something hitting the back of my head and my face slammed into the table. “He’s not keepin’ her overnight and that’s final. You tell him that, Katy. He thinks he can walk right in here and do what he wants with my daughter, he’s got another thing comin’.”

I was already crying and shaking profusely. Bobby mixed with alcohol and pain was a bad concoction. “We can’t keep him from seeing her and you know why. Please just calm down.” I kept my hands over my head to prevent another blow.

He grabbed my face and squeezed my cheeks together like a child being scorned by their parents. “Don’t you dare tell me what to do. I’m done doin’ shit for you, Katy. If I find out you’re screwin’ around with him, you’ll be sorry. You’re my wife, you hear me?”

He let go of me and I covered my face with my hands. The sting was still there, reminding me of all the other times he’d lost his temper and took it out on me. I should have seen it coming, and been prepared for more.

With my little one asleep a couple rooms over, I knew I couldn’t make him anymore mad at me. I shook my head. “I’m not messing around with him, Bobby. I swear.”

He got back in my face one more time. “Let me find out you’re lyin’, Katy.”

I cried harder. “I’m not, I swear. I’m with you, Bobby. I’m only with you.”

He grabbed my hand and pulled me against his chest. I was petrified that he was going to throw me across the room, but instead he started crying.

I was in trouble and I didn’t know what to do. The only thing I did know was that Brooks couldn’t find out. If he did, he’d kill Bobby with his bare hands and then we’d never be able to be together, because he’d go to jail.

Chapter 33

That following morning I was in no shape to be able to face Brooks. My cheek was bruised and even though I had a small cut on the back of my scalp that I knew I could hide, my head was pounding from it.

Bobby got up and went to work, instead of church. Before he left he acted as if nothing had ever happened. I swear, when he was drinking, he lost all sense of himself and became a monster.

I sat in the kitchen looking at Brooks’ information that he’d left for me the first night he’d come over. I suppose he’d started jotting it down because I wasn’t home at the time. When I showed up, Bobby threw it away, so I dug it out of the trash the next day.

I looked down at my phone and started dialing the number. Since I wasn’t sure if it was a landline or a cell phone, I had to call it instead of leaving a text.

“Sergeant Valentine speaking.”

I laughed, hearing him announcing his name. I guess I wasn’t used to it. “Hey, it’s me, Katy.”

“You don’t have to say your name. I don’t have a slew of women calling me on this number.”

I felt my cheeks reddened, but realized he had been leaving his information because he wanted to meet his daughter, not see me. “Oh. Well, I’m calling to tell you that today won’t be good to come over. Bobby made plans and I didn’t know it.”

I knew he was disappointed.

“Man, I got off early in hopes to spend extra time there.” He paused. “It’s cool. I’ll figure out something else to do. I guess I can always start looking for places. My roommate in the barracks isn’t going to want me bringing a kid to spend the night.”

“I’m sorry, Brooks. I don’t want you to feel like I’m keeping her from you. I’d never do that.”

“It’s fine. I know you wouldn’t keep her from me.”

“So, I better get going. It’s early and I need to get B ready for Sunday school.”

“Can you take a picture and send it to this number? I’d love to be able to show the guys.”

My heart started to patter, feeling his love and excitement for her. I closed my eyes and tried to not get emotional. “Sure.”

“So, I guess I need to hang up now?”

I sat down in the kitchen chair, not ready end our conversation. “What do you do on your days off?”