So Close: Part One

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One Thousand Miles

Chapter  |  So Close

Part  |  One

I currently sat in my car in my parents' driveway, trying to build up the nerve to ring the doorbell. I wanted to tell them about the abuse before Tanya did. She might not tell them, but I wanted to be sure. I was hoping that when I broke the news to them that they would be on my side and look at the situation from my point of view. I had already lost a very important friend; I can't lose my family too.

Speaking of losing a friend, when John arrived home from work last night he seemed to be in a good mood. He had kissed me on the cheek just as I sat his plate of food down in his regular seat. I smiled at him before sitting my food down in the seat across from him and taking a seat in the chair. 

"You really put your foot in this, Steph. It tastes amazing my love," John says after taking his first bite.

The smile that was on my face a few seconds ago had vanished and Tanya was the reason. I couldn't stop thinking about the argument we had had earlier. I kept thinking about how I had lost a great friend just because she didn't understand that John was my love.

John must have noticed some sort of look in my eyes, or must have been curious as to why I wasn't eating. "What's wrong, babe? Why aren't you eating?"

I give him a forced smile and pick at my peas with my fork. "Nothing is wrong, baby. I just have a lot on my mind that's all."

He looks at me for a moment before leaning back in his chair with a blank look on his face. I don't know why, but whenever he showed no emotion it kind of scared of me because I couldn't tell what he was thinking. "Stephy baby, why are you lying to me?"

I sigh and look down at my hands now resting in my lap. "I'm not lying."

He lets out a humorless chuckle and sits up. "Oh, but Stephy, baby, you are. You don't want me to teach you a lesson do you?"

I look up at him with wide and shake my hands. Okay, so I wasn't necessarily telling the truth, but nor was I lying to him. "No."

He smiles and stands up from the table. He walks around the table and crouches down in front of me as I watch with wide fear-filled eyes. "Good, now, tell me the truth. I don't want to punish you."

"I....," I trail off as I look down at my hands again. I tear falls down my cheek before I whisper the words, "I'm not lying."

I sit there waiting for anything to happen, but nothing does. After a minute or so I finally look up at him and notice he's still looking at me with that same blank expression. I sit staring at him for another minute until suddenly the back of hand comes flying toward my face. I scream when it comes in contact with my cheek and fall to the floor. I look back at him and notice the anger in his eyes and start to quickly crawl away from him.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asks as he grasps me by the waist and lifts me off the floor.

I scream, kick, and try to wiggle myself out of his hands, but his hold was too tight. As he's carrying me up the stairs, I feel his hold loosen up just a bit and wiggle my body some more and until I'm finally free. He tries to pick me up again, but I lift my leg up and repeatedly kick him in the leg until he's grabbing on to his leg and railing for support. I crawl the rest of the way up the stairs and run down the long hallway towards our room. He's called my name as he's running after me while I'm screaming and crying for him to get away from me. I could barely see where I was going since my eyes were filled with tears, but I somehow managed to make it to the room.

I made it to the room, but just as I take my third step I feel arms wrap themselves around my waist again. I scream as he lifts me up again before throwing me down onto the bed. He roughly grabs me by my ankles and pulls me to the end of the bed so my legs are dangling. He pins his arms above my head and leans in close to me.

"So now do you want to tell me the truth or would you like for me to carry on?" he asked through his gritted teeth. I whimper. He growls before yelling, "Answer me!"

"Please believe me; I'm not lying to---"

He growls and takes a step back before reaching for his belt buckle. A loud sob leaves my mouth as I quickly scramble back towards the pillows. I pull the cover up to my shoulders and watch as he continues to take his belt off. "All you had to do was just tell me the truth, baby. I hate to do this to you, but it's the only way you're going to learn to behave."

"I'll behave I promise!" I scream just before a gut-wrenching sob leaves me. Tears are falling down my face like a waterfall and scared doesn't even explain how I feel.

Suddenly the blanket is pulled off of me causing a scream to erupt from my mouth. He folds the belt in half and reaches across the bed for my leg before pulling me closer. The first hit comes down on my leg quick and painfully. I scream just as he brings it back down on my leg again.

"Please, I'm sorry John!"

He swings once again and this time it hits me in my thigh. "Don't you ever fucking lie to me again you hear me! I'm your husband, you don't lie to me!"

I scream out again when he strikes me once more before crawling back towards the headboard. Anticipating the move, he reaches out and pulls me closer to him. His swings getting harder and faster as the seconds pass.

My face is scrunched up so tight and my mouth is wide open as tears continue to stream down my face and into my mouth. "It hurts, it hurts! I'm sorry, I won't lie again, I promise!"

"Shut up and pull your pants and panties down," he says through clenched teeth.

I stare back at him in horror before shakily reaching for the button on my cream colored jeans and slowly pulling them down and off. I hesistate for a second before hooking my fingers in the waistband of my panties and slowly pulling them down to my ankles. Before I could do or say anything else, I was flipped over onto my stomach and the belt came down on my butt. I scream out and place my hand over my burning flesh.

"No! Please!"

"Dont you ever lie to me again Stephanie Schmidt! Never! Now move your goddamn hand out the way!" he roars. I was definitely in trouble because of the fact that he used my whole name.

I let out quiet 'no's' before the next strike lands on my butt again. I continue to scream out in pain as he continues to land strike after strick onto my now bruised behind. 

"Help! He's beating me!" I cry out, but my cries for help quickly die when he starts hitting me in my back and behind.

The beating lasted for about three minutes even though it felt like an hour and by the end of it I was a sobbing mess laying on my side. I can feel his prensence next to me on the side of the bed but I try my best to ignore him. 

"So are you going to lie to me again Stephanie? Next time you do it, I won't use my belt, I'll use one of the chords from downstairs, do you understand me?" he asks.

Slowly I nod my head. "Yes, John," I say lower than a whisper.

Once he was finished he slipped his belt back on before leaving the room. Once he was gone I broke down into gut wrenching sobs and crawled up to my side of the bed. I laid there on my side with half of my face mashed down into the pillow as I rubbed over the welts John's belt left behind. I continue to lay there for a few minutes before I feel myself start to grow tired and I cry myself to sleep.

Here I was now still sitting in my car in my parents' driveway still trying to build up the nerve to go ring the doorbell. I even came up with a plan as to how I was going to break the news to them, but in order for it to be put into action I had to ring the doorbell first. I would tell them what was going on back at home and that's when my mom would say something like, "You're kidding, right?" and I would just shake my head before lifting up my shirt sleeve and pant leg.

I sigh and swing the door open and climbing out before slamming it shut. I slowly make my way up to the door and ring the doorbell. I hear voices coming from inside the house and running. My eight year old sister Katie moves the curtains to see what's outside and her eyes widen in happiness.

"Mom, dad it's Steph!" I hear her say before she opens the door. She runs straight into my legs and wraps her small arms around my waist. "I missed you Steph!"

I laugh before picking her up and placing a kiss on her cheek. "I saw you a few days ago, Kate."

She laughed too. "I know."

I rolled my eyes and smiled in amusement before stepping inside the house. I placed Katie on the floor and shut the door behind me. I slowly walked into the living room to find dad and Ethan playing a video game, Ally sitting on the couch next to a man whom I've never met before, and mom knitting in her rocking chair.

"Hey Steph!" Ethan said as he quickly turned to look at me before turning back around to focus on his game.

"Hey everybody, so I see you got dad into Xbox," I say as I take a seat on the floor next to Katie who is busying herself with a book.

"It's very addicting sweetheart," my father says without taking his eyes off the television screen.

I laugh at how childish both my father and brother were. I look up at Ally who is sitting behind me on the couch smiling at something the mysterious man was whispering in her ear. She giggles before looking at down at me with a smile. She waves. "Hey Stephanie."

"Hello Allison," I say with a smirk.

She narrows her eyes, but nonetheless smiles. I smile too and nod my head in the direction of the mysterious man next to her. She blushes and winks before turning to whisper something in his ear. I knew exactly who this guy was as soon as she winked. I didn't know his name or anything like that, but I did know that he was either a crush or boyfriend.

"Dammit, how did you beat me old man?" Ethan asks as he looks over at our father with wide eyes.

My father chuckles and shakes his head. "I'm not telling you." He stands up from the couch and opens his arms. "Well Steph, are you going to give your old man a hug?"

I laugh and quickly stand up before wrapping my arms around my father. He squeezed me tight causing me to laugh. When we pulled out of the hug he placed a kiss on my makeup covered cheek before giving me a huge smile. "Hi daddy."

"Hey sweetheart, what brings you here today?" he asks.

Oh right, I wasn't here to tell them how much I missed them, I was here to tell them my husband was beating me. I look over at Ally's boyfriend. "Well I...it's kind of a family matter."

He looks up at me and smiles. "No problem. I better get going, it's kind of late." Ally frowns and stands up just as her boyfriend does. He pecks her on the lips before moving her hair out of her face. "Don't frown; your face is too beautiful for that." She giggles before saying a quick goodbye. He waves to everybody before exiting the house.

Once I hear the front door shut I take a seat on the couch where Ally's boyfriend just sat. I cover my face with my hands just as I feel the cushion next to me dip. Ally places her hand on my back and rubs it in small circles. "What's wrong?"

I sigh and look up. Once everybody's eyes are on me I finally say, "I have to tell you guys something."

My mom now looks concerned. "Is it something bad?"

I sigh. "I...it's up to you to decide if it is bad." I close my eyes and take deep breaths. Just spit it out Stephanie. They'll understand...hopefully. When I'm ready to break the news I open my eyes and just as I'm about to say it my phone rings from inside my pocket. I sigh in irritation and a little relief before reaching inside my pocket for my phone. I look down at who's calling and suddenly my eyes widen in fear.

John.

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