A Happy Coincidence

Chapter 10

Carmen

He refused to talk about it.

He's been so angry all day.

I helped the kids with their homework and bathed them, but he's been snapping all day.

He changed the gate code. He changed the locks to the house.

He made dinner loudly, refused to let me help clean with dinner.

He wouldn't let me do anything.

Now the kids are in bed, and Tyler's upstairs, and I'm downstairs, and I keep walking to the stairs, nervous to go up there.

I remind myself that I didn't do anything wrong, and I go upstairs.

I stop outside the door, hesitating, and then I let myself in.

He's lying on the bed, fully clothed, shoes and everything, staring at the ceiling.

I shut the door quietly, and I just stand there.

I don't say anything, but I know he knows I'm here.

I hesitate for a moment, and then I set my phone on the nightstand and go across the room. I take off my jeans and shirt and bra and pull on a white tank top and a pair of dark blue loose pajama shorts.

Hesitating, I cross the room, sitting down on my side of the bed.

He doesn't move, and he doesn't look away from the ceiling.

I turn around, plugging my phone in, and then I turn back around, sitting with my legs crossed. I don't say anything; I just start twisting the rings.

"In the last three days, I've lied to you about remembering, remembered, gotten drunk, thrown you, the keys, and everything into a lake, I've raped you, watched you get shoved by a grown ass man, watch you almost get knocked out by a grown ass man, nearly choked him for hurting you...what's next?"

Silence.

"Tyler, Shaun and I used to fist fight all the time." I whisper.

He starts shaking his head, and his jaw tightens.

"Yeah? When's the last time?"

I sigh.

"I dunno? I was fifteen, he was twelve?"

"You were children. He's twenty nine years old. He's grown."

"I know." I whisper. "But he's my brother."

"You brother." He stands up. "He's a shit brother! Manhandling you like that! You're...you're a girl! You don't hit a girl-you don't hit anybody!" his voice is rising. "I don't give a flying fuck who he is. You don't hit a girl. Ever. And then Delaney, and everyone else, except my brother, they fucking thought I raped you? That it was fingerprints on your neck. Fuck this shit. Fuck this family. Fuck your brother. Fuck Delaney. Everyone can go fuck themselves. I'm cutting them off. I won't be going over there, and none of my children will be either. I can't control you, but my kids, I have a say over them. I don't want them anywhere near eyesight of any of them, except for maybe my parents and my brother and Caroline. That's it. I need a fucking break. I'm so sick of the constant drama!"

"I know." I whisper. "I know baby, I know."

He takes a deep breath, and I see him calming down.

Shaking his head, he takes off his clothes, tossing them into the hamper.

He's in just his boxers now. He gets back in the bed.

"How are your hands?" he sighs.

I shrug.