“So then what happened?” he urges me on.
“Well, my Dad tried to stay with Eleanore, but the fighting just got worse. And then she started doing some really bizarre things. She disappeared for weeks at a time, having affairs and then coming back like nothing had ever happened. And every time she came back they would have a huge fight.”
“In the end, he finally decided he wanted her to leave. But she’d just keep coming back. We’d call the cops, but she was always gone by the time they got there. She started stalking both of us… at work, at home, anywhere we went. She hacked into our phone records, financial records, everything. She was smart, too smart. That’s when we started filing restraining orders. The police tried to charge her with stalking several times, but the charges always fell through because the judge said there wasn’t enough evidence. The restraining orders were just useless pieces of paper, and I swear it just made her more determined to get to us.”
“You must have been so scared,” Gabriel says quietly, massaging my shoulders as I speak.
“I guess I was scared sometimes, but it was the only life I knew, so it wasn’t really scary so much as frustrating.”
“So what ended up happening to Eleanore, then?” he asks.
“Well, after my Dad filed for divorce, she got really violent with both of us. One day, he was at work and she showed up at the house when I was alone. She cut the phone lines and smashed out the windows to break inside. I tried to run, but she pushed me down the stairs.”
Gabriel closes his eyes, cursing under his breath. I know he doesn’t like hearing it, but he asked, and I’m afraid he’s opened Pandora’s Box.
“When I woke up,” I continue, “I was in the hospital. And I didn’t even remember anything after falling down. I had a broken arm and a bad concussion. The police tried to charge Eleanore, but since there were no witnesses they dropped the charges again. When my Dad came and found me there, he was a nervous wreck. He couldn’t believe she’d hurt me that bad. And I was so tired of pretending that everything was okay, I finally broke down and told him. All of the torment, the abuse I’d endured over the years. It broke his heart, and he swore he’d never let her hurt me again.”
My throat constricts as I try to explain what happened after that.
“That night, while he stood vigil by my bed… he died from a massive heart attack. The Doctors said it was too much stress. I always thought maybe if I hadn’t told him the truth, things would have been different.”
Gabriel takes me into his arms, soothing me as he rubs my back. “No, Victoria,” he says firmly. “You can’t blame yourself for what happened. If it’s anyone’s fault it’s that evil fucking bitch. You didn’t deserve this, any of this. And I’m sure your father would have wanted to know the truth, no matter how much it hurt.”
I nod slightly, knowing he’s right. My father said as much before he died.
“I’ve tried so hard to forget,” I say regretfully, closing my eyes. “But it haunts me. I’ll be fine, and then something triggers that one memory or emotion. And it just hits me like a freight train.”
Gabriel reaches down and cups my chin, bringing my eyes back to his. “Victoria, you deserve nothing but the best. After everything you’ve been through, to be the kind of woman that you are today, you deserve so much more. And I have every intention of giving you that.”
I smile weakly. “I wish I could agree with you, but you still haven’t heard the worst part.”
“What is it?” he frowns.
“Well, to put it simply, it’s still happening. I can never get away from her. I’ve tried, God, believe me, I have tried. But she’s always one step behind me, waiting for me to screw up somehow.”
I slump my shoulders and rub my exhausted eyes.
“What do you mean?” he asks in disbelief. “She’s still stalking you… that’s who you’ve been running from?”
“Yes,” I reply. “She’ll never stop. I’ve learned that the hard way.”
“The fire?” he asks. “Was that her too?”