Grizzly Flying Home (5 page)

Emily opened her eyes and blinked a few times in response to the bright sunlight streaming through her bedroom window. She sat up slowly, then glanced over at her alarm clock, surprised to see it displaying 10:26 as the time. Had she really slept that long?

She started to berate herself for being so lazy, but then she stopped her inner critic just as quickly.

“No,” she said aloud as she climbed out of bed. “I got home late, and I needed sleep. There’s nothing wrong with resting when you need it.”

Emily walked to her bathroom and looked at her face in the mirror, surprised to see that for the first time in a long time, she didn’t have tired, dark circles under her eyes. Her skin looked glowing and healthy, and her eyes had a sparkle to them that she hadn’t seen in a long time. Emily stared at her reflection for a few minutes, the realization dawning on her that just one night of taking time to do something for herself—something
she
wanted to do—had made a big difference. Spending time with her new friends, followed by a full night’s sleep, had left her mentally and physically rejuvenated. She felt like a new person.

Emily splashed some cold water on her face and brushed her teeth. Then she combed her hair and pulled it into a loose ponytail. She used some moisturizer on her face, letting the silky smooth lotion seep into her thirsty skin. And then she applied mascara and lip gloss. She went to her closet and picked out one of her favorite pairs of jeans, slipping into them and then finding a soft pink, long-sleeved shirt to wear. She smiled as she looked at herself in the mirror again. When she made an effort instead of lounging in days old sweatpants with dirty hair, Emily felt lovely.

She grabbed her phone and glanced at the date, embarrassed to realize that she didn’t even know what day of the week it was right now. Everything had blurred together into one long, despondent existence. Emily decided that she was going to change that today. She had to start working on her photography business again if she wanted to continue to pay her rent. And today seemed like the perfect day to start anew.

Emily went to look through her camera equipment, packing up a few different lenses so she could take several different types of pictures. She brewed some coffee while she ate a bowl of cereal, and then put the coffee in a travel mug. She was going to go to one of her favorite hiking spots and try her hand at taking some nature photographs. She knew it would be hard to break into a new area of photography, but this was her dream. She was feeling inspired today, and if there was ever a time to go for it, today was the day.

Emily looked at her phone one more time before dropping it into her camera bag and grabbing her car keys. She hadn’t heard from Scott in a few days, which was unusual. He usually came around at least once every other day and had dinner with her, or asked her to come over and watch a movie with him. Lately, though, every single time she saw him, he became violent. So she was actually grateful that he wasn’t paying attention to her right now. He was probably on one of his drinking binges that left him so incapacitated he couldn’t even leave his apartment.

Emily sighed as she walked toward her apartment door. What kind of relationship was this, where she was relieved when she didn’t see her boyfriend? She needed to make a change, and she knew it. She just wasn’t sure how to find the courage to do it.

Emily pushed away her troubled thoughts and climbed into her car. She would worry about Scott later. Right now, she wanted to take a day for herself, to do what she wanted to do and to work on her business. She felt excitement coursing through her veins as she made her way to a nearby redwoods forest, and started down a well-worn hiking trail.

The September air was pleasant-not too hot and not too cold. The shade from the redwoods kept the bright sun from beating down too fiercely on Emily, and also muted the light to help her take better pictures. She took hundreds of photographs. First, she took close-ups of everything that caught her interest. A uniquely shaped leaf, a cluster of late-blooming wildflowers, a large, jagged rock, and even a banana slug that she came across as it slowly slid across the path. Emily took her time, wandering slowly through the forest and enjoying the chance to escape into such magnificent nature that she was lucky enough to have right in her backyard.

When the path meandered up to the open edge of the forest, overlooking a small valley of trees below, Emily took some landscape shots. She photographed the expansive view from multiple angles, losing herself in her work for the first time in months. She worked for hours, not even noticing the hunger pangs in her stomach until she was walking back to the trailhead. A glance at her watch told her it was late afternoon, and she smiled happily. What a wonderful way to spend the day.

Emily climbed into her car and started driving back toward home. She kept an eye out for a place to grab some food, and the first restaurant she spotted was a small roadside café advertising fresh sandwiches and soups. Emily stopped in and ate what was quite possibly the best turkey club sandwich of her life. She savored every bite, and then indulged in a slice of the café’s homemade pie for dessert.

Full and happy, Emily finally turned her car back toward her apartment. For once, she was actually excited to get home. Instead of only having an empty, lonely apartment to look forward to, she was excited to get the photographs she had taken up onto a computer screen and see if any of them were any good. She wasn’t sure yet how she was going to make a business out of selling them, but she would figure things out eventually. She always did.

Emily parked her car in front of her apartment building, and bounded up the stairs two at a time. She was humming under her breath as she climbed the last few steps, but when she rounded the corner to where her apartment door was located, her happy mood instantly disappeared.

Leaning against her doorway, with his arms crossed defiantly across his chest, was Scott. He sneered at her when he saw her, and Emily’s blood ran cold. His eyes were dilated, and although he didn’t seem drunk right now, he was definitely under the influence of something.

“Well, well, well,” he said, standing up straight and taking a step toward her. “Look who finally decided to come home. Where have you been? Hanging out with some new guy while I was stuck home not feeling well?”

Emily wanted to retort that he was probably stuck home drunk, but she thought better of it. Stirring up his anger would not be a smart move on her part.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Scott,” she said as calmly as she could manage. “I was out for a hike, trying out my lenses on some nature photography.”

“You haven’t answered any of my calls,” Scott yelled, taking a step toward her. His eyes blazed angrily and Emily shrank back.

“I’m sorry, Scott. I was so wrapped up in my work that I forgot to check my phone. It was only a few hours, though. Not even a full day. You can’t expect me to constantly monitor my phone in case you call. Especially when you disappear without a word for days on end.”

Scott exploded in anger at Emily’s words. “You know I have demons that haunt me,” he yelled. “You’re being so selfish, trying to argue that you have a right to disappear because I did. You know I can’t help it. You’re not being sensitive to my problems.”

Emily took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. Usually, when Scott played the selfishness card on her, she caved. But today, thanks to the clarity of a night out with friends and a day spent in nature, she realized how ridiculous his accusations were.

“Scott, I do care about you and your problems. But I have a life, too. When you disappear, you can’t expect me to just wait at home every second of the day in case you happen to call or stop by. I need to get my business going again. I need to spend some time with friends again, so I don’t go stir-crazy. I don’t think that’s too much to ask.”

Emily tried to speak as calmly and soothingly as she could. She knew Scott would not like what she was saying, but they had to make some changes. Surely, he had to admit she needed time to herself, even if he didn’t like it. But Scott was not a man you could reason with. His gaze only grew angrier at Emily’s words, and when she finished speaking he completely lost control.

“You selfish bitch!” Scott yelled, and lunged toward her. Emily tried to get out of his way, but he grabbed her arm and held on so tightly that she felt like he might squeeze it right off. She yelped in pain, but he didn’t loosen his grip or back away. He stuck his face right in hers, his wild gaze sending shivers of fright through her. For a moment, all Emily could think about was that she used to love this man. It was almost comical to realize that his face used to turn her on. Right now, all she wanted to do was run as far away from him as she could.

That’s when she realized she had to end things. She should have planned a safer way to do it. She should have thought about how angry her words would make him, and said them from a greater distance. But life is often messy and unplanned, and before Emily could stop herself, she found herself yelling in Scott’s face.

“We’re through, Scott! You don’t own me.”

There was a long, silent pause. Neither one of them said anything, but the pulsing vein in Scott’s forehead told Emily that his anger had reached level orange. She tried to wriggle away, but, of course, his grip on her was still too strong.

“We’re not through!” he roared. “Who is he? Who is the guy you’re seeing? I swear I’ll break every bone in his body.”

“I’m not seeing anyone,” Emily yelled back. “But you’re crazy if you think you can treat me like this and expect me to stay with you. I should have left long ago.”

Scott roared again and pinned Emily up against the wall of the apartment hallway. Emily tried to wriggle free, but he was too strong. She screamed at him to let her go, but he just laughed, his face twisting into an amused sneer as he held her firmly.

“I’m not letting you get away from me. You’re mine, and if you think you can just leave, you’re sadly mistaken.”

“Let me go!” Emily screamed again.

“Tell me who he is,” Scott replied, putting his hands in a chokehold around her neck.

“There isn’t anyone else,” Emily yelled, her voice turning from a yell to a whimper as Scott cut off her air supply. She started to panic as the world around her started to fade to black. She hadn’t thought this through. How far was Scott going to take this little show? He wouldn’t actually kill her, would he?

In that moment, Emily wasn’t so sure.

Just when she started to wonder if the gray walls of the apartment hallway would be the last thing she ever saw, Scott suddenly loosened his grip and howled in pain. Emily looked up, startled to see one of her neighbors standing behind Scott with a crowbar in his hands. Scott was limping off to the left, holding one of his legs in his hands. He pulled his hands away to reveal a splash or bright, red blood.

“Shit, man. What the hell,” Scott said, turning to his attacker. He lunged toward Emily’s neighbor, but the neighbor held the crowbar up, stopping Scott in his tracks.

“Not so fast, buddy,” the neighbor said. You take one more step toward me or the girl, and I’ll smash your head in. And trust me, it’s going to feel much worse than that gash on your leg. Now, get out of here and don’t fucking show your face around here again.”

Scott paused and looked at Emily, then looked back at the attacker. Emily gasped for air, trying to catch her breath and praying that Scott would just leave without making a scene. After a few seconds, Scott sneered again and headed toward the stairs.

“Whatever,” he said. “I don’t have time for this. But this discussion isn’t through, Emily. I’m going to find out who your new man is and tear him to pieces.”

Scott disappeared down the stairwell, and Emily felt a rush of relief flood her. Scott was a coward, when it came down to it. If someone showed up that he knew was bigger than him or had the upper hand in a fight, Scott would run away. He always said he didn’t have time for silly fights, but the truth was that he didn’t have the guts for a fight.

Emily turned to look at her neighbor, her cheeks turning red with embarrassment and shame. “Sorry,” she said. “I guess he got a little out of hand. Thanks for rescuing me.”

The neighbor huffed, and gave Emily a look that said he wasn’t fooled. “Seems to me, from the sounds of the fights you two are always having, that he’s always getting a little out of hand. Why don’t you get a restraining order against him? Or a gun. Or both.”

Emily shrugged. She started to say that he wasn’t usually that bad, but the words stuck in her throat. He
was
usually that bad, and Emily was tired of defending him. Besides, her neighbor had undoubtedly heard Scott flying off the handle numerous times. It was no use trying to pretend that it didn’t happen.

“I don’t really want to get the law involved,” Emily said weakly.

The man tapped his crowbar on the ground a few times. “Well, I understand that, I guess. I’ve got my own reasons for avoiding the cops. But I’m telling you right now, if that fool comes around again I’m calling the cops on him. I’m tired of hearing him beat you up. I don’t want to do nothing about it and have it on my conscience.”

“I understand,” Emily said. “Thanks again for your help.”

The man grunted again, and then disappeared into apartment 321. Emily hadn’t even introduced herself or asked for his name, and she got the impression that he wasn’t the kind of guy who was into small talk. With shaking hands, Emily picked up her gear bag from where it had fallen several feet away, silently praying that her camera wasn’t broken. She fished out her keys and opened her apartment door, then stepped inside and locked and dead bolted it behind her. Not that a deadbolt would have stopped Scott if he really wanted to break in. Scott had already kicked this door down once, and Emily had quietly gone to a Home Depot store and bought a replacement door that looked as much like the other doors in the apartment complex as possible. She hadn’t wanted to go explain to management that her crazy boyfriend had kicked the door down, so she’d dealt with the problem herself.