Copyright © 2019 Nicole Mckoy
Zoey P.O.V.
I stood at his front door knocking franticly.
I had just left Caleb's place and I was scared and didn't know what to do.
I didn't feel like I could call anyone but him.
He opened the front door and we locked eyes.
"Zoey... what the hell happened?" Stewart asked.
"Can I come inside?" I asked.
He nodded and moved back.
I had called Stewart and asked if I could meet him. He texted me his address and said I could come over.
I didn't know who to turn to after what happened with Caleb. I didn't want to go home and have to answer questions from Cheyenne about why my lip was busted.
I knew I couldn't go to Malcolm after I'd curbed him not once but twice for the very person who did this to me.
I felt like with Stewart there was never any judgment and he would just be here for me even if he was my boss.
"Zoey you're shaking," Stewart said.
I walked over to his couch and we sat down.
I was numb. I didn't know how to feel in this moment. I'd never been through anything like this.
"You want to tell me what happened to your face?" Stewart said.
"Caleb...." I said weakly.
"What about Caleb?" Stewart asked seeming already on edge.
"He... he... he did this to me," I said as tears burned my eyes.
"Why?" Stewart asked.
"I... I... I saw your sister today when she left the office. She told me some things about Caleb and I wanted to check them out for myself. I found drugs in his gym bag and destroyed them in the kitchen sink. He lost it and grabbed me. He threw me down twice and pulled my hair. I hit my face on the doorknob that's why my lip is busted. I ran out and he followed me to the parking garage and apologized. I've never seen him like that. It was like something just snapped and he was a totally different person," I cried.
"Well that's typically how addicts operate," Stewart said as he stood up.
"I know I shouldn't be here telling you all this but I didn't have anywhere else to go... anyone else to turn to," I said.
"No I'm glad you came to me. I'm going to make sure he doesn't hurt any other woman again," Stewart said as he picked up his cell phone.
"Wait... what are you doing?" I asked.
"Calling the cops of course," Stewart said.
"NO! Don't do that," I said as I stood up.
I quickly grabbed Stewart's phone away from him.
"Zoey we have to call the cops. You need to press charges against him," Stewart said.
"No one will believe me besides Caleb has legal connections. I mean his father is a judge and his mother is a lawyer. They'd eat me up and spit me out in court if I were to even dare to press charges against him. Besides I have no money and he has a lot of money. Money talks and I'd just be embarrassed anyway that I let this happen," I said.
"First of all you didn't let this happen! Caleb is a fucking addict and his parents know it! If it weren't for them always covering for his punk ass maybe he wouldn't be such a fuck up! If anything they'd pay you to keep your mouth shut! But you don't even need to worry about any of that. I could get you a good lawyer and have Caleb behind bars," Stewart said.
"I don't want him behind bars... He's not a horrible person. He's ... I just need to think. I shouldn't have destroyed his drugs. I had no right to do that. I shouldn't have gone looking for anything in the first place. I should have just left well enough alone," I said blaming myself.
"Zoey don't do that. Don't you dare blame yourself for his recklessness," Stewart said.
"I'm really stupid," I cried.
Stewart pulled me into a hug and I just cried into his chest. He rubbed my back and held me tight comforting me.
What was I going to do?
"Sit on the couch. I'm going to get you a wet wash cloth," Stewart said.
I nodded and pulled away from him.
I went to sit on the couch as he went to his bathroom.
As I sat waiting for him my phone started blowing up.
I looked at it seeing text messages from Caleb.
"Zoe I'm sorry."
"Zoe come back and lets talk."
"I didn't mean what I did."
"Zoe I swear I didn't mean what I did."
"Zoe talk to me!"
"Zoe!"
"Come on reply to me!"
"I never meant to hurt you babe!"
I turned off my phone not wanting to read any more of Caleb's sorry ass messages.
How could he put his hands on me like that? I was just trying to help him. He was better than using coke.
Why couldn't he see that I had just been trying to help him?
Stewart came back into the room and had a wet wash cloth in his hands.
He sat down beside me and gently cleaned up my busted lip.
"Fucking prick. Doesn't know a good thing when he's got it," Stewart mumbled.
"Thank you... for helping me," I said as he pulled the wash cloth away from my lip.
"We can still go press charges," Stewart said.
"No. I don't want to do that. I mean I don't really like the police," I said.
"Why?" Stewart asked.
"Well growing up when I was little I remember police men raiding my child hood home. I still remember seeing my father pinned to the ground with his hands behind his back," I recalled.
"I'm sorry," Stewart said.
"Why? You weren't the local drug dealer dealing out of your home while having a child that depended on you," I said.
"Your father use to deal drugs?" Stewart asked.
I nodded.
"Yeah he did and my mother use to use them frequently. I still remember being the one to find her when she overdosed. I guess that's why I destroyed the drugs tonight. Because I watched those same drugs destroy my parents. I don't want them to destroy Caleb," I said.
"You can't save him..." Stewart said.
"How do you know? Up until tonight I've never seen Caleb act like that," I said.
"He acted like that because he was desperate. You never know what a desperate person is capable of and that's something to be afraid of Zoey," Stewart said.
"Thank you for being here for me. I know it's kind of strange with you being my boss and all," I said.
"Zoey you can always come to me. Boss or not I'm here for you... whatever you need," Stewart said.
"Thanks," I said as I hugged him.
I never expected the person I'd be able to turn to in this kind of situation to be Stewart. But I was so glad he was here for me.
Caleb P.O.V.
"Hey Zoe it's me Caleb. Babe I'm sorry. Again I didn't mean to blow up on you like that. You know I didn't mean it. I was angry and things just got out of hand. Please call me... don't shut me out," I said as I left yet another message on Zoey's phone.
Since she ran out I'd been calling and texting her to apologize.
I didn't want her going to the police or anything. I didn't want anyone to know what happened between us tonight.
I just needed Zoey to call me back. I needed her to forgive me and keep her mouth shut.
I promise I won't blow up on her again.
I just needed her to hear me out.
I sat on my couch scratching the back of my neck going crazy.
I hope Zoey calls me back. I hope she doesn't tell anyone what happened here tonight.
I hope she forgives me.
I couldn't sit here and do nothing. I had to go see her.
I got up and grabbed my keys.
I left my condo and went over to Zoey's place.
She has to talk to me. She has to forgive me.
I sped over to Zoey's place on edge.
I needed to see her beautiful face and make sure I didn't hurt her too bad.
When I got to her apartment complex I didn't see the G-Wagon parked in her usual spot.
Shit she didn't come home yet.
Fuck!
She probably at the police station as I sit here telling them everything that happened tonight.
Damn I'm going to jail again!
Fuck how will my parents get me out of this mess this time!
Maybe I should call my mom and give her a heads up.
Maybe I'm overthinking this.
Zoey might have just gone for a drive to clear her mind and might go back to my condo so we can talk about this like adults.
I pulled out my phone and called Zoey again.
It went straight to voicemail.
"Zoe I know I probably scared you babe. I didn't mean to. I'm sorry. I know I lost it and that wasn't right. You and I are in a relationship though and people in relationships go through shit. But they go through that shit privately. Babe come back over and lets handle this like adults. Come over and talk to me like a grown woman and lets get back on track," I said as I left her another message.
Damn it!
Zoey where the fuck are you!
I threw my phone on the dashboard in frustration.
I opened my glove compartment and I felt relief.
I forgot I had one gram of coke left in here.
Man did I need a hit right now.
I sprinkled out the last bit of coke I had and snorted it all.
I felt myself calming down and being put at ease instantly.
Zoey will call me back. She'll forgive me.
I know I can smooth things over if given the chance.
I know we'll get through this together.