“You piece of shit,” he yelled in a nasally wet voice even as his hands reached up for his face.
And then arms were wrapped around me, pulling me back as I fought against the restraint. “Let me go,” I raged.
But the arms were strong, and when the man sprawled across the pool table stood back up, there was nothing standing in the way of him and me. He stalked up to me, grabbed my shoulders, and then brought his knee straight up into my groin. My breath left my lungs as my restrained body tried desperately to double over. My skin flushed as the agony coursed through my guts and down to my balls. The nausea nearly left me vomiting on the floor, and my body slumped as my head pounded and I tried to pass out.
“I’m calling the fucking cops, you stupid fucking assholes,” the bartender shouted.
I stopped paying attention after that, let my head drop, and closed my eyes. I inhaled and exhaled deeply, exhaustion slowing my brain even as pain coursed through me. A strange relief came over me. It wasn’t a new relief. I knew this feeling even if I didn’t understand it. Hell, I was pretty sure I’d gone looking for it.
She stared at me with her arms crossed on her chest when I stepped through the large security door. She looked furious.
“Hell,” I said, my voice rough and scratchy as I walked toward her. “Thanks for—”
“Go fuck yourself,” she muttered, and then she turned and stormed out of the police station.
I followed, shaking my head as I walked. Pain was pulsing through my brain, and my gate was lazy. I was quite sure I was still half fucking drunk. It was dark out now. The day had somehow gotten away from me. This wasn’t how I’d expected my Tuesday to go.
I’d not stopped thinking about her since class the previous Wednesday night, and it had started to consume me. I would zone out even as I rolled a paint brush over a wall or pounded a nail into something. It wasn’t a fun thing for me leaving things on a bad note with Helene. Any other person in the world, no problem. But her … it was like nothing in the world, not fighting, not drinking, not even fucking could give me an ounce of peace. So when Tia called just before lunchtime, saying her afternoon class had been canceled and suggesting I knock off for the day and join her for some fun, it was an easy decision.
I was in handcuffs praying my balls wouldn’t fall off by one-thirty. And now it was five-thirty, and apparently my charges were simple enough that an arraignment wasn’t necessary. Nothing at all about what I’d done that day was simple.
“How did you even get my cell phone number?” she asked as she yanked her car door open.
I stood on the passenger side, watching her over the roof of the car. “It was on your syllabus.”
She gaped at me. “And that somehow translated into an invitation to call me the first time you got arrested?” she asked rudely.
“Wasn’t the first time I got arrested,” I muttered as I pulled the car door open and climbed in. My balls felt like dangling bruises, and my cheek burned. My head was pounding, and while I couldn’t remember for sure what had happened to my elbows, they seared with the same hot heat I felt in my cheek. “Thanks for bailing me out,” I said even as I stretched my jaw and pressed on the joint with my thumb.
“Why didn’t you just call Shawn?” she asked. Her voice was cold and angry. “I’m guessing he’d be a little less shocked by all this than me.”
I glanced over at her as I stretched my neck, feeling my bones crack. “His wife doesn’t like me very much, and I doubt posting bail for me would be her idea of money well spent.” I tried to smirk, but the corner of my mouth split open, and I hissed.
“And you think it’s mine?” Her voice was shrill.
“I’ll pay you back, Hell.”
She started her car and pulled away from the curb, saying nothing else.
“Will you take me to your place?” I didn’t look at her when I asked the question. I knew she was mad enough at me to put her own fist through my face, so inviting myself over was likely the last thing in the world she wanted to hear.
She pulled up to a stop light, and I could feel her eyes boring holes into me as she glared some more. “You must be kidding—”
“Listen,” I finally snapped back at her. “I don’t have any water right now. They’re replacing part of the main, and I have no way to get this mess cleaned up.” I sighed loudly but it was as much frustration as anything else. “I’m sorry,” I tried again. “If it’s too much to ask, just drop me off at home, and I’ll deal with it. But my fucking head is killing me, and it would be great if you could just be pissed at me after my headache’s gone away.”