Текст книги "The Good Neighbor"

Автор книги: Kimberley A. Bettes

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Текущая страница: 8 (всего у книги 13 страниц)

When I stood, he was gone. I heard him thumping down the stairs heavily and took off after him.

I didn’t make it far, though. I heard Carla’s sobs as I passed the bathroom. It stopped me briefly. I wanted to go to her. However, I needed to make sure that Bernie was gone before I did.

I went downstairs and quickly checked the kids. They were fine, and there was no sign of Bernie in the living room. The front door stood open. I ran to it and stepped out onto the porch. I saw Bernie running up the steps to his house, naked, with his arms full of clothes.

One thing was for sure, I knew where to find him. And I would find him, and I would deal with him. I stepped back in the house, closed and locked the door behind me, and ran upstairs to Carla.

The shower curtain was pulled back, allowing me to see Carla sitting in the shower, naked, with hot water beating against her body. With the water going, I couldn’t see the tears that I knew were pouring from her eyes, but I could see the way her body heaved with her heavy sobs. She was trembling.

I walked slowly toward her, unsure of what I should do. I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to wrap her up in the safety of my arms forever, stopping only long enough to kill Bernie. But I wasn’t sure what I should do.

As I stepped closer to her, she leaned forward quickly and vomited in the shower. As I watched her dinner swirl down the drain, I thought of Bernie. If it weren’t for that piece of shit, none of this would be happening now. He didn’t deserve to live, but death would be too good for him.

Perched on the side of the bathtub, I reached slowly toward Carla to stroke her face. Just before I touched her however, she pulled away.

It hurt my feelings that she didn’t want me to touch her, but I knew I couldn’t take it personally. She’d just been raped. I couldn’t even imagine the toll that had taken on her. And like I said, I didn’t know what to do.

So I called Jill. I didn’t tell her what had happened, just that I needed her and Andy to come over immediately. Maybe another woman could comfort her at such a time. I hoped. I hated to see her in pain, and knowing that I couldn’t do anything for her only made it worse.

49 Owen

I met Andy and Jill at the front door to keep them from ringing the doorbell and waking the kids. The worry was evident on each of their faces. Unfortunately, what I had to tell them was only going to make it worse.

They came in and I quickly closed and locked the door behind them.

“What’s going on, Owen,” Jill asked. She leaned against Andy, ringing her hands together out of nervousness.

In little more than a whisper, I said, “Carla and the kids stayed the night here tonight. I slipped out after Carla fell asleep and went down to her house to clean up the mess Bernie left. While I was gone,” I swallowed, trying to make this easier to say, but failing miserably. “Bernie came in and he...raped Carla.” I hoped they didn’t hear the crack in my voice.

Jill gasped and clasped her hands over her mouth. Andy’s jaw clenched tightly.

“I came in just after it happened. I heard a sound and ran upstairs. Carla had knocked him out with a lamp. When he awoke, we fought.” I moved my hand from side, checking to see how much blood I was losing.

“Oh my god!” Jill whispered loudly. She rushed over to me to inspect the wound. “You need to get that looked at.”

“I will. But right now, I need you to go up and talk to Carla. She pulled away from me. I don’t know what to do to help her.” I didn’t need to say how horrible I felt that I’d left her alone and vulnerable. Jill already knew. She knew me as well as Andy did, and she could read my face and see the remorse. Of course, a total stranger could’ve probably seen the same thing on my face tonight. I felt miserable and guilty and was unable to hide it.

“Of course,” she said quickly. I told her Carla was in the shower and she ran upstairs quietly.

Andy’s fists were clenched by his sides. He looked nearly as angry as I did. “What are we going to do?” he asked. “To Bernie, I mean.” I didn’t know if it was my imagination, but I detected a harder tone to his voice now.

I shook my head. “I don’t know yet. But Jill was right. I’ve got to get this taken care of first, but then the son of a bitch will pay for what he’s done.”

“Damn right, he will,” Andy added with every bit as much anger in his voice as I had in mine. And I didn’t have to wonder whether I’d imagined it this time.

As Andy drove me to the hospital, he asked a few questions about what had taken place at my house. I answered as many of them as I could. With each answer I gave, his hands clutched the steering wheel tighter, until his knuckles were white.

When he ran out of questions, we finished the ride in silence, both of us hoping that Bernie wouldn’t return to my house. The women and children were alone.

I applied as much pressure as I could to my stab wound to minimize the bleeding. In fact, I applied a little more than necessary as a punishment for allowing this to happen. I wouldn’t tell Andy how responsible I felt, but I was sure he knew. He would tell me that it was crazy to think I could’ve prevented the night’s events, but he’d never be able to convince me. If I’d only stayed in bed with her, none of this would’ve happened. Maybe if I’d been sterner with Bernie the morning he tried to push past Carla and get into her house, everything would be fine now. And maybe, if I’d done more when he had broken into the house and violated Carla, this would’ve been just another uneventful night.

But I hadn’t done any of those things. And now Carla was paying.

I fought a wave of nausea as Andy pulled into the hospital parking lot. I was looking forward to getting this over with and getting back to Carla. I’d failed her once tonight. I wanted to be there for her now.

Though it felt like an eternity, it only took a little more than an hour to get stitched up and out of the hospital. Luckily for me, Bernie’s bad aim failed to reach any vital organs. A few stitches and a lie about a barroom brawl later, we were on our way home.

We rode in silence, neither of saying what we were thinking. Though it was unspoken, I knew we were both considering ways to deal with Bernie. Of course, ‘we’ wasn’t really an issue. I didn’t want to involve Andy. It wasn’t his fight. He hadn’t failed Carla; I had. Now I had to make it right. I also knew that Andy wouldn’t accept that. He’d be right by side, as usual. My fight would be his.

Andy turned onto Hewitt Street and I couldn’t take my eyes off Bernie’s house. I saw no signs of life, but I knew he was in there. He was in there, and he was surely gloating about having raped Carla and stabbed me. I could almost see him sitting in there, laughing.

I was going to beat the laugh out of him.

I noticed Andy staring as well. I knew we were on the same wavelength.

I unlocked the door and we went quietly into the house. I checked on Ethan and Shelby, who remained blissfully unaware of anything. I envied their ability to sleep. Seeing them in slumber was a painful reminder of the lack of sleep I’d experienced in the last couple of days. The night’s events had given me a surge of adrenaline that had aided me in remaining awake, but it was fading now, and sleep wanted to take over.

We went upstairs, where Jill had managed to get Carla dried and dressed in our absence. The two were in my bedroom, where Jill sat perched on the side of the bed, which I saw had fresh linens. Carla sat in a chair across the room. Her knees were drawn up to her chest, and her arms wrapped around them tightly.

I walked into the room without taking my eyes off her. I wanted to go to her and squeeze her to me, but I didn’t want to make things worse for her.

I looked to Jill for a sign. She nodded slowly. I took this to mean that she had made more progress than I had earlier. I took a step toward Carla, putting no more than a single step’s distance between us now. I waited.

With as much tenderness as I had in me, I said, “Carla.”

Slowly, she lifted her head and met my eyes. In a move that couldn’t possibly have been any more unexpected, she jumped up from the chair and threw her arms around my neck. She squeezed me as tightly as I had wanted to squeeze her. I immediately returned her embrace, fighting back tears as I did.

It was at that moment, that exact moment in time, that I realized I loved her. It surprised me to have such strong feelings for her, having known her such a short time. Of course, in that short time, we’d been through a lot.

I leaned my head down and whispered into her ear, “Are you okay?” I knew it was a stupid question, but better ones escaped me.

She nodded and pulled back so she could look into my eyes again. “I’m fine now,” she said, and hugged me again. I knew she meant she was fine now that I was with her. Even though I felt this had all been my fault, she clearly didn’t see it that way. She saw me as the good amidst the bad. I was her protector.

Andy asked if Jill had called the police. The reaction from Carla as he asked that simple, obvious question was one none of us suspected.

She nearly screamed, “No! No police. Absolutely not.”

I exchanged a quick glance at Andy, both of us puzzled. I didn’t want to anger her at such a time, but I had to know why she refused to call the police.

“Carla, why not? Bernie has to pay for this.” I said this in a calm and soothing tone. I didn’t want her to feel as if I were pressuring her in any way. I didn’t want to cause her more stress than what I already had.

She sighed deeply. “When I was ten, a man broke into our house and raped my mother. She called the police after he left, even though he told her not to. They arrested him a few days later. He never did time, though. He was let go on a technicality. He came back. He killed my mother because she had told on him. I won’t put my kids through that. They won’t grow up without their mother the way I did.”

None of us said anything. We knew then that neither of the four of us would call the police.

I felt the change in me. I knew I’d have to deal with Bernie. I had to rid her of this threat, this problem that lived next door to her. I couldn’t possibly expect her to live beside him without fear.

I would take care of her at any cost.

50 Bernie

I watched the room spin as I lay on the bed. The ceiling was nearly out of control. It might have not been such a good idea to drink so much. Especially since that damn Owen would probably be coming. They hadn’t called the cops, for whatever reason, so I had no doubt that he’d come over here and start something. He’d want revenge for what I’d done to the broad. He didn’t realize that I’d only done what she’d asked me to do. She hadn’t asked with words, but actions. And everybody knows what they say about actions; they speak louder than words.

I smiled and closed my eyes as I remembered creeping up the stairs and sneaking in the room where she lay, naked, sleeping, waiting for me. I relived every moment, every detail. I’d never forget the way she looked in the dark, or the way her skin felt as I crushed it between my teeth, or the way it felt to be inside her.

I didn’t realize I was jacking off until I felt the warm mess on my hand as I finished.

I opened my eyes and laughed. That was almost as good as when it had really happened. I wiped the gunk on the wad of blanket lying beside me. Who cares?

I was glad that I could experience it over and over, because I doubted that I’d ever get another chance to do her. Even though I knew she wanted me to sneak over there and do her every night. I was sure Owen knew it too. I was also sure he’d do everything he could to keep me from satisfying her. He was jealous. He knew she wanted me and that made him jealous.

I lay there with my eyes closed to avoid watching the spinning room, and wondered what that damn Owen had up his sleeve. It had to be something. I didn’t know why they hadn’t called the cops. I imagined her begging him not to because – though she’d never say it to him – she’d wanted it. Whatever the reason, they hadn’t. That led me to believe Owen had a plan.

I imagined him sneaking over here in the night, slipping into my house and trying to catch me by surprise. The surprise would be on him, though, when he realized that while he was here trying to catch me, I was at his house giving it to the broad again.

The thought of having another chance at her gave me yet another hard-on. To take care of it, I closed my eyes and imagined creeping back up those stairs again.

51 Andy

The women were upstairs. Owen and I had gone to the kitchen under the pretense of needing a drink. What we’d really needed was a moment to ourselves to talk about what to do about that bastard Bernie.

I wasn’t sure how to handle this situation, and I knew Owen wasn’t either. What I did know, was that if it had been Jill he’d done these things to, I’d be throwing the dirt over his limp body right now.

Even though it hadn’t been my wife, it felt almost as bad. It was Owen’s girlfriend, and he was like my brother. I felt the pain it caused him and what hurt him, hurt me.

I leaned against the kitchen counter with my arms folded across my chest. Owen sat at the table, looking exhausted, with his head in his hands. There were a couple of times when I thought he was crying, but I was never really sure.

“Maybe we should talk about this more after you’ve had some rest,” I suggested.

“I just don’t know what to do, Andy. I have to do something.” He sighed heavily.

“Well, I’ll tell you this. The son of a bitch will pay for what he’s done. What we have to do is figure out what we’re going to do to him and when. That’s it.”

Owen nodded slowly. “You’re right. Let’s get something figured out.”

I sat down at the table with him and we began a conversation that lasted until after dawn. In the end, we had what could only be described as a rudimentary plan. It was basic and unsophisticated at best. Basically, we’d just talked about what we wanted to do to him and what we should do to him. In the end, we sort of just threw it all together.

I walked away unsure of how much of it would really be done. We were both angry and tired. In a well-rested and less emotional state, would we see things the same way? Bernie had to be punished. There was no doubt about that. But were capable of being the kind of monster he was?

Only time would tell.

52 Jill

I sat at the kitchen table sipping a glass of milk and nibbling on some buttered toast. I was trying to work with my stomach instead of against it. Andy on the other hand was really putting away a bowl of oatmeal, saturated with sugar, butter, cinnamon and cream. I tried to not look at it or smell it, or even think about it. I just wanted to keep down the toast. So far, so good.

He hadn’t told me what he and Owen had talked about in the wee hours of the morning, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. I was sure the conversation had centered on Bernie and his misdeeds.

I wanted desperately to talk to him, as I still hadn’t had the chance. There had been so much going on lately, there just never seemed to be an appropriate moment.

I watched him rinse his now-empty bowl in Owen’s sink before checking on Ethan and Shelby, who were playing in the back yard. When he returned, he took his seat at the table once more and sighed.

“This is just awful,” he said, resting his elbow on the table and his head on his hand. “If that would’ve been you...I don’t know what I would’ve done. I can’t imagine what he’s going through.”

“What about her? I mean, she has to live next door to that creep. I couldn’t do it. I don’t know how she’s going to do it.”

After a moment of silence, Andy said, “I still can’t believe he had the nerve to come over here and do such a thing. How did he know Owen wasn’t here?”

“I don’t know that he knew Owen was gone.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, look what he did the night before. He walked in and molested her with Owen lying right there. That’s guts. Or stupidity.”

Andy chuckled. “In Bernie’s case, it’s both.” He thought for a moment. “It’s like he was watching Owen’s house. Like he knew the moment he left. He saw his opportunity and took it. And he was finished and nearly gone before Owen came back. Had Carla laid there like he told her, he would’ve been gone.”

I could tell by the tone of his voice that he was mainly talking to himself. But he made some curious points. This got my wheels turning.

I swallowed the last of my toast and said, “You know, it’s almost as if he’s been trying to do this since she moved in. I think he tried to rape her the night Owen was there, but he had thought she was alone. So instead of actually raping her, he just...did what he did.”

“Yeah,” Andy said, catching my point. “That must be why he was watching Owen and knew when he left.”

“But he would’ve had to have watched them all day to know Carla was staying over here.”

Andy thought for a minute about that. “Not necessarily. Maybe he went to Carla’s house, saw no one was there, and figured she was here.”

“He still would’ve had to be watching Owen to see when he left. And what if he never left?”

“Maybe he would’ve just waited until the next time he caught Carla alone.”

“Yeah, or maybe he wasn’t watching at all. Maybe it was a coincidence that Owen was gone at the time he came over. He had taken a knife upstairs. Maybe he planned to kill Owen first.” I shuddered at the thought of anything happening to Owen. He was a best friend to Andy, and was like a brother to us both. If anything like that happened to him, we’d be crushed.

“Shit,” was all Andy managed to say. “Have you been talking to Carla about her theory?”

I finished my milk before telling him I didn’t know what he was talking about. Then he told me about what he called ‘Carla’s Two-Year Theory’. It made sense. I couldn’t believe we hadn’t noticed it. Three deaths in two years on one street. It was definitely odd.

Then, he told me about how he and Owen had suspected Mr. Jenson, and how they’d recently cleared him of all suspicious activities. He’d turned out to be an innocent, kind-hearted, lonely old man.

“You don’t think...” I couldn’t even finish the question.

“What? That Bernie might’ve killed three people living on this street in the past couple of years? Well, a few days ago, I would’ve said no. But a few days ago I also would’ve said he’d never break in and rape his neighbor, but here we are.”

“Oh my god.” A chill ran down my spine, colder than any I’d ever felt before.

There was a killer among us. A killer and a rapist. His name was Bernie Patterson, and he lived across the street from us. Oh my god, indeed.

53 Owen

Andy and Jill had gone home around nine o’clock. They were tired. Apparently, at least for a while, we were sleeping in shifts. They’d stayed over while Carla and I slept. They watched the kids and kept an eye out for Bernie. Now it was our turn. The kids were getting ready for bed, but we’d have to keep watching out for Bernie. Who knew what his next move would be?

I watched out the front window for movement at Bernie’s. I saw none.

Carla got the kids ready for bed. I stood outside the guest bedroom and listened as she recited to them a bedtime story. We’d somehow managed to keep all this from them. It wouldn’t be long though before they would wonder why they were staying at my place. In order to keep them innocent about the whole thing and keep their world from being upset, I needed to deal with Bernie soon.

When the kids were all tucked in, Carla came out of the room, leaving the door open a few inches. I put my arm around her and pulled her to me. She nestled her head against my chest and I held her tightly.

I realized that I would always feel as though I’d failed her. I’d left her open and vulnerable to Bernie’s assault. If I lived a thousand years, I’d never let go of the guilt. But I had to move past it. If we were to have a future together at all, I would have to push forward, around the guilt, and put it behind me. And make sure I never, ever left her in such a position again.

We went downstairs to wait out the night, wary of any further onslaught from Bernie.

I double-checked all the doors and windows before settling down on the couch with Carla. She folded her legs under her and rested her head on my shoulder while we talked through the night.

I learned many things about her, and I revealed some things about myself as well. We had such a small amount of time to get to know each other before things had gotten so out of hand. It felt a little odd stepping backward like this, but it was necessary. I knew that we would always be tied to each other, whether or not we lasted as a couple. Our lives had become so entwined in the short time we’d known each other, that she would always be a part of my history, and I would always be part of hers. Nothing would ever change that. It only made sense to get to know each other better.

We talked for hours on the couch, pausing occasionally for me to check out the window for signs of Bernie.

We ate breakfast at about four. I was starving and I knew Carla had to be too, but she wasn’t interested in eating. I had to persuade her to eat the little she ate. I ate three fried eggs with toast and bacon, but Carla barely ate one egg and only nibbled on a piece of bacon.

After we ate, we sat on the front porch. I was surprised and amazed that she suggested it. She said she didn’t want to be in the house forever, and that being inside made her feel trapped. I understood that, probably more than anyone.

I noticed her glance at Bernie’s house a few times during the first hour we were out there. With each glance, she looked at his house longer, until finally, she was glaring at it. She had slowly worked up her courage. She was even stronger than I’d imagined.

We saw no signs of Bernie throughout the night. We were both relieved.

It was just after six when Andy rushed out of his house. He threw a suitcase into his car and started to jump in after it. That’s when he saw us.

“Where are you going with a suitcase?” I asked.

Andy looked worried. “My brother just called. My mom’s in the hospital and it doesn’t look good. I don’t know how long I’ll be.” He looked at the ground, visibly fighting back tears. I knew that meant he didn’t know how long she had to live. “Hey, don’t do anything until I get back. Okay?”

“I won’t,” I said, understanding that he was referring to our conversation about Bernie. “Go take care of business. Hope she’s okay.”

He nodded and got in his car. Through the open window he said, “Will you watch after Jill for me?”

“You don’t even have to ask,” I replied.

He backed out and drove away quickly, leaving the lives of two children and two women in my hands.

54 Carla

I felt horrible as I watched Andy drive away. I felt bad for Andy because he looked miserable. I knew it was difficult to lose a parent, especially your mother. I felt bad for Owen because I knew how close he and Andy were. I knew he wanted to be there for Andy, but he felt obligated to be here for me. I didn’t want to keep him away from Andy, but I wouldn’t feel safe if I didn’t have Owen. That was horribly selfish of me, and I knew it. But I couldn’t help it.

I wouldn’t let Owen see it, but I was a nervous wreck. I was terrified that Bernie would somehow manage to get past Owen and do something worse to me than he already had.

I couldn’t let that fear consume me, though. I was determined to live my life, and not in fear. Never in fear. I’d never give someone like Bernie that kind of power and control over me. If I did, it would be like he was still raping me. I wouldn’t have it.

I was doing my best to put it all behind me. I only wanted to move forward with my life. I had no idea how that was going to work when my rapist lived next door to me.

Owen was doing all he could to protect me. I did feel safer with him. We’d grown so close in such a short time. Add to that the trauma we’d suffered through together and we were inseparable. I knew that it wasn’t good to be so dependent on Owen. He wouldn’t always be around, that was impossible. And I’d never been one of those women who had to have a man to live.

So, I knew as we sat on his porch that I would have to do something in order to regain control of my life. I wanted my strength back. I wanted my security and independence back. I couldn’t hide out at Owen’s house forever. And it was totally unfair to expect him to keep a constant watch over me.

I listened as he talked about some of the buildings his construction company had built, but in the back of my mind, I was thinking of other things.

I thought of going home. What would it be like sleeping in my bed the first night? Would I get any sleep at all? If I did, would my sleep be plagued my memories in the form of nightmares of Bernie? Would I be expecting him to return? Would the thought of him coming back leave me unable to concentrate on anything else?

I didn’t know if Bernie was planning to do any more harm to me. After all, he’d succeeded in raping me. Isn’t that what he was after? Surely that would satisfy his depraved craving. Wouldn’t it?

I wondered if Owen would let me go home. I figured he’d try to talk me into staying with him a while longer. But I had to go home sometime, and to me, the sooner the better. If I dealt with it all right away, I’d be fine. If I hid out at Owen’s and let the wounds fester, it would be nearly impossible for me to deal with it.

After he finished talking, I brought the subject up to him about me leaving.

His face showed his concern. “Are you sure about that? I mean, it’s so soon. Shouldn’t you stay here for a while?”

I told him that it was better to go while it was fresh. I’d always dealt with things this way. Quickly.

He sighed. “Maybe I should stay with you for a couple of nights.” I saw the worry in his eyes. He was so afraid something would happen to me and he wouldn’t be there. I felt bad for him. Carrying around such a burden must be difficult.

“Owen, I don’t mind if you stay with me. But, you aren’t always going to be able to be there. At some point, I have to be alone. Wouldn’t it be better if it was now?”

He thought about it for a minute. He squeezed my hands in his and looked me in the eyes. “Okay. You’re right.”

I thought he had given in a little too easily. It didn’t matter, though. He seemed to have seen things my way.

After the kids had eaten breakfast, we walked home. Owen, of course, walked on my right side, keeping himself between Bernie’s house and me.

I didn’t even look in Bernie’s direction until we crossed the street in front of my house. It was a quick glance. I didn’t want to seem inviting if he was looking. It was so quick I wasn’t sure Owen had noticed.

Ethan and Shelby were happy to be home, though it hadn’t been home for long. This is where their toys were, and they rushed upstairs to play with them.

I saw Owen’s worry as they ran up the stairs. I knew he wanted to check the house and make sure Bernie wasn’t lurking somewhere. I smiled at him and told him to go ahead and check, though I was confident he would find nothing.

Finding nothing, Owen came to the living room where I sat in a chair waiting for him. He squatted in front of me, one hand on each of my knees. I leaned forward in the chair. His face was now only a couple of inches from mine. Funny how that could still make my heart beat faster even after all that had happened.

“Well?” I asked.

“It’s safe. For now.”

“What do you mean ‘for now’?”

“Well, you don’t think I’m going to leave you here with that back door like that, do you?” He grinned at me and shook his head. Without standing, he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and made a phone call. He called his company and made some immediate requests for a new back door and a couple of men to do the job.

I didn’t protest. It was wise to replace the weak point of entry. I wanted no repeats of the previous events.

After returning the phone to his pocket and kissing me passionately, Owen went through the house making sure every window and door had a working lock. He pushed and pulled and banged, making sure all was well.

Then, he put in a call for a home security system. I thought that was a bit much, but I still held my tongue. I knew that it was the smart thing to do. It felt excessive, but necessary.

And that’s how the day went. Owen helped the carpenter install the door. I watched the alarm system being installed, and memorized the instructions to go with it. The kids played with their toys, pausing only when Jill brought over lunch. She was trying to keep herself busy as well, I suppose. She made hamburgers, hot dogs and coleslaw. We all gathered in the kitchen while we ate, with many conversations happening at the same time. The kids talked toys, the men talked tools, and Jill and I talked house. It was hectic, but I loved it.

I was thankful for the chaos of the day. It made coming back to the house easier for me.

That didn’t mean that when I went to bed it would be as easy. But I’d just have to deal with that later. Right now, I just wanted to live in the moment. I wanted to appreciate my great kids, my new friend, and my boyfriend.

At the end of the day, with everyone gone except Owen, I expected him to ask if I minded if he stayed. I wanted him to stay, but I needed to do this myself. If I could make it through the first night, I could make it through all the nights to come. I enjoyed being able to depend on him, but I didn’t want to have to.

He left. I was surprised. I went to bed alone. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Maybe it was because what happened at Owen’s house was worse than what happened here.

True, when I first walked into my bedroom, the image of Bernie hunched over my bed spewing forth his filth crossed my mind. But I quickly pushed the image away and went about getting ready for bed. He was not going to ruin this for me. Going to bed here or at Owen’s was not going to be a problem because of Bernie. I wouldn’t let it.

55 Owen

I sat on the porch, keeping my eye on Bernie’s house. It was a constant struggle to keep from walking over there, busting through his front door, and making him sorry he ever laid eyes on Carla. That’s what I wanted to do. It’s what I’d wanted to do since the bastard ran out of my house naked. But I didn’t. I knew Carla didn’t want me to, but I wasn’t sure why. I would’ve thought that was exactly what she would want, but I was wrong. I knew nothing about women. I doubted I ever would.