So I asked Carla if she’d come to my house while I did what I had to do.

“Sure,” she agreed. I watched her pour the kids each a bowl of cereal. She did her best to act as if nothing had happened. She didn’t want to scare the kids. I guessed she probably didn’t even want me to know how bad this upset her. But I had some idea.

After breakfast, we all walked down to my house. I noticed Carla intentionally avoid looking at Bernie’s house. She brought her head up and stiffened her shoulders, but she never even glanced in his direction. It made me smile to see her pride prevail over her fear. She was stronger than I’d given her credit for. I wondered if maybe she wasn’t putting on a brave front. Maybe she was really okay.

The three of them stayed downstairs while I showered and dressed upstairs. It was good to hear laughter in the house. It had been so long.

We ended up staying the day at my house. We played board games with the kids, we watched cartoons, we had lunch on the back patio, and at the end of the day, we ordered pizza for dinner and watched a movie.

The kids each fell asleep in the chairs they were sitting in. I retrieved blankets from the linen closet and covered them.

Carla and I sat for a while on the couch, looking at the television but not really watching it.

“How am I going to get them home now?” Carla asked, referring to the sleeping children.

I laughed. “Who said you’re going home?”

She looked at me and smiled. “You want me to stay?”

“Of course I want you to stay.” It was true. I did want her to stay, even though it would be difficult. After all, we’d be sleeping in the same bed Holly and I had slept in. In the off chance that Carla was up to it, we’d even be making love there. It would be odd and slightly uncomfortable perhaps, but it was certainly what I wanted.

Carla kissed me passionately, which led to us calling it a night. We turned off the TV and all the lights except for a lamp before heading upstairs.

Carla took her clothes off, all of them. I wasn’t sure she would, but she did. I did the same. We got in bed and lay there in each other’s arms for a long time, not speaking. I wasn’t sure what to say, but it didn’t matter. I was content with no words being exchanged. With her, silence was just as good and fulfilling as intent conversation.

“You don’t mind if we skip doing anything tonight, do you?” In her voice, I heard a type of reluctance, as if she were afraid I’d be mad at her for not wanting to have sex.

“No, I don’t mind. Don’t be silly. We don’t have to do that all the time, you know. And after last night, I wouldn’t blame you if it was a while before you wanted to do it again.”

I felt her relax against me once she realized that I wouldn’t be mad at her. It bothered me a little that she had thought that at all, but I could understand. I felt better knowing that now she knew she was what was important to me, not the lovemaking.

I lay there in the dark holding Carla. I could tell by her shallow breathing she’d fallen asleep.

Now all I had to do was slip out without waking her or the kids.

42 Owen

I grabbed my clothes quietly and took them downstairs where I dressed in silence, determined to not wake Carla or the kids. Without a sound, I slipped out of the house and into the night.

I was exhausted. I had dozed off at Carla’s before Bernie’s crap, and I had just barely fallen asleep on the couch before day broke. A total of about two or three hours sleep at best. I needed sleep. I wanted sleep. It would get my sleeping schedule back on track finally.

But first, I had things to do.

I yawned as I walked down the street to Carla’s house. I wanted desperately to get back to my cozy bed and snuggle up with a naked Carla.

No lights were on in any of the houses at this end of the street. I wasn’t surprised. It was late, just after midnight. In a town of twelve thousand people, there wasn’t much to do after midnight.

I went around to the back door, the same door Bernie had broken into. I saw the damage he’d caused. It didn’t prevent the door from closing or locking, but a light push opened it right up.

I shut the door behind me and went through the house, turning on a light to examine the room, and then turning the light off before going to the next room. I couldn’t see any other damage he’d caused. I didn’t really figure I would find anything broken or missing. I had a clear impression that he’d only broken in for one reason. And had I not been here with her, he’d have gotten exactly what he wanted. And if that had happened...I didn’t want to think about that.

I yawned as I walked upstairs, led only by the light of the streetlamps that came through the windows.

I shuddered when I saw Carla’s bed. The memory of Bernie’s face as he ruined her bed covers was burned into my mind. Before, looking at her bed brought wonderful images to mind, but not now. Bernie had ruined it. It was no wonder Carla didn’t want to sleep in this bed. I wondered if she ever would. I also wondered if she had nightmares of Bernie touching her. Maybe she was having a nightmare right now.

I hurried to finish what I had to do so I could get back to her.

I clicked the light on in Carla’s bedroom and saw she had already stripped the bed of the linens ruined by the monster next door. They were at the foot of the bed in a heap. I knew she wanted them burned, but I would put them in trash bags and set them at the curb. I didn’t think it mattered whether they were burned, as long as they were gone. I was as eager to be rid of them as she was.

I found some fresh blankets and sheets and put them on the bed. I knew it wouldn’t erase the memory of what happened, but it was a start.

I flicked off the light and picked up the heap of ruined linens. I yawned again as I walked out of the bedroom.

I was halfway down the stairs when I heard it.

43 Bernie

I didn’t need the screwdriver I’d brought me with me to open the door so I tucked it in my back pocket.

My excitement grew as I crept through the house. I made a little noise in the kitchen when I opened a drawer and removed the largest knife I could find. The clink of the silverware was deafening in the still house, but surely only to me.

It had been so exciting last night to fondle her while she slept. It would’ve been even better to be inside her as she woke.

Even though she’d dealt a nasty blow to my privates, I’d still managed to keep a boner most of the day. That boner now throbbed and tingled, knowing what was getting ready to happen. It was time to take care of it.

I headed upstairs.

44 Owen

I heard a noise downstairs and froze in my tracks. My mind raced. I knew it had to be Bernie. Who else would it be?

I carefully and quietly headed back to Carla’s bedroom, still carrying the dirty linens. I looked around the room, trying to come up with a plan of action.

I arranged the dirty linens on the bed, under the clean blankets, to appear to be a woman sleeping. It wasn’t perfect, but I knew it would fool Bernie. He was always half-drunk, and horny enough to not pay attention to the details. This would work. It had to.

I had no weapon. The golf club had remained downstairs with us last night. I had only my fists, but I was sure that would be enough.