Coffee Shop | Elizabeth Olsen

3: House Guest

"I'm just going to the bathroom," I tell Lizzie she looked in my direction and went back to her busy day of sitting and doing nothing but holding herself together. I went into the back and locked the bathroom door. I held the sink tight and took deep breaths looking at myself in the mirror. "You're okay. You're okay. You're okay." I repeat to myself until I got rid of the watery eyes. I practised my smile a few times making sure it looked believable before going back out there. 

I didn't call my mum back. I finished my food and threw a large portion of it away before starting to turn off some of the machines and clean up from today. I prep the kitchen for tomorrow, it's my day off so I like to know everything is running okay when I'm not in. I work 6 days a week when I'm in LA to help mum out and give her a break. She needed this break more than anybody. 

"I'm gonna lock the doors," I tell Lizzie, as I walked through the tables to the door. I locked the doors and turned the sign to closed before going back to the kitchen to continue prepping. I didn't want anyone to come in when I wasn't there and they be waiting plus I can't see anyone coming in at 8:30. On a Saturday for tea. When I finished placed a plate in its rightful place and jumped at the banging from out front. I rushed out there to see a bearded man banging at the door. "Let me in!" I looked at Lizzie her eyes were wide. "Sir we're closed," I tell him not approaching the door but coming around the counter. "I can see her in there, open the door!" He banged on the glass again. "That's my fucking wife open the God damn door!" He banged again. I looked at Lizzie. "Do you know him?" "Please don't open the door." She said her hands were quivering and she looked panicked. "Come, let's take you into the back." She stood up slowly and he started kicking the door, it's an old door and he shattered the glass in it unlocking it himself. My breath got caught in my throat. 

"You think you can hide from me all day! Ignore my calls." He stank of alcohol, it was appalling. "I will always find you. Get home." "No," Lizzie said in a timid small voice. "Liz you are my wife! Get home now!" "I don't want to. I told you last night we're done!" He picked her laptop and threw it at us, she squealed and we both managed to dodge it but the laptop was definitely broken. I hope she has external hard drives. 

"You need to leave or I'll call the police." "Stay out of this." "You've just kicked my door in, I will not stay out of this!" I say getting annoyed. I stand slightly in front of Lizzie seeing how scared she was. "Get out." "Make me." He stepped towards me. I looked up at him slightly keeping my face firm. "Men like you don't scare me," I tell him calmly. He shoved me but I was ready for it so I didn't fall back too much. "That's assault." I make it clear. I slowly reach for a teapot on the table and smash it against his head. "and that's self-defence." I managed to sneak attack him and he stumbled "Get the hell out of here!" I shouted shoving him until he was at the door. 

I stood on the street watching him walk away shouting curses at me. "Ma'am, are you okay?" A man passing asked me. "Yeah." I nodded. "Um, I need to go, and um." I was in a little bit of shock. "I'll call the police." He leads me inside. He stayed by the door almost on guard. I blinked a few times and looked around my eyes landing on Lizzie who was hyperventilating. 

"Hey, hey he's gone," I say rushing over to her. "He's gone, you're safe." I went to touch her but retracted my hands quickly. "You're safe, Elizabeth." I tell her firmly. "here come sit in the back." I lead her through and sat her on the reclining chair we had back here for our breaks it was Dad's old chair from our house. I sat her down and got her a bottle of water out of the fridge. "Take some deep slow breaths." I guide her through it as I unscrew the lid, when her breathing was slowed I handed her the water. "I'm sorry." "It's okay, just focus on your breathing okay, slow breaths," I tell her. 

"Ma'am." I look over my shoulder. "I'll be back in a minute." "Don't leave." She held my wrist. "You're safe in here, I just need to see what he wants." She nodded slowly letting go. I went out. "The police are here, also these two men." The man who had been so kind to help pointed to my brothers. I ran to them and Jr lifted me up and held me. "We saw on the cameras and came as soon as we could, we were out at dinner," Tony explained. I took a quick sharp breath coming down from what had happened. "You looked badass with the teapot." "The doors are broken," I say as Jr sat me back down on my feet but still held onto me. Tony went to speak to the man who helped me inside.