Page 56 of Sin

“You mean with Tyson?”

“Yes.” She turns around, uneasiness present on her face.

“It was pretty bad.” I answer.

*****

“We are so late.” I say as Jenni and I get into the car to head back to Tyson’s house. I had just moved in with him two weeks ago. Since I moved in, I haven’t been able to spend any real time with Jenni.

“Seriously?” She questions as she starts her car. “Are you twelve? Do you have a curfew?”

“No.” I defend myself. “But it’s just common courtesy to be home when I said I would. I told him ten and it’s now after midnight.”

“You texted him. He knew you were staying out.”

“He didn’t respond. What if he didn’t get it? What if he’s worried?”

“Um, then the asshat should have called you.”

It’s no secret that Jenni has never really liked Tyson. I think it was the first night that she noticed some of the digs he made my way. I didn’t catch them, and really didn’t agree with her, but since then, Tyson has always left a bad taste in her mouth.

We pull up to the house. It’s a medium colonial style two story plus a basement. The large plush green lawn runs for days out front and around the back. Big maple trees outline the property, making the entire view inviting. The inside is down classic south; Tyson told me his mom had it decorated so it wouldn’t look too much like a bachelor pad. The walls have wainscoting, wood accents, and vaulted ceilings. It's hardwood throughout with tons of high-end throw and area rugs. Tyson’s mom made it clear that even though I’m living with Tyson, it’s still a Redding home and until my last name matches Tyson’s, I will do nothing but live there and not change a single throw pillow. Her rules are totally fine by me since I couldn’t care less what colors best accent the darkness of the hardwood or the coolness of the granite. I’m not with Tyson for his house or his money.

The engine cuts out once we reach the driveway. My car Is parked in its spot and Tyson’s is probably in one of the spots in the three-car garage. Why isn’t my car parked in the garage? Well, it leaks oil and I didn’t want to stain the garage’s slick painted floors. Okay, so Tyson told me he didn’t want me to stain the floors, but I totally understand. I wouldn’t want that either. “Hey, Jenni, maybe we should just call it a night?” I noticed the lights are on in the bottom part of the house, but that doesn’t mean that Tyson’s home, plus it’s late and I really want to get to bed so I can get a jump start on the paper I have to write for Business History.

“Are you sure?” She asks while to stares up at the house. “It’s no bother.”

“Yeah, I’m just gonna head in and go to bed. I’m not sure if Tyson’s home. He may be out too. Maybe that’s why he didn’t answer my texts.”

“Okay, I’ll see you soon.” We lean into each other, wrapping each other in a tight embrace.

“I’ll call you.” I say into her curly hair. “We’ll do lunch or something.” I feel her nod in agreement.

I stand on the porch and watch her back down the driveway, pull into the street and drive away. I start to use my key to unlock the door when it’s ripped open. Tyson is standing there, firmly gripping the wood of the door. His nostrils flare as his breathes heavily. His mouth is in a tight line, staring at me without so much as a blink. My heart slams in to my chest and my hands go clammy. I feel my legs grow weak as they begin to shake. I’m freaked by his sudden opening of the door and I feel like I need to run, far away from Tyson. “Where the fuck have you been, Savannah?” He growls.

“I, um, I’m later than I thought.” I try to swallow. “Didn’t you get my text?” I look into the house that he’s blocking me from entering. My eyes meet his again, and they’ve become manic. The browns of his eyes have turned into molten chocolate. His nostrils still flare as his jaw ticks. I take a step back when his hand shoots out and grabs me by the wrists. He pulls me into his chest then I hear the door slam close right before he slams me into it. His forearm comes up over my throat and he begins to apply pressure.

“Where the fuck have you been?” I can feel saliva hit my face as he repeats the question.

“Tyson–” I grab at his arm digging my nails into his flesh hoping he will ease up a bit.

“Answer me, Goddamn it!” He screams.

“You know where.” Tears start to well up in my eyes. My heart is pounding in my chest and I feel like I’m going to be sick with nerves.

He moves his arm and I slouch in relief only to feel his fingers wrap around my throat. He slams my head up against the door, causing me to see stars. “What” slam “the fuck” slam “were you doing,” slam “to make you so late?” slam. The tears roll down my cheeks as my head begins to ache.

“We just wanted to stay out later.” I say between sobs. “I didn’t think it was a big deal.” I continue to grab at his hands.

“That’s right, your ass didn’t think. Do you know how many bitches I can get to wet my dick, Savannah? Do you know how much pussy the Redding name can get me? But here I am waiting on your stupid ass. I don’t know why the fuck I bother with you, if you can’t remember to fucking think.” He slams my head against the door one more time and drops me.

*****

“Holy crap, Savannah.” The bed dips next to me as Jenni sits down. “I had no clue.” She rubs her hand along my back. “I knew that he was controlling, but I had no idea that it was abusive.”

“Yeah, it was. That was the first night he put his hands on me. I took that shower, and went to bed. He came in later but didn’t say anything. I pretended I was asleep. I didn’t know what had gotten into him. He never mentioned it and it was months before it happened again.”

We spend the next couple of hours talking and giggling as we did when we were kids. The stress of adulthood has been forgotten for the time being. It’s just the two of us, walking down memory lane and speaking of the hopes for our future. “So you plan on staying for a while?” I ask her.