15. The Story

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"His name's Pat Murphy, and he moved here two years ago, just weeks before we first met. I live in a touristic city, and he went there on vacations. After he left, we stayed in touch online. We met again seven months later in Buenos Aires, for a week." She shrugged. "He kept asking me to come over and spend a couple of weeks here with him and I finally accepted. He was doing some renovations in his ranch, so he'd rented a pretty house in town for us to stay."

Jay looked away as she spoke, thinking of his mother. Sean's father had been a beater, his own father a violent drunk. He and his brother had learned to deal with their mother's hurting silence since they were toddlers, because she was too proud to admit her weakness and ask for help.

"He's the son of a bitch who did that to you," he said. "That's why you don't wanna go back."

She only nodded.

Just like his mother. Turn around and run for the hills. Move to another town, another city, another state. Just leave. It'd taken him many years to see it was self-preservation instinct, not plain cowardice. Turning one's back on the monster was taking a little of its power away. It was reducing its chances to do harm again.

"What happened? How did it come to this?"

Silvia shrugged. "I didn't see it coming. The first week together was a fairytale come true." She let out a bitter chuckle. "He wanted to marry me! Can you believe it?" She shook her head. "My parents died in a car crash when I was eighteen, and I was left to raise my two little siblings. I ain't getting married when they're finally old enough to give me a break!"

Jay chuckled. Her way to speak reminded him of Jo, painting entire scenes in the air with nothing but her words as she rambled about one of her crazy indie projects.

"He didn't take no for an answer," he said.

"You see, my cousin is something of a hacker, and he had the bright idea of looking into Pat's online activity. He texted me on Friday to tell me what he'd found." Silvia rubbed her face and sighed. "Turns out that what really pays for Pat's wealthy lifestyle is selling soft drugs on the internet, that he delivers over the post mail."

"You gotta be kidding."

"Go figure. He didn't like it when I asked about it. But turned out that wasn't his only skeleton in the closet. He also has a serious anger-management problem. Thank God the neighbors heard us fight, and my screams, so they called the police." She paused, like gathering her recollections. "The sheriff threw Pat in a cell to chill down. And after I grabbed my stuff, they took me to the only inn in town for the night. An old nurse came to check on me there yesterday morning. And while she tended to my bruises, she told me Pat's got a record of scuffles and public broadsides. She also said that rumor has it he's a fugitive felon, wanted in three or five states for unspeakable crimes." Silvia turned to Jay, raising her eyebrows. "And here I am. I only wanna go home, but I'm still stuck here. And I'm not going back to town even if my life depends on it."

Jay nodded with a mild smile, because she'd just given him the key to convince her.

"Dude, now I can see why you don't wanna go back there," he said. "Of course you're afraid of coming across him and getting hurt again."

She didn't chuckle—she laughed out loud, like he expected. So he pretended to miss the joke and frowned.

"The only thing I'm afraid of about seeing him again is myself. I broke his arm two nights ago, and trust me, next time I'm going for his neck." She nodded to the hall. "Coffee? Snacks? I'm getting some."

Looked like she always found an excuse to get out of sight when she was upset.

Jay stood up. "I'll get 'em," he said, starting to the hall before she could argue.

He put the coffee machine to work and strolled up to the access doors. Water was already licking the front steps. If that Old Toby didn't hurry, they were going to be in trouble.

Back to the waiting room, he found Silvia still standing before the window, smoking with her eyes out in the rain. She didn't notice him coming, and when he got closer, he heard her sing to herself, his own words suddenly oh so fitting.

Break free from the life I've lived
Something's gotta give
Before I take

Another breath again
I cannot take this anymore
I will not accept anymore.

**CHASING AVALANCHE - Break Free**


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